Berkshire Boy Choir


Figure 1.--The entire Berkshire Boy Choir is seen here with both the boy and adult members. The boys wear short pants suits and kneesocks.

An influential choir in the development of boy choirs in America was the Berkshire Boy Choir. The choir was founded in the summer of 1967 and after intensive rehearsal gave a series of concerts under the direction of George Guest of St. John's College, Cambridge, England. The Choir was well reviewed in the press, and the LP recording made while the Choir was in session remains as an eloquent testimony to George Guest's genius in welding a group of voices into a choir of distinction in a very short time. A traditional uniform was selected for the boys of dark blazer worn with grey short pants, and dark kneesocks giving them the look of an English school school or choir.

Foundation (1967)

The historic Berkshire Boy Choir was founded in the summer of 1967 and after intensive rehearsal gave a series of well-received concerts under the direction of George Guest of St. John's College, Cambridge, England. The Choir was well reviewed in the press, and the LP recording made while the Choir was in session remains as an eloquent testimony to George Guest's genius in welding a group of voices into a choir of distinction in a very short time.

Second Season (1968)

Brian Runnett was invited to succeed Mr. Guest this year in directing the second season of The Berkshire Boy Choir. The Berkshire Boy Choir consists of 60 members, 46 treble boys and 14 men.

Organization

The Berkshire Boy Choir was divided into two groups, the concert choir and the cathedral choir. The musical standards of both are identical, with membership being determined by age alone. Two separate choirs were created for two reasons. The demands of the concert schedule was such that it was impossible during the first season for the Choir to sing more than occasionally in places of worship. It has been central to the concept of the organization that its music must be brought to congregations of all faiths in order, by example, to encourage the improvement of the art and support for it in its most logical setting. Secondly, the establishment of a younger choir would foster greater continuity of the group from year to year.

The Berkshire Concert Choir

The Berkshire concert choir consisted of 26 boys of the ages 12 and 13 and all 14 men.

The Berkshire Cathedral Choir

The Berkshire Cathedral Choir included 20 boys from 9 to 12 years old and 9 of the adult voices.

Membership

Membership in the Choir is open to boys of all creeds, colors, and economic backgrounds. The choristers of the 1968 Berkshire Boy Choir was chosen from 23 cities in 15 states. Selection was based upon highly competitive auditions which took place during the winter, and the summer is entirely free to those boys who gain admission. Most of them are the solo boys in their respective choirs. In the 1968 Choir were boys who have sung with the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, the New York Pro Musica, the Caramoor Festival, the Boston Lyric Theater, the Meadowbrook Music Festival, the Opera Society of Washington, the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company, and many other well-known musical organizations. Almost all of these boys have appeared with major orchestras, and 25 percent have sung on concert tours in Europe.

The men are accomplished professional musicians, including a number of graduate vocal students and at least six with post-graduate degrees in music.

Impact

Given the calibre of the men and boys involved in the Berkshire Boy Choir, it seems t have had an important influece on the developing boy choir network in the United States.

Background

The Berkshire Boy Choir stems from a concern that the tradition of men and boy choruses has been neglected in the United States and that the price of this neglect is both musical and social. The Choir aspires

* to bring a rarely heard sound of highest quality to the general public, without specific religious identification;

* to provide recognition and incentive for musical accomplishment on the part of boys, choirmasters, and the communities which support them; and

* to stimulate boys from all levels of society toward the training and influence of choirs at the local level.

If the art of boy singing is to survive, it must be encouraged within the communities from which the boys are drawn as few American parents today are willing to send pre-adolescent children away in the choir school tradition of past years. Throughout the urban and suburban areas of the country there are choirs equipped to deliver an excellent training in music free to the willing youngster. There are neither cultural nor economic barriers, and the rewards are far greater than the basic technical training. Examples of successful choirs utilizing local resources are to be found from prosperous suburbs to inner-city poverty areas.

The Berkshire Boy Choir would recognize these successes and call attention to the possibilities which they suggest. Only through the example of musical excellence may the Choir achieve these goals. The Berkshire Boy Choir is particularly fortunate to have Mr. Brian Runnett as its Music Director. In addition to his reputation as one of England's foremost choirmasters, Mr. Runnett is widely known as a concert organist. The Choir is deeply indebted to its Executive Director, Mr. Ellwood Hill, whose tireless efforts throughout the year are responsible for bringing together these remarkably talented individuals.

Residential Choir

The Berkshire Boy Choir appears to have been a residential choir, although little information is available on this.

History

Only limited information is available on the Berkshire Boy Choir. We know it was founded in 1967 and operated in 1968. I'm not sure about its subsequent operations.


Figure 2.--The Berkshire Cathedral Choir which includes the younger boys wore a cassock-like costume.

Uniform

A traditional uniform was selected for the boys of dark blazer worn with grey short pants, and dark kneesocks giving them the look of an English school school or choir. Apparently a few of the older boy choristers were allowed to wear long pants. Many American choirs had a simiar look only with long pants. The uniform was perhaps selected as a result iof the English choir director who helped found the choir. By 1968 it had become less common for American boys to wears short pants suits. Many English choirs at the time had short pants uniforms. One difference with the English choirs was the dark kneesocks. Almost all English choirs had grey kneesocks.

The Boys in the Cathedral Choir wear dark full-length cossocks with a rope tie. I'm not sure what these boys wore as a traveling costume, but they appear to wear the same as the boys in the Concert Choir.

No information is avialble at this time as to what the boys thought about their uniforms.






Christopher Wagner





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Created: November 22, 2000
Last updated: November 22, 2000