CE Hereford Cathedral 25th July 2012

[Magnificat]

Sometimes during the half-term break, sometimes during the period just before Christmas, and once during the Easter holiday - as far as I know, always with the enthusiastic backing of the chorister parents. The Hyperion recordings we did with Christopher Robinson were made in N.London, because of aircraft noise at Windsor, and they happened after the end of term.

As I write, I think the choir of St John's Cambridge is on tour in Japan...

Chorister and non-chorister alike went on orchestral courses, skiing trips, outward-bound type activity weeks, during holiday / family time - all part of character development and life enriching.

Anyone who knows me would be amused at the idea that I slavishly accept the status quo. I think it rather impertinent that someone on this forum should presume such an insight into my psyche. Let's stick to what we know.
RJ

Roger,

I don't dispute that all the above activities are life - enriching for choristers but it shouldn't be forgotten that the choir is really there to do a job in the cathedral/chapel and which, to answer some points above, necessarily includes being in attendance for all the major church festivals in what would normally be holiday time for themselves and their families. In this context the TCF, in my opinion, certainly asks too much of the cathedral choristers and their families by requiring the boys to return to sing in the middle of Summer too.

According to Brian Rees, the retiring headmaster of Pilgrims School, Winchester and Chairman of the Choir Schools Association, who has visited all the choir schools before his retirement, in an interview in Cathedral Music magazine, choir tours after the end of term are falling out of favour with parents who see them as impinging too much on family time and the needs of siblings who are not choristers. No doubt this is due in many cases to the much more demanding adult work/life ratio these days but this will have to be taken into account by DoMs regarding other extra - curricular demands placed upon choristers generally as it is bound to affect recruitment.

Turning now to your psyche regarding the status quo. I did, in fact, say that 'for the most part' DoMs seem to me not to want the status quo to change. I am delighted that you are more open minded than some appear to be.

Best wishes,

VCC.

[ardcarp]

Denizens - people who live in dens. There's a Dens Road in Dundee, home to a football team, so that proves it.

I used 'denizen' in its simplest modern meaning of 'resident'. Chambers suggests its derivation as being connected to the French 'dans' and Latin 'de intus' (meaning 'from within'). No shame about being a denizen!

[mangerton]

I used 'denizen' in its simplest modern meaning of 'resident'. Chambers suggests its derivation as being connected to the French 'dans' and Latin 'de intus' (meaning 'from within'). No shame about being a denizen!

No, absolutely not. I looked it up in my Chambers before I wrote that piffle. As you found out, it's a most interesting derivation.

[Flosshilde]

Oh, we're not daft, us far flung people. Of course we know what it means.

Citizens - people who live in cities.

Denizens - people who live in dens. There's a Dens Road in Dundee, home to a football team, so that proves it.

& what about those who live in Bin(n)s? Perhaps Tam would have something to say on that?

[Flosshilde]

I used 'denizen' in its simplest modern meaning of 'resident'. Chambers suggests its derivation as being connected to the French 'dans' and Latin 'de intus' (meaning 'from within'). No shame about being a denizen!

It always suggests to me someone rather disreputable, lurking in the shadows.

I'll leave it to others to decide if that describes the people of Dundee, or, indeed, Edinburgh

[mangerton]

It always suggests to me someone rather disreputable, lurking in the shadows.

I'll leave it to others to decide if that describes the people of Dundee, or, indeed, Edinburgh

Yes, it has that air about it, quite unjustifiably as ardcarp and I found out. Henchmen, sidekicks, "others of thae same kidney".

I lived in Edinburgh as a child, and I don't recall doing much lurking. It's certainly not allowed in Dundee. Glasgow, though.....

[french frank]

Is this wandering it little too far off topic? It may be off-putting to people who still want to comment on choral matters.

(On the other hand, they may find it refreshingly amusing.)

I would propose a new thread on 'Anglo-centrism and the Meaning of Words' on Platform 3, unless there are strong objections.

[ardcarp]

ff. Surely you are not expecting us to stick to the point?

[french frank]

ff. Surely you are not expecting us to stick to the point?

Never! But I suspect that the interest of the non-denizens is not primarily, secondarily or even tertially - choral

When somebody posts (as now), the thread goes to the top of the What's New? list and it's always a bit of a let-down to find that the latest contributions to the TV Hollow Crown thread are comments about cream cakes or school league tables.