Go behind the scenes with Chichester Cathedral Choir

SussexWorld

The annual Chorister Open Day at Chichester Cathedral promises a fascinating and fun look behind the scenes at the life of the cathedral’s choristers. The day will also be about recruiting the choristers of the future. The open day will be on Saturday, March 9 starting at 1.30pm. Book places via 01243 812488 or thomas.roberts@chichestercathedral.org.uk.

Transcript

00:00 OK. Good morning, my name is Phil Heward, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Now,

00:06 it's always a huge pleasure to speak to Charles Harrison, who is the Organist and Master of the

00:10 Choristers at Chichester Cathedral, but always a pleasure particularly to speak about a very

00:15 important day that's coming up, which is the Chorister Open Day in the Cathedral on March 9.

00:21 Now, why is this a key date in the Cathedral calendar?

00:26 Well, we're trying to achieve two things with the Open Day. One is to open a window on the

00:31 working of the choir. I think lots of people will have heard us, perhaps at the theatre at the

00:36 Christmas concerts, or they've come to a carol service, or, you know, interacted with us in some

00:41 way. But there are not many opportunities to get behind the scenes and see how the choir works.

00:47 So the Open Day gives an insight into that, and it gives our guests, the children who join us on

00:53 the day, an opportunity actually to get involved, to do some singing, and to work alongside the

00:59 choristers in preparing for a short service. So that's one thing, is getting behind the scenes and

01:04 rolling sleeves up and having a go at being a chorister. And the other thing we're trying to do,

01:08 of course, is make the opportunity, the chorister opportunity, widely known. And we hope that among

01:16 the children who will join us on the night of the march will be some who are so excited that they

01:21 want to find out a little bit more, and some of them, we hope, will join us.

01:26 >> And these are eight-year-olds we're talking about.

01:29 >> That's right. Choristers usually start at the beginning of year four. So yes.

01:34 >> And typically you would require four each year as part of the renewal.

01:39 >> Yeah, yeah. And I'm pleased to say that for the last 18 months we've been welcoming

01:43 girls as well as boys. For centuries it was only boys, but we changed that at last. So,

01:50 you know, ideally we'd be looking for two boys.

01:51 >> Absolutely. And it's always so lovely to see those girls on the stage during your

01:55 Chichester Festival Theatre concerts in December. What difference has that

01:59 made practically to the choir, to have the girls amongst the boys?

02:02 >> Well, one of the girls who joined us in our first year after the new policy was introduced

02:11 was very grown up. She was year eight, so she was at the upper age range for choristers.

02:19 But she was incredibly sensible and mature. So she was a really civilising influence and

02:25 a calming influence. So everything just settled down a bit. And there was this extremely

02:30 able and grown up young lady suddenly taking on these responsibilities and doing a wonderful job.

02:37 So there's that. It just seems right, above all, you know, these children, they all attend

02:45 the same school. It is a mixed school. They have their other lessons side by side.

02:49 There was no convincing reason not to invite girls to join us.

02:56 >> Absolutely. And I think when you see the choir, you're just struck by the absolute

03:00 naturalness of the mix, aren't you? As you say, just...

03:03 >> That's right. You know, and some people will have had worries about how well the voices

03:07 might have blended together. I mean, that so far has not been a problem at all. You know,

03:12 they do so much singing together. I think that a natural blend does emerge. And, you know,

03:18 another concern was socially, how will it work? How will they get on? And the answer to that is,

03:22 well, they get on absolutely fine. You know, there's been no additional friction.

03:29 >> But I guess the point is they're so unified in this common purpose, which, as you say,

03:34 is not just training. It's doing a valid, valuable, worthwhile job, isn't it? From a very young age.

03:41 >> Yes. Yeah. I mean, the results of it are some wonderful music making, but in the background,

03:47 there are all sorts of skills and qualities that are being developed that will be

03:51 valuable to these children all the way through their lives. So the focus that's needed to

03:58 work towards these, you know, really detailed, high-quality performances, the teamwork,

04:03 the determination to keep on trying to get things right and to get things better,

04:09 you know, the perseverance, the sensitivity. And not to mention the kind of forbearance that's

04:15 needed when they're not just working together, but they're actually sort of living together and

04:19 learning together at the Probendall School as well. These are all fabulous life lessons that

04:24 will be of use to them in whatever profession they choose to follow. And, yeah, there are some really

04:31 good musicians out there who started their musical lives as choristers at Chichester, but most of them

04:37 go on to do other things. But I'm sure they would tell you that the experience of being a chorister

04:41 has been absolutely fundamental to their… >> Fundamental, but fun as well, because I think

04:47 one of the really attractive things you were saying is, I think from the outside, you could

04:50 imagine that it could be all a bit dark corridors and intimidating being part of the Cathedral Choir,

04:55 but your approach is absolutely to stress the fun and the friendliness, and to be encouraging,

05:02 isn't it, whilst being professional? >> Yeah, I'm keenly aware of that

05:06 responsibility. I mean, these children are giving us a lot. We give them what we hope is a really

05:12 great musical education. They give us their time, and they're giving us their qualities to work on.

05:19 So we do owe them a lot. And one of the ways I can say thank you is to make sure that every minute is

05:26 really enjoyable, really worthwhile. So our approach here is characterised by a relaxed atmosphere,

05:33 friendliness, encouragement, and always focusing on the positives. And I do treat them, the choristers,

05:41 as professionals, because that really is what they are. That's what's expected of them,

05:44 and they deserve that respect. So when people see the choristers working alongside the adults,

05:51 there's not much difference in the way I talk to the children, compared with how I speak to

05:57 their adult colleagues, because we're all in it together. We're all doing the same job.

06:01 The expectations are the same for all of us. And I think the children really enjoy that.

06:05 >> Fantastic. Well, congratulations on all you achieve with the choir. I've always thought

06:10 it's phenomenal. It's a wonderful part of church still life. So the Cathedral Chorister Open Day,

06:17 March 9th, and in the article I will include all the details of how to sign up for that.

06:22 Charles, always lovely to speak to you. Thank you very much indeed.

06:24 >> Thanks, Phil.

06:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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