Strategically-minded church musician, with a vision to see a resurgence in young people singing in church choirs.
What can we learn from re-introducing children into our church choirs? From the experience of having my seven choristers, 8-12yo, join the adults for Choral Evensong for the first time, a lot. We can learn to discover afresh the joy of singing familiar music, with enthusiastic voices for whom it is but a recent discovery. We can learn that nothing needs to be 'dumbed down': we don't need to pander to some patronising notion of what children might find accessible - they can exhibit equal amounts of energy and joy singing music from the eighteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. We can learn that Choral Evensong might just be the ideal service for engaging young singers: lots of music, not too much yadda-yadda from grown-ups. We can learn how having children in the choir can grow the church itself, with the support of parents and families. But above all we can learn the POWER OF BISCUITS, and the advantage in creating enough space between the rehearsal and the service for their consumption. (I'm sure there wouldn't have been such leftovers, had not the biscuits been trumped by one of the parents bringing along cake. More learning, don't overlook the POWER OF CAKE!)
Head Tuner at Harrison and Harrison Organ Builders
9moMany years ago I ran a choir with boy trebles and ATB adults. It was hard but rewarding work. The boys were fiercely loyal, would sing anything as long as I was enthusiastic about it and they played hard! The parents were a wonderful bunch, endlessly supportive and generous with their time and hospitality. Choir suppers contained food from all corners of the world and I have particularly fond memories of the specially made paneer cheese! Enjoy your particular journey - there are more positives than you know.