The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
BOZ CHOIRS.
Dimculties OF Training Lads to Sing In Churches
and Their Rewards.


II was choirmaster lie Jeune of old St, Johns
in Varick street that first introduced into New
York the scientific method OF training boy
choirs. The method was brought from Italy
and goes back no one knows how many cen.
turtles in the history OF the Catholic Church.
That church. however. strangely enough. has
not in New York made the training of boy
choirs by this method an important adjunct to
its music. ST. Patrick's Cathedral has. indeed,
a large boy choir recruited from the ncighbor-
Ing Catholic orphnnage. but the best boy choirs
OF the city are found in Episcopal churches.
Old ST. Johns no longer has its former hand.
some appropriation for the maintenance OF n
choir, SO that the precedence in this matter has
passed to other churches. Perhaps the best boy
choir Is at st. Agnes's Chapel Of Trinity parish.
in Nincty-third street. whose c]hoirmaster. Mr..
Stubbs. Is a brother-in-law of the
at old st. Johns. Half n dozen other churches
have notable boy choirs, md rectors insist moro
and more upon having this kind of music; but
tho Italian method in its extreme development
attracted little attention in New York until
within the past FIVE or six years. There are
a few notable boy choirs in suburban churches.
Chicago. with her determination to have the
biggest OF everything, has a church with n boy
choir OF fifty members, not too we'll trained,
though tho great cathedral Of st. Paul's, London,
1NS S'h tbsht Acs "a y " .loNt ltNtu
choirmasters arc content TO train their boys by
some other method than the italian. 1t is little
used in Boston. and almost not at ALI Northern
and Western cities.
Few boy choirs have more than twenty mem-
bers, and that number is efficient for all ordi-
nary purposes. The labor of fitting these BOYS
for their work is enormous. and few boys arc at
their best for choir work during more than three
or four years Of their lives. The choir schools Of
London take promising boys OF q or o from all
over England. provide them with all the ma.
terial needs of life, give them an admirable edu.
cation in vocal music, and employ them in
public church singing for about five years.
Boys In this country are seldom taken ms pupils
in choir singing before they are ten years Of age.
and 1t usually requires two years OF hard work
to fit an apt pupil for public singing. Most BOYS
nave to give up the profession at the age of A.
teen, when the change OF voice units them for
further soprano singing. A few. after n rest OF
a few years, go on and develop into excellent
forever from the profession.
Every has q class OF probationcrs
from among whom he makes promotions 10 his
choir ms vacancies occur. The probntioner IL
first taught to lay aside utterly his ordinary
speakinG voice and to sing in a pure vocal tone.
class, OF practitioners, After a year or two OF
simple music tho probationcr may be promoted
perhaps. Il years old. and the object OF the
choirmaster IS to mako him for the next three
wars ar htuElS ~ perfect tnOlr singer as he can
be made. Some OF the boys serve without
nay. but many arc paid. a few pretty well.
The ordinary inconspicuous choir singer may
earn from 81 to- $40 n month. The best OF the
bows. who are able To sing n solo with excellent
effect, receive from 5000 to 5000 n year. A boy
singer In New York seldom earns more than the
Inter sum. All OF the BOYS, however, receive
presents and pleasant little attentions. They
receive MS gifts comfortable fanncls, sound
shoes. and warm overcoats. II paid III, they go
with their c~hOirmnsters on little excursions,
perhaps 10 hear good music, perhaps on a sum.
mer camping trim.
The boys give In return for all this not only
such time as Is required Of them at the regular
church service, but also from three to Ave la
borious rchcnrsals n week. with special extra
rehearsals for special services. Their time dur
ing Lent Is greatly occupied between service and
rehearsGls.
Their is much enthusiasm among choir boys for
their profession. and many are ambitious to con-
tinue II in some form after the approach OF man.
hood has untitled them for tho particular work
for which they have been trained. Choirmaster
find that German and English boys make good
choir singers. and that native American boys OF
native parentage arc usually nnsuited for the
profession. The American boy. is untitled for
the work not only because no is often unmusi. |
cal but rs well because he is not docile. as are |
boys of foreign birth or parentage. Tho prob
lem OF disciplining and managing n boy choir
with each new native boy admitted. |