Spanish Boy Choirs: Escolania of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial (Escolania del Escurial)


Figure 1.--The Choristers are pictured here in their white choral robes with King Juan Carlos.

The Escolania of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial is an children and educators community, that has as its main purpose the participation in the worship of the Basilica. It is assigned to the Community of Augustinian Friars, who have run the Monastery for over a hundred years. The permanency in the Escolania is in regime of boarding school, occupying one of the floors of the convent, within the very Monastery. The children receive a painstaking musical training: Song, Sol-faing, Instrument (piano, guitar, flute, trumpet...), Choirs's Conduction, History of the Music, etc., by specialized teachers and in close collaboration with the Conservatory "P. Antonio Soler". They study the academic year as sizars at the Royal School Alfonso XII, located in the same building of the Monastery as well. This School was established in 1875 by the king Alfonso XII, from whom the name comes and has been run from the very beginning by the Augustinian Friars. Either it is neglected their human formation, with an integral programme of which the formative team of the Escolania is responsible. This team works hard so that the children acquire from tidiness and self-care habits to the perseverance in their studies and tasks; from the education for the respect, the tolerance and the community life to the maturity in their behaviors, beliefs and religious values.

Foundation

The Escolania of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial was stablished in 1974 with the main goal of participating in the liturgical services celebrated in the Basilica of the Royal Site.

Activities

Since 1974, and without putting aside the foundational objective, in addition to the performances in the Basilica, it as given numerous concerts all over the Spanish geography: Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Sevilla, Tolosa, Toledo, Murcia, Caceres, Salamanca, Cuenca, Valladolid, Malaga, Badajoz, Bilbao, and other locations. In some performances has participated with recognized choirs and Spanish orchestras, as the Orchestra and National Choir of Spain (OCNE), Orchestra and Choir of RTVE, Orchestra of Madrid, Choir of the University Politechnic of Madrid, etc. The Choir has also made foreign toirs to Hungary and has traveled to Rome, singing in the Saint Peter's Basilica and in the Saint Ignatius' Church. Because of its link to the Royal Monastery has performanced in numerous occasions for the Royals of Spain, some broadcasted by television.


Figure 2.--The Choristers are pictured in their costume for secular performances.

The Choir

The Escolania of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial is an children and educators community, that has as its main purpose the participation in the worship of the Basilica. It is assigned to the Community of Augustinian Friars, who have run the Monastery for over 100 years.

Boarding School

The permanency in the Escolania is in regime of boarding school, occupying one of the floors of the convent, within the very Monastery. The children receive a painstaking musical training: Song, Sol-faing, Instrument (piano, guitar, flute, trumpet...), Choirs's Conduction, History of the Music, etc., by specialized teachers and in close collaboration with the Conservatory "P. Antonio Soler". They study the academic year as sizars at the Royal School Alfonso XII, located in the same building of the Monastery as well. This School was established in 1875 by the king Alfonso XII, from whom the name comes and has been run from the very beginning by the Augustinian Friars.

The boys' human formation is not neglected, with an integral programme of which the formative team of the Escolania is responsible. This team works hard so that the children acquire from tidiness and self-care habits to the perseverance in their studies and tasks; from the education for the respect, the tolerance and the community life to the maturity in their behaviors, beliefs and religious values.

Uniforms

The Choridters perform in two costumes. One are simple white choral robes. The other is a costum with white shirts, black bowties, red cunberbunds, and black long pants.






Christopher Wagner





Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Bibliographies] [Biographies] [Chronologies] [Style Index] [Countries]
[Boys' Clothing Home]



Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web choir costume pages:
[Return to the Main choir page]
[Return to the Main national choir page]
[Australia] [Austria] [Belgium] [Bulgaria] [Canada] [Denmark] [England] [France] [Finland] [Germany] [Japan] [Netherlands] [Poland] [South Africa] [Spain] [United States]



Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web style pages:
[Short pants suits] [Blazers] [Collars] [Lace collars]
[Ruffled collars] [Eton collar] [Fauntleroy suits]
[Sailor suits] [Ring bearer/page costumes] [First Communion suits]



Created: November 12, 2000
Last updated: November 12, 2000