Numbers Drop in Britain Boy Choir

|PIC1|For the first time in centuries, the numbers of Britain boys applying to be a chorister has dropped in the past few years, according to the Choir School’s Association. The drop is threatening the future of a musical tradition that has existed for more than 1,000 years in Europe.

Despite general fees and help, choir schools are finding it increasingly difficult to fill their places, partly because boys prefer football and computer games to the commitment of daily evensong and Sunday services.

Philip Moore, organist and Master of the Music at York Minster, said that they should have 24 boys but only had 20.

|AD|Paul Hale, the Rector Chori at Southwell Minster, said that they had 11 boy choristers when they should have 16. "Because people don't go to church so much, they don't have the commitment, so we are not getting the flow of boys from church choirs," said Mr Hale.

"We start with boys who have no musical knowledge at all. We have to start pretty well from scratch. Before you could put them in the stalls straight away. Now you have to train them for a year before they get into the stalls."

Southwell has just produced a DVD extolling the advantages of the life of the chorister, including a matchless musical education.

At Rochester cathedral, which is one choir boy down on the normal complement, Roger Sayer, the organist and director of music, said: "Parents don't like making the commitment. That's been the thing that has changed.

"People are busier, there is a wider range of recreational activities and the commitment isn't as strong as it once was."