Choristers' Farewell
Our seemingly endless round of parties continued yesterday with tea on the terrace for the leaving choristers - an event which has become something of a tradition. Above, they are pictured with deacon Edward Houghton, House Master Tom Hall, Fr Tim Dean, and organ scholar Simon Lloyd.
Fr Tim looked as though he had become detached from a pilgrimage to somewhere in Peru ...
The choristers have lived at the choir school for four years, singing Mass daily, rehearing singing and musical instruments, as well as their usual studies. Today, they sing Mass and Vespers for the last time - usually a tearful occasion. They are permitted to choose the music for Mass.
We are extremely proud of our choristers, and know that, as they move to their new schools, they will be fine ambassadors for the Cathedral.
4 comments:
"The choristers are the foundation stones of this Cathedral".
My best wishes to these five boys.
I understand that in recent years finding good candidates had become increasingly difficult. Has the situation now improved? Is there enough intake of new choristers to keep the building upright?
interesting post..now i have 2 sons!
the boys look healthy & happy & their Priest too!
All cathedrals that run choir schools have found it difficult to recruit in recent years. Our new initiative, 'Chorister for a Day', inviting parents and children to come and experience life at the choir school, has been hugely successful in the two years it has run, and has helped enormously with recruitment. But you are right, ivo, we cannot let up at all!
I happened to be visiting Westminster Cathedral from America at the what appeared to be those choirsters' last vespers. The offering of Barber's Agnus Dei in particular was so beautiful and moving and crashingly devastating all at once. It was quite a revelation. Truly, those boys and men were and are a special group of people. I can only hope that a choir like yours will someday be replicated here in the United States.
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