St. Alban's Chorister Program After Voice Change

[Anonymous]

how many novice boys made it as full fledged choristers this year? i was told that there were about 12 novices in total.

[Anonymous]

Our DS in in 3d grade @ DCPS. He sings in our church children's choir, plays an instrument, and enjoys musical theatre. We were recently asked if we had looked into the National Cathedral choristers program, which we had heard about but weren't familiar with.

Looking at the website, it appears that boy choristers must start off as novices in the beginning of their 3d grade year. Can older boys join as novices, for instance in their 4th grade year? Or are tryouts limited to 3d grade students boys only? I fear that we are too late for both the chorister tryouts and the St. Albans application process this year.

Given the heavy chorister after-school time commitment, do choristers also participate in after-school sports? If so, how do they manage the choir rehearsals and sports practices? Do they conflict?

We are very interested in the choristers program but also worry that it involves such an intensive time commitment -- that it would preclude our son from participating in other extra-curricular activities. We also worry that the rigorous St. Albans workload coupled with the chorister commitment would translate into a high school schedule for a primary school child.

Finally, wondering if there are chorister alums who transferred to different high schools, once they aged out of choir? If so, how was that transition?

Very eager to hear from other chorister families. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Intense commitment for young boys and parents. I was able to arrange my schedule to pick up my son from away games in 6th and 7th grades in order to make Evensong.

My boy loves to sing and we needed the financial assistance (FA). When his voice changed, STA increased our FA.

Now in the upper school, he is significantly involved in the arts and sports! Our FA has increased over the years.

Oh, he was a soloist in a children's choir at our church and performed in holiday musicals. He did not read music or play an instrument prior to being admitted to STA.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Try Children's Chorus of Washington, they have a group for boys with changed voices. I have both my children, different sections, it's a very well run organization. Beautiful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DS in in 3d grade @ DCPS. He sings in our church children's choir, plays an instrument, and enjoys musical theatre. We were recently asked if we had looked into the National Cathedral choristers program, which we had heard about but weren't familiar with.

Looking at the website, it appears that boy choristers must start off as novices in the beginning of their 3d grade year. Can older boys join as novices, for instance in their 4th grade year? Or are tryouts limited to 3d grade students boys only? I fear that we are too late for both the chorister tryouts and the St. Albans application process this year.

Given the heavy chorister after-school time commitment, do choristers also participate in after-school sports? If so, how do they manage the choir rehearsals and sports practices? Do they conflict?

We are very interested in the choristers program but also worry that it involves such an intensive time commitment -- that it would preclude our son from participating in other extra-curricular activities. We also worry that the rigorous St. Albans workload coupled with the chorister commitment would translate into a high school schedule for a primary school child.

Finally, wondering if there are chorister alums who transferred to different high schools, once they aged out of choir? If so, how was that transition?

Very eager to hear from other chorister families. Thanks.

The Chorister program is an amazing program. The music education is on another scale altogether. And the opportunities to sing in addition to the Cathedral services -- which by themselves are an incredible experience -- are jaw dropping (Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Vice President's House, etc.).

But yes it is INTENSE.

The Chorister Program tries to work closely with the school to avoid or minimize conflicts. But yes, if there is a choir commitment and a sports commitment, choir trumps sports. That said, every year there are at least 1-2 boys who are tremendously talented athletes, who participate not only in school sports but travel/club team commitments. It is not easy to coordinate all of this and school, but it is do-able, and one of the many great things the boys necessarily learn as a Chorister is time management.

Most of the boys who age out of the Chorister Program stay with the school. At that point, they have become such a fabric of the STA community, that it is hard to transition out. It does happen, but usually for the boys for whom academics were already taking a heavy toll. I would say the overwhelming majority of the boys do stay through graduation, and along the way they put their musical skills to great use, in the form of participation in the many different choir and singing groups in high school and musical theater.

I have always found the Chorister boys to be some of the most well-rounded and highly accomplished boys on the Close.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with all of the prior posters who noted the well trained voices - the result of a truly marvelous if intense musical education - as well as the excellent time management skills - the result of juggling all that is expected of a St. Albans student to include a rigorous course load and robust in-school sports on top of the grueling Chorister schedule and demands.

The Chorister grads do go on to be mainstays (and not surprisingly often stars) of not only the arts programs, but of every other facet of STA. The school seems to recognize both the commitment the boys have made to the school through the program, the service they have provided, and the continued contributions they make to the school even after they graduate from the program. They are, after all, walking examples of the Renaissance Man ideal the school strives for in forming all of their boys. As for the loss of the stipend, as one pp said it, many of the families were millions of dollars away from needing the stipend in the first place. And when you figure the 35k STA price tag, the stipend is really only a very small drop in the financial bucket. But for those who needed the stipend to help make ends meet, the school seems to do what it can to make sure that the boys are able to stay on. It's in the boys' and school's best interests at that point.

OP, if you are exploring the program, good luck. It is unique and special and will in the end be a life altering experience for your son.

PP I love this post. We are a current family and my son is struggling with keeping it all together and we wonder whether it is worth it all. Hearing from people like you is so reassuring.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for all these wonderful substantive replies. Can someone please clarify whether the boys chorister program is open to only 3d graders? Can boys in older grades enter the program? How many new choristers are admitted each year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for all these wonderful substantive replies. Can someone please clarify whether the boys chorister program is open to only 3d graders? Can boys in older grades enter the program? How many new choristers are admitted each year?

My sense is that they all come in in 4th grade, but others might know for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for all these wonderful substantive replies. Can someone please clarify whether the boys chorister program is open to only 3d graders? Can boys in older grades enter the program? How many new choristers are admitted each year?

My sense is that they all come in in 4th grade, but others might know for sure.

I have known 5th graders become Choristers. But these were boys already at the school. If your son is truly talented, it cannot hurt to contact the Choir Director to talk about options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for all these wonderful substantive replies. Can someone please clarify whether the boys chorister program is open to only 3d graders? Can boys in older grades enter the program? How many new choristers are admitted each year?

They have no quotas. They really want the most talented boys, who can also put up with the demands of the program. One year only one novice made it to Choristers. Another year six.

[Anonymous]

My oldest son was a chorister and I remember a boy entering the program in 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

^ Additionally, this boy was not already attending STA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My oldest son was a chorister and I remember a boy entering the program in 6th grade.

Did your older son like the experience? Was there something about his experience that convinced your other son(s) not to do it?

[Anonymous]

I know boys that have come into the choir in 5th, or even 6th grade, and they weren't already at STA. This past year, only 2 boys joined the choir as 4th graders, so I think a new 5th grader or two in the coming year would be welcomed to fill out that year. The novice class has already begun for next year, but it still might be worth inquiring if you are interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a former chorister family. You really can't say enough good things about the program or the opportunity it provides. To be able to sing in the Cathedral just once is an opportunity a handful of choirs from across the country cherish for life. The choristers sing there every day. They handle all the high services before thousands. They sing before the President. They have special gigs at the VP's home and such other events. They appear on TV and record discs. Yes, our son complained often about the hard work and sacrifice. But given the passage of time, he recognized that the hard work and sacrifice was part of the experience. We miss the program. By the way, still at the school, and DS is one of the major contributors in the plays and other choirs (as well as being involved in other extracurriculars and sports).

It sound like the Chorister experience was more about your bragging rights than anything related to your son.