Choirboy
A choirboy is a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble.
As a derisive
History
The use of choirboys in Christian
The first known usage in print of the term "choirboy" (rather than the earlier "singing boy") was by the Victorian novelist William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863) in Chapter Vii of his story The Ravenswing, published in Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country (London, Sept. 1843, XXVIII/165, p. 321): "He had been a choir-boy at Windsor".
In more recent years as girls have begun joining formerly all-male choirs, the gender-neutral term chorister is more often being used instead.[1] (Until the late 20th century chorister was sometimes applied to adult choral singers too, but is now limited to children.)
Becoming a chorister
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Boys are generally eligible to join a choir at the age of seven. Voice trials are part of the selection process for larger choirs and tend to measure the quality of voice and pitch recognition rather than singing experience. Boys that are accepted into a choir begin as probationers.
Extensive musical training is provided, in particular for cathedral choristers. A number of famous composers and musicians began their careers as choristers. In 1740, Joseph Haydn was sent at the age of eight to Vienna to become a choirboy at Saint Stephen's Cathedral. Franz Schubert was accepted into the choir of the Imperial Court Chapel in 1808 when he was 11. Dudley Moore became a choirboy at six.
A small bursary is paid to the boys each term, and opportunities arise for other bonuses during the year.[2]
Choristers of the Year
The
The competition was open only to boy choristers up until 1986 when the BBC first organized an additional separate competition for girl choristers through the age of 16. The two competitions ran side-by-side for three years before the RSCM competition began including girls in its own competitions, naming both a choirboy and choirgirl of the year. From 1989 to 1992, both the BBC and RSCM named a different girl as Choirgirl of the Year.
The winner of 1995 BBC Choirgirl of the year was Tabitha Watling. In it, she was also competing against Katherine Jenkins.[3]
In 1998, BBC Radio 2 began hosting a combined boys and girls competition, without any other simultaneous competitions. James Fox, from St. Mary's Warwick, was named Choirboy of the Year and Eloise Irving, from West Sussex, was named Choirgirl of the Year. The format has remained the same through the most recent competition.[4]
Thomas Jesty
The 2005 winners of the competition were
The 2007 winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Chorister of the Year competition were twelve-year-old Joel Whitewood of Canterbury Cathedral and 15-year-old Charlotte Louise McKechnie of Giffnock South Church in Scotland. The finals were held at St Paul's Cathedral in London and hosted by Aled Jones.
The 2008 winners of the
In 2011 Richard Decker of the
See also
- Boy soprano
- Boys' choir
- Choir stalls
- Royal School of Church Music
- The Choirboys, British boyband
References
- ^ "Le blog -". eglise-info.com. Archived from the original on Sep 23, 2006. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ Wells Cathedral Rules for Choristers, 1460
- ISBN 978-1409129264.
- ^ "The Boy Choir & Soloist Directory - Young Choristers of the Year". Retrieved 2008-03-07.
- ^ "BBC Radio 2 Young Choristers of the Year 2004" (Press release). BBC. November 7, 2004. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
- ^ UK Cathedral Music links Archived 2006-10-13 at the Wayback Machine (accessed December 13, 2006)
- ^ "Hear My Prayer" at the Boy Choir & Soloist Directory (accessed December 13, 2006).
- ^ "Tuning up for county's biggest tsunami concert". This Is Hampshire. Newsquest Media Group. February 3, 2005. Archived from the original on April 21, 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
- ^ "BBC Radio 2 Young Choristers of the Year 2005" (Press release). BBC. November 7, 2005. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
- ^ "Alice Halstead | Soprano". Alice Halstead. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ "Solihull Parish". Solihull Parish. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ BCSD Choristers of the Year
- ^ "Richard Decker named Chorister of the Year - Duchy of Lancaster". www.duchyoflancaster.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-09-28.
- ^ Isaac Waddington Official Website