Anonymous wrote:OP here, my son will enter form C, making me think that this is a good experience for the next couple of years, until sports can begin. He's sporty and musical. His musical interest and skills has allowed him to perform a lot and the post about lots of sitting is a good thing to consider. He hasn't ever been to sleep-away camp and I see that is part of the program. We are meeting with the head of the program to discuss the possibility of him joining and the expectations. I wonder what time kids leave for their rehearsals during the school day. Lots to consider, if he even is considered a good fit for the program. Thanks for all of the input.

The boys have daily rehearsal at 7:15 am and they have a brief chorister study hall immediately after school until rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which begin ~4:00 pm. The boys are there until ~ 6:30 pm.

Chorister is not a stop-gap activity until sports begin. The program asks that it be your first priority and the expectation is that the boys stay until their voices change. For some, that’s 7th grade. A large cohort of boys recently made it to 8th grade.

There is only one grace day per year.

Tuition at STA is currently $52,000. For senior choristers, the stipend is 15% of tuition and for junior choristers, it’s 12%. Our family did not do it for the stipend. We did it because our son loves it.

I use the word family deliberately. Chorister is a sacrifice for the whole family. Think of dropping your kid off at 9:00 am on a Sunday for music theory classes. Think of shortened summer vacations because of chorister camp. Think of shortened Christmas vacations because you can’t leave the area until after your son sings Christmas services. Think of every other Sunday, your son is at the Cathedral all day, and you can’t do any family activities. Think of holiday weekends when you’d like to travel, but your son is singing services that Sunday.

On the plus side, the boys get a world-class musical education and the chance to be part of a unique singing experience. There is a lot of camaraderie and playfulness among the boys, who tend to bond strongly because they spend a so much time together. The older boys are great examples to the younger ones. In a typical chorister group, several are academic superstars, including Book winners (top academic prize at STA), and some are star athletes, too.

The boys sing at inaugural services, and for presidents, and senators, and others who have served this nation, as they are laid to rest. In the last year, the choristers sang at the funerals of George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, Colin Powell, and Madeleine Albright. They also travel abroad, although that has been paused during Covid. In the past, they’ve sung in England, Spain, and Italy. They have also recorded albums and been hired to sing at Cathedral weddings and private funerals.

I agree the girl choristers have a much harder time of it. The boys bow out as the academic and athletic demands of high school ramp up. The girls have to manage the extremely demanding chorister schedule on top of all the other demands of a highly academically competitive high school. I don’t see how a girl could be a top athlete and a chorister. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. However, if singing is something they take seriously, the chorister program is an exceptional training opportunity. The top girl choristers are at near-professional and professional levels of accomplishment.

Anonymous wrote:Definitely harsh! I heard my fellow chorister moms complain that the other singing groups are harsh on the ears. I don't subscribe to this thought. Of course, I am not a former BVR mom like the others.

What does being a former BVR mom have to do with it? The CBA chorus is hard on the ears. Rarely on key, screeching notes, and timing totally off. It’s not the boys’ fault, but practicing for 1.5 hrs/week is not going to yield the same results as 15+ hours a week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to NCS in the 90s.

Is there still a stigma to being a choir boy?

Yeah me too. There was definitely a stigma.

There isn’t now, although the school still largely ignores the program and pretends like it isn’t there. The C, B, A music teacher resents the choristers, who are bored to tears in her class. The school shouldn’t force choristers to take her class.