National Cathedral Choristers
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Anonymous
| Anyone have a child in this choir? My child is interested. The practice and performance load looks overwhelming. I'd love to hear from anyone with experience. |
Anonymous
Observational -- really big commitment. Doesn't work as well if your child wants to play sports at a committed varsity level. But if voice/choral is the number one extracurricular interest it can be great. |
Anonymous
I thought the choir was for pre-adolescent voices. |
Anonymous
On the boys side only. The girls go through high school. Quite competitive and an honor to get in. Provides subsidized tuition and the time commitment is considerable. A side benefit, and not the reason to do it, with appropriate grades, the EC value in applying to colleges is the same as a strongly recruited athlete. |
Anonymous
| OP, in addition to performing for weekly Evensongs and Eucharists at Washington National Cathedral, the choristers sing at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Vice President's home, for the Inaugural Prayer Service, for state funerals and memorial services (Nelson Mandela, 9/11, etc.), for NPR, PRI, and BBC Radio, and at major houses of worship on the East Coast. Their commitment is in keeping with the training and opportunities they receive. |
Anonymous
| How extensive is the tuition subsidy? Heard a rumor that it was greater at STA than at NCS. |
Anonymous
| Same at both: 8,000 for senior choristers (6-8th grades at STA, high school at NCS), 6,000 for junior choristers. |
Anonymous
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Your child can only do it for the music. Not the subsidy, not the college boost. It is a superb musical education. It is not only a serious time commitment, it is a serious musical commitment. It is also a family commitment. Every vacation you take will be determined by the Choir schedule. I think the commitment is less reasonable for a high school student. I think the commitment and sacrifices are more acceptable for middle school.
The subsidy is not really a factor. It is 25% of tuition. Some of the opportunities are nice but much of it is just a really long day singing church music. I would speak to former chorister parents. They might be the most honest. |
Anonymous
Outside of school time is very similar to what is required for a travel sport (plus they rehearse during the school day). If your kid loves to sing, it is a great program and worth time commitment. |
Anonymous
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We made the commitment for the subsidy. As previously stated, the boys practice during the day, perform two weekday afternoons, every other Sunday, every other Christmas, Easter and orientation-practice
My son went on to sing in the upper school and excel in two varsity sports. You know how important or not the subsidy is to your family. |
Anonymous
| Sorry - it's orientation-practice in August before school starts. |
Anonymous
| The boys I have known who have "graduated" from the Choristers Program go on to contribute in so many ways to the fabric of the school community - through musical groups, orchestra, school plays, student leadership, and sports. As a whole, they're just a well rounded bunch of boys. |
Anonymous
| Our DS is a chorister, and it's been the best part of his education at STA. |
Anonymous
| You don't mention whether your child is a boy or a girl. This may be obvious, but the experience and commitment level is very different depending on if chorister is a boy or girl. Because the boys age out of the program when their voices change, they can move on to participating fully in other sports and music groups at STA. The girls are committing all the way through high school making sports and other extracurriculars much more difficult although not impossible. Also your entire family's vacation schedule (Christmas and Easter) will revolve around the singing schedule for their entire secondary school career. A truly amazing and unique opportunity but a longer (in terms of years) commitment for the girls |
Anonymous
I have had the opportunity of having both a son and a daughter in the program. As you know, the girls program does not start in 4th gade, though the boys do - the entry level year for STA. When the girls start, they are more mature, generally have developed time management skills, are certainly familiar with the school culture and demands, and have a pretty good idea of who they are as people, their interests, their strengths and weaknesses. The boys have none of this starting out. It takes the better part of a year to get fully acclimated. I think because of this, the commitment is actually more onerous for the boys. Granted, it is absolutely a huge commitment and sacrifice for both. But I think all things considered, it is "easier" to be a girl chorister. |