Some choirs (albeit not Cathedral ones) still seem to have very short holidays. Not long ago, I arranged for a visiting choir to go to Beverley Minster for a weekend and found that the Minster choir was there every weekend (including half-term) except August and the weekends after Christmas and Easter. (Not wanting the chill of the E. Yorkshire coastline at New Year, we went for the Low Sunday weekend.)
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It is a sorry state of affairs when the informed contributions of a retired professional church musician on a forum such as this cannot be understood, and are met with nonsensical drivel from others. It may appear as a comic turn to some, but I think it would be a loss to this group if its more distinguished members (e.g.Roger) felt little point in writing here when others neither have much to offer in terms of informed debate, nor show an ability to grasp the points being made. Magnificat writes of the boys that "They may love it" [i.e. participating and soaking up the atmosphere of the Festival], but wants to stifle that musical enrichment because "they are being asked to do far too much". This is the unforgivable writing of a fool.Originally posted by Roger Judd View PostComment
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Last edited by Miles Coverdale; 30-07-12, 11:44.My boxes are positively disintegrating under the sheer weight of ticks. Ed ReardonComment
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Keeping things in perspective: it seems to me, as an outsider, that the points have been made with the utmost clarity by those closest to the festival, and I don't see many people dissenting.Originally posted by Wolsey View Post
Also as an outsider, it seems to me that choristers aren't racehorses or Olympic athletes being trained up to reach their peak at a given stage in the season's events; and that it would be some terrible tragedy even if a performance did rate a score of only 90% instead of some notional 100%. This surely isn't what either the music-making or an act of worship is about?It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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Again, as an outsider, much of what Magnificat says on this thread seems to me to be quite sensible. The abuse heaped on him/her/it seems to come from some who believe that things must always be what they have always been.Comment
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Well, arguing among ourselves, thenOriginally posted by Flosshilde View Post
, I am inclined to believe that the logistical difficulties described by those who have been involved are likely to be real whereas those commenting from a distance (including you and me?) merely speculate and perhaps misidentify the problems?
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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On the other hand, I've found sometimes that those with a vested interest in the status quo (and from experience I include myself in this group) place too much emphasis on apparent practicalities and apparent impossibilities whereas those from outside see things ... differently but equally validly and clearly, perhaps more so when the goal of the exercise, what has to be achieved, is borne in mind.Originally posted by french frank View PostWell, arguing among ourselves, then, I am inclined to believe that the logistical difficulties described by those who have been involved are likely to be real whereas those commenting from a distance (including you and me?) merely speculate and perhaps misidentify the problems?
That's all
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Perhaps (although I tend to agree with Ams), but one of the things that I was thinking of was Magnificat's suggestion that the 'burdens' of the TCF would put parents off sending their young ones to the choir school/s. The response was that this was rubbish & parents would have taken that into account when they sent their children to the school & it therefore wasn't a problem - well, perhaps, & perhaps other parents, who might have otherwise wanted their children to go there, decided that they didn't want summer holidays disrupted. I would have thought that those worried about a decline in numbers at choir schools would have seen that this could be a factor.Originally posted by french frank View PostWell, arguing among ourselves, then, I am inclined to believe that the logistical difficulties described by those who have been involved are likely to be real whereas those commenting from a distance (including you and me?) merely speculate and perhaps misidentify the problems?Comment
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If Three Choirs demands too much of the choristers, what about Edington, which happens quite a lot later after the end of term, and, if anything, involves more work for them?Originally posted by Magnificat View PostMy boxes are positively disintegrating under the sheer weight of ticks. Ed ReardonComment
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Whenever I look in at the 'Choir' thread it seems to be more disputacious even than 'Platform 3'. Perhaps it reflects the nature of the CofE, whose services & institutions it is mostly concerned with (perhaps it shoul be renamed?). Perhaps I should ignore it, as I do with the CofE, as an irrelevance. (
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I hardly think this is likely. The younger choristers are only involved in a 'home' festival, which is obviously every three years. For 'away' festivals, only the oldest eight attend, which probably means only those in years 7 and 8. At most, a boy will attend three festivals over the course of five years. If that puts parents off, then they're easily discouraged. Anyway, let's not go down the well-trodden path of chorister recruitment (yet) again.Originally posted by Flosshilde View PostMy boxes are positively disintegrating under the sheer weight of ticks. Ed ReardonComment
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Just to be clear Magnificat, the SCF isn't in term time. In fact this year it was during the Three Choirs' opening weekend...Originally posted by Magnificat View PostComment
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