Boy Choir: Goals and Expectations

Goals The goal of St. Christopher's Boy Choir is to instill a love of music in each boy by training him in the demanding art of choral singing. Each boy learns the skills of self-control, patience and perseverance as the group learns and performs some of the most beautiful music ever written. The boys gain valuable experience in working in a group towards a goal, and become leaders within their sections, thus gaining self-confidence and self-respect through the acquisition of musical skills. Each boy is ranked weekly according to his ability to perform and apply certain skills in class. Music is a language and should be taught as a language. The boys receive homework, to be done on the computer, which is then practically applied during rehearsal. The homework trains each boy to recognize the building blocks of music notation. These blocks are then applied during rehearsal as each boy learns repertoire. Rather than applying a rote-learning approach, each boy is challenged to read the notes, just as he would read Latin or French words. While it is a difficult and arduous process, the rewards are evident in their self-confidence, increased ability to concentrate and mastery of a new language. This mastery will also enable the choir to learn difficult and challenging music with ease. The yearning which drove Rembrandt to paint, Michelangelo to sculpt and Beethoven to compose is the same yearning which drives these boys to sing. We all want to express our inner desires in ways words can only attempt to express. Through the medium of singing, each boy is given a vital, exciting experience in raising his voice with others in a corporate event. An event which takes him out of the mundane and into the world of beauty and majesty. Expectations Respect: Each boy must respect himself and his peers. They learn that a rehearsal is the place to make mistakes and that we are in the rehearsal room to learn by making mistakes. Each boy is required to raise his hand when he realizes he has made a mistake. This tells his peers and the Director that he is intelligent enough to recognize that he has made a mistake and will correct it the next time the section is rehearsed, thus saving much rehearsal time. Respect also extends to school property as well as to one's self and peers. The boys are expected to care for their music, folder and medal (if any). They shall be charged for the replacement cost of any item which is not returned at the end of the academic year. Discipline: Overall discipline is created by habit, a sense of the choir's purpose, and caring for each individual's needs. Each boy is expected to maintain self-discipline, which is generated from a sense of purpose of the choir's goals. Older boys help the Director maintain discipline by monitoring the younger boys. Ranking: Each boy is ranked weekly on his ability to perform certain tasks in the classroom. The tasks are : Opening Drill: Entering the rehearsal hall in silence, taking his music and pencil from his cubby and sitting in his seat ready to sing. Closing Drill: Putting his music and pencil away neatly in his cubby and leaving the rehearsal hall in silence. Following the Director: Listening attentively to the Director and not speaking to his neighbors out of turn. Each boy must show respect and good manners in the rehearsal as well as a high level of concentration. Each boy should not have his head buried in the music or be staring off into space, but should be watching the Director. Music Ready / Pencil: Each boy must mark his music when directed to and have a sharpened pencil ready with which to do so. Standing: Each boy must stand tall and proud, with his legs slightly apart, knees slightly bent, and one foot ahead of the other. His head should not be buried in the music while singing. Breathing: Each boy must breathe as a singer; deeply without his shoulders rising. Silence: Each boy must be silent when not singing. Talking out of turn wastes rehearsal time. Each boy should be listening to the instructions being given to the other boys and should see how those instructions will apply to him and his section when it is their turn to sing. Listening: Each boy must listen to the others singing in his group to maintain a sense of corporate pitch and movement. Posture while sitting: Each boy must sit tall in his seat whilst singing. Following Music: Each boy must know exactly where the choir is in the music. The Director will periodically stop and ask a boy where on the page a musical event occurs. Rhythm: Each boy must strive for perfection in rhythmic accuracy. Pitch: Each boy must listen carefully to his pitch and his relation to the other boys. Only by listening carefully, tuning and blending can the goal of corporate singing be achieved. Tone: Each boy must strive to produce a beautiful, rich tone. Musical Terms: Each boy must be aware of the vocabulary of musical terms used. Mindful Striving: Each boy must strive to be a better chorister than he was five minutes ago. Levels: In addition to weekly ranking, each boy is given a periodic skills test. As each boy acquires greater musical skill, he is rewarded by rising in level. The various choir levels and their distinctive medals and ribbons are: Novice: All entering choir members begin as Novices. The Director will then test each Novice to be placed at the correct level. Singer: Each Singer is able to sing all the music we perform after detailed rehearsal. Each Singer is given a medallion with a pale blue ribbon round his neck. Junior Chorister: Each Junior Chorister gives a lead in all we do and helps the Director discipline the Singers by encouraging good behaviour. Each Junior Chorister wears a dark blue ribbon. Senior Chorister: Each Senior Chorister gives a strong lead. Senior Choristers can read at first or second sight, have well developed voices and can ‘carry’ the Choir. Each Senior Chorister wears a red ribbon. Head Chorister: The Head Chorister is the best singer in the Choir. His duties include maintaining order and discipline among the choristers. The Senior Chorister wears a wide purple ribbon. Note that these levels do not necessarily correspond to school grades. A sixth grader who is musically advanced may be a Senior Chorister, while an eighth grader with less experience may be a Singer. Dress Code: The following is the dress required for performances of the Boy Choir : Blue Blazer White Oxford Shirt St. Christopher's School Tie Khaki Pants Dark Socks Dark Shoes Handkerchief Small Comb Home | Glee Club | Boy Choir | Saints Singers | 1999 Japan Tour | Fun Stuff page last updated 10/14/98 Webmasters: Austin Harris, Nathan Hays, Jeb Britton, John Crews Choirmaster: Karen Harris