Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-31
CATHEDRAL Choir Scbool.
Life in New York's Big Protestant Episcopal Institution
Pupils Sing for Their Tuition.

friend sitting next to him. who Is fairly
pent up, as he guesses we'll, with kindred
acute consciousness OF him. II Is beyond
some boys to acquire self-control like that.
Iheir nervousness may cause discipline to
place in the choir.
Athletics is common cult OF the whole
school, but the enthusiasm that follows it
Is tempered by the management with a few
restrictions in behalf of good health Scien-
tlnc gymnasium work supplements outdoor
practice and this is under the direction of
man who is not an ex-prfze fighter but
professional gymnast. who holds the de-
gree of doctor of medicine. The gymnasium
on the second floor would delight any boys
eye with its completeness of paraphernalfa
for doing stunts"
Foot ball is barred On second thourbe
one will not sympathize too obtrusiveiy
with the deprived chonster. Fancy singing
cherubfm In the classic-carved stalls of st
oon Jon with battered noses and black eyes
and ears decorated with sticking plaster
not TO mention missing whole cher,bim.
For similar reasons the weekly school hol.
lday mas been transferred from Saturday to
MONDAY Sunday. thus, with its double
DUTY OF services at IL and at T. does not
dawn upon possibly disgruntled band OF
singers. crippled and demoralized with the
purely secular adventures of the day be-
tlcipated for the day after but to what
ever pastime the choir boy may then invite
his soul, at least he is given the longest
possible time to recover his balance and his
suitability of aspect
The musical lesson in the choir school
comes In the forenoon at IL. and additional
Individual instruction is given to boys of
special promise. There is practice in sing
ing every day at 8 O'Clock during vespers,
and on Sundays the choir is called on for
poth services The music, in accordance
with Episcopal law, is of the pure Anglican
type. as written by Staner, Bondy, Purcell.
Arcadelt and other composers in that field.
The choir boy is taught to read at sight.
properly to phrase and blend-to master his
voice thoroughly.
Though the first object of the school is
to make the cathedral choir as perfect "a
possible, the life of the boys is little al
fected by this motive Nowhere else hae
the principle of the boarding school been
worked down successfully to the day
school The pupils are on the streets only
In their comings and goings at the 8 o'clock
beginning of the day. and its ending Short
ly before O. All day long they are under
the supervision and the personal care of
head master. whose ability to enter into
the life of the boys is proven plainly
enough in the strong personal affection thas
they have. one and all. for him.
After all, this is only unsatisfactory
makeshift. The institution is Inadequate
end will remain so until 1t becomes a resi-
dent school, like every successful choir
school in the country today. The big cathe-
dral should appropriately have the finest
choir in the city. and this can be develop
ed only under resident school system. In
such case. the whole country, instead of the
environs of the cathedral would be the
field from which material could be selected.
To get the best results, too, in training,
the choir boy should be constantly under
one jurisdiction: not subject to the fire.
quently upsetting counter influences of
home rule If the boy Is to be sufficiently
impressed with some beginning of an idea
as to the significance of praise in church.
or if he is TO work conscientiously over his
music. and keep his heart in 1t, he must
live in the atmosphere of the music and the
church. and be guarded for time from
mental distortions In his bringing up. From
the boys point of view, and the parents
point of view, the advantages would be
those of any good boarding school, with the
extra inducement that these advanta ges
are to be had, together with a musical edu-
cation, for no money beyond the nominal
cost of uniform and text books. resident
choir school would give for nothing pre-
paratory school education equal to any that
parents are paying for at $500 and $500,
and even $1,000 year.