Figure 1.--Boy choirs had a major impact on Western music, but until the 20th century performance were mostly restructed to church congregations. There was a tremendous expansionn of boy choirs in the 20th century. This was lead by two particulrly important choirs, the Wiener Sängerknaben and the Les Petits Chanteurs a la Croix de Bois which began giving concert tours, first in Europe, but eventually in America. Partly as aresult of their beautiful concerts, we begin to see large numbers of new choirs and choral music both religious and secular becoming availabkle as newver before to the public. Here a French choir prepares for a world tour.

There was a concerted effort in the 20th century to revive boy choirs. This is process had begun in the mid-19th century. This process varied from country to country, depending in part on the existing boy choir tradition as well as the dictates of the totalitarian powers which seized control of much of Europe. Two choirs whch proved very important were the Les Petits Chanteurs a la Croix de Bois and the Wiener Sängerknaben. They helped to introduce boy choir music to the wider public beyond the church going public in a single locality. Both choirs began concert tours first in Europe and then the United states ad other countries. The boy choir tradition was best estabished in England, but these choirs generally focused on church music and singing in chuch services and thus had a more limited impact on the world scene. Many choirs were silenced during World War II. The NAZIs after the Anscluss went after the choir master of the Wiener Sängerknaben for resisting efforts to Nzify the choir (1938). A French Choir was standed in America after the fall of FRance. French Choristers sang to their coutries POWS, imprioned in the Reih. The result was both the revival of many religious choirs as well as the appearance of secular choirs. Many new choirs were formed in various countries round the world, especially in America. And we even see choirs being fired in Asia and Africa. Most of these new choirs are secular hoirs, but even secular choirs commonly srng the many cassical pieces created for the Church to be sung with boy voices. Some of these choirs played a role in the Cold War. The Schoeneberger Saengerknaben sang from Berlin, divied by the Communit Wall. The Drakensburg Boys’ Choir School bravely defied Apartheid. A major development at the end of the century was the appearance of girl choirs. As developmens varied widely from ci\ountry to country, we have to consider these trends country by country.

France

The boy choir tradition was not revived in Franceuntil the 20th century. The first activity HBC has noted occured during the summer of 1906, two young students, on holiday at the Abbey of Tamie, in Savoy, form a project which seemed at the time to be a dream: to form a group of children which would go from church in church in various cities to carry the living testimony living of the authentic sacred music. This dream was actually realized in 1907. The result was La Manécanterie des Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois. Their activity helped reintroduce boy choir music to France, especially after World War I (1914-18) in the 1920s and 30s. This single choir had a profound impact on the French boy choir movement. The moveement was interupted by World War II (1939-45) and the German occupation. After the War, however, several boys choirs were inroduced throughout France. Most of the choirs were Catholic choirs, founded by private French colleges (schools). The uniforms thus became the uniforms worn by the boys at the schools. The revival of the boy choir movement has been very successful in France. There appear to be more boy choirs in France today then in any other European country--at least on the continent as there are also large numbers of English choirs. Almost all the French choirs are associated with churches or French Catholic schools. The French appear to take a very conservative approch to church music. Unlike the situation in English cathedrals, HBC knows of no French girl choirs that have been formed. Neither does HBC know of any secular choirs, however, our information is very limited. Many choirs were organized in France during te 20th century, most after world War II. Not many choirs lasted very long, especially boy choirs.

Germany

The German boy choir tradition deteriorated ssignificantly during the 19th century. And because it was largely relgious based faced new cjhallenges in the 20th century with World War I nd II as well as rule by two atheit totalitarian regimes (the NAZIs and Communists in East Germany). There were several Reformed (Luthern) choirs in Germany. The St. Thomas Boy Choir in Leipzig held up the heritage of J.S. Bach and, thanks to the strong leadership of Rudolf Mauersberger during 40 years of totalitarian rule. The Dresdner Kreuzkirche is another thriving institution, but not without experiencng major problems. Allied bombers . during World War II conducted massive attacks on Dresden (February 1945). Theresulting firestorm was one of the most deadly raids of the War. The church was destroyed and 11 choristers were killed. The Germans had a major evacuation program for children, but apprently the Choir was not evcuated, either because it was needed for civilin morle or the Allies had not significantly targeted Dresden before the raid. (A German bomb had hit the chorister’s dormitory at Westminster Abbey during the Blitz, but the boys had been evacuated.) The boy choir movement on Germany was complicated by the divisionof Germany. It was not posible to found any new Christian boy choirs in Communist East Germany. ut several were founded in the West. The Schoeneberger Saengerknaben in Berlin is one of Germany's most famous choirs. Unlike many other notable choirs, the Schoeneberger Saengerknaben has a relatively recent foundation, in fact a child of the Cld War. The choir was founded immediately after World War II. It became one of Berlin's best loved cultural symbols in the darkest days of the Cold War. Berlin was at the center of the Cold War and the bright clear voices of the Schoeneberger Saengerknaben choristers was a beakon of hope from the beleagered city. They in a small way symbolized the emergence of Berlin from the dark NAZI past to a democratic free city situated behind the Iron Curtain and evenually the Berlin Wall. Schoeneberger Saengerknaben choristers were at the Reichstag when President Kennedy gave his famous speech pledging to stand with West Berliners. The boys sang at the Wall in 1961 when it was built--a lament to separation from the choir members in east Berlin. A different generation sang at the Wall when citizens of East and West Berlin breeched the Wall. Hans Thamm, a former member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor, founded a boys’ choir in Windsbach, a small town in southern Germany (1946). The Choir deveveloped into a major instutution. Under the energetic direction of Karl-Friedrich Beringer, the Windsbacher Boys’ Choir gives powerful performances of both baroque and modern music, including jazz. Heinz Hennig founded the Hannover Boys’ Choir (1950). The Choir has become a world class choir. Another new German choir is the Tölzer Boys’ Choir, founded by Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden in Bad Tölz, a small Bavarian town (1956). Somehow without the support of a choir school, Schmidt-Gaden has created one of the most respected vocal ensembles in the world. The Choir sspcializes in baroque and classical music, and has ensemble just as capable of singing modern works as well. Not only does the choir sing with an excellence most choirs onlbut also performs concerts with modern music. The Choir is also noted for producing quite a number of stunning soprano and alto soloists. There are also German Cathloic choirs. The Augsburg Choir was revived (1967). The Regensburger Domspatzen founded (a967) continues to function.

Austria

World War I traumatized Europe. The death and destruction was unprecedented. One of the many results was that the historic Habsburgs who had ruled large areas of central Europe for centuries and kept it Catholic ended as a ruling dynasty. - In terms of church music, this meant that the Hofmusikkappelle no longer could rely on imperial support. Recognizing the Choir as a national tresure, Austria’s Ministry of Education assumed responsibility for the famed Choir, but the new Austrian Republic had few resources at its disposal after the WAr. And Austria was no longer the center of a huge empire. Father Josef Schnitt became the rector of the Imperial Chapel (1922). He decided to revive the boys' choir as he was a man of some means. He took in some war orphans. Schmidt assembled a choir of 13 boys (September 1924). The Hofmusikkappelle thus became the Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boys’ Choir). At first funding was a major problem and the Choir could no continue indefinitely on Schnitt's personal resorces. The Choir thus began to stage concerts outside the Imperial Chapel. There repotoire was extended from purely church music to motets and secular pieces, especially Austrian folk songs. At the boys' request, short operettas were staged. Father Schnitt also decided to give them anew appearance. The boys during the 19th century wore military uniforms complete with sabers. Father Schnitt decided to unifiorm them with sailor suits, a style popular among middle-class failies in Austria ad Germany. The boys were an immediate sensation. They performed in Berlin and then began performances throughout Europe and then America. After a regular short successful period of brining their music to the world, the Chir was again threatened by world evets. The NAZIs seized control of Austria with the Anscluss. The NAZIs had their own atheist agenda, although not as overt as the Soviet atheist campaign. SA men appeared in the Imperial Chappel which the Choirs used. The Vienna Boys' Choir was targetted because it was an international symbol of Austrian nationalsm. The SA men declared the Chapel confiscated. Father Schmidt who had resisted NAZI indoctrination of the boys was served with a legal summons which charged him with having questioned Nazi racial and other doctrines. He was not allowed any further contact with the Choir. Dipl. Ing. Dr. Franz Marboe,the school headmaster, was allowed to stay. Prof. Ferdinand Grossmann, the permanent conductor of the court orchestra was added tonthe Bord. The national Catholic university professor Oswald Menghin was Minister of Education. He ordered Hitler paintings hung in in all the classrooms. Rathauspark was a national held annually. The Boys' and their teachers found themselves in front of the NAZI swastika flag and before the image of Hitler, the acting head of the Choir, Dr. Georg Gruber, spoke about historic connection between Austria and Germny. Gruber had the faculty interogated to determine their political mindset. The aim was to proceeed with the Nazification of the Choir. The musical component of the Choir's schooling was permitted, but reduced so as to provide more time fot indoctrination and physical exercise. The national Catholic university professor Oswald Menghin was Minister of Education. He ordered the installation of Hitler paintings in all classrooms. Also in Rathauspark was also held in March 1938, a national celebration. The Boys' and their teachers found their way in front of a swastika flag and before the image of the leader was the acting head, Dr. Georg Gruber, a talk about the historical significance of the connection held. Schnitt’s colleague, Father Ferdinand Grossmann was allowed to took charge the of the choir. He attempted to shield the boys from NAZI indoctrination. The boys had, however, to wear the swastikas on their famous sailor suit uniforms. Schnitt returned to the Choir after the War. He and Father Grossmann soon restored the Choir to its pre-War musical standards. Hans Gillesberger became the director (early-60s). He and continued the Choir's traditions and maintained this height with many performances of the world’s choral masterpieces. Today, with four touring choirs, the Vienna Boys’ Choir is the best-known of all boychoirs. Wikle the Vienna Choirboys are Austria's best known boy choir, rhey are not the only Austrian choir. We note several other Austrian choirs, but e know ess about their histories.

Italy

Rather surprisingly, Italy, the largest Catholic country in Europe, has a rather weak boy choir tradition. We are not sure why this is. We note many charmiong children's choirs, but no high quality boys' choir. Perhaps someone knowledfeable about Itlian music and boy choir developmens will be able to tell us more about Italy.

Spain

Spain is another major Catholic country, although much smller han Italy. In Spain the Spanish monastery at Montserrat sponsors a choir school -- Escolania of Montserrat St. Miquel is what is left of that country's former glorious boy choir tradition. Italy has some charming children' choirs, but we do not know of any residential boy choirs with notable musical achievements.

England

The boy choir tradition was the stringest in England. It continued primarily in Anglican cthedrals and churches. Several cathedrals operated renounded choir schools. The English choirs, however, made little effort to expand their music making outside the Church. Thus while their performances were brilliant, they did not go n concert tours. They thus had a rather limited impact on the expanding boy choir movemnt. The Englsh choirs while not playing a major role in expanding the boy choir movement abroad, did faciitate the expansion by the wealth of choir music produced and the a number of choristers who as aduts pursued their pssion abroad. England at mid-century almost lost on e of its important choirs--St. John’s College Choir in Cambridge (1955). The College was prepared to close the choir school rather than purchase a nearby building needed to continue the choral foundation. This disaster was only prevented by an outporing of public reactiomn and letter writing including plas from abroad. A telegram from noted composer Ralph Vaughan Williams seems to have made a great impact. The subsequent legacy of George Guest, Christopher Robinson, and more recently David Hill show cases what was almost lost. A new cathedral was added to Europe--the Westminster Cathedral in London (turn of the twentieth century). It symbolized the resurgence of the Catholic faithful in Britain after several centuries of repression. Cardinal Herbert Vaughan and the musical skills of its first master of music, Richard Runciman Terry, the new Cathedral founded a Choir that has developed into a major institution. It as been led by George Malcolm, David Hill, James O’Donnell, and Martin Baker.And the Anglican choirs in ngland raised choral singing to amazing heights. Cathedral choirs including St. Paul’s, London and Winchester and the collegiate choirs of Oxbridge sang to the faithful in their associated churches. And they began making recordings of their beautiful music. And in the late-20th century the Cathedral choirs have continued to make beautiful music. Ironically this has come at a time when Church going has declined subsantially and the boy choir tradition at the paruish level has alnost disappeared. King’s College Choir in Cambridge continues to be one of the finest and most famous boy choir in the world. And there are more than a dozen other Ennglish cathedral choirs with comparable standards. The Anglican Church of England has performed an incredible serive to the world of music, both by the beautiful perfomances of the choristers amnd commission new works for boy voices from the country’s leading composers.

Russia

We have very limited information on the Orthodox choral tradition. We do know that there were choirs before the Revolution, but have very limited information about them. Rich noblemen are known to have maintained boy choirs. After the Bolshevicks seized power in 1917, church boys' choirs were no longer possible. Not only was the Church not allowed to prostelize among young people, but the Church was under attack as an institution from the beginning of the Revolution. And Stalin subsequently launched a massive attack on the Curch with a major atheiest campign. The NKVD rrested priests and nuns and sent to the Gulag. There was, however, a long tradition of classical music in Russia which was also promoted by the Soviet Union. There were thus some seccular choirs, although HBC has as yet little information on them. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there has been some increased interest in liturgical music. Several choirs now exist in Russia. HBC has noted choirs in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, but there may be others as well. the Moscow Boys’ Choir and Moscow Choral College in the Moscow Academy of Music under the direction of Viktor Popov have kept alive Russia’s musical heritage. The latter institution was reorganized as part of the Academy of Choral Arts, of which the boys’ choir is an integral part.

Eastern and Central Europe

We have little information on Eastern European boy choirs in the early-20th century. We do not have a lot of informtion on Eastern Europe yet, but we notice boy choirs in both Bulgria and Poland. The Polish choirs re especially interestng because of the Polish church ws a cetral institutin in Polish national life and te Cmmunistregime imposed by the Soviets set out to destoy the Church. The bst known were the Polskie Slovicki (Polish Nigtengales) was one of the most respected choirs in Europe, noted for beautiful perfomances of some of the most challenging of choral works. The Choir tagically closed (2003). We note one Polish choir visting President Kennedy in the White House (1963). The Boni Pueri of the Czech Republic was founded as Communist control began to weaken (1982). It has achieved considerable much international recognition.

America

Immigrants from England working with the Anglican church helped to found the first serious boy choirs in Amnriva (19th century). Some of these choirs were well estblished by the turn-of-the 20th century. These choirs began to interest others interested in music and quite a number of secular boy choirs were formed throughout the country. This effort gained momentum when the Vienna Boys' Choir made their first concert tour of America (1932). Some of the best known American boy choirs were founded during the 1930s. English and French choirs also toured America. The NAZI seizure of Austria effectively ended further concert tours by the Vienna Choir Boys. Herbert Huffman, a graduate of Westminster Choir College, sought to pursue life-long dream. He decided to create a boychoir in America's Midwestern heartland, Columbus, Ohio (1937). Several boys responded to his call for tryouts and the choir was born. Huffman 2 years later founded a day choir school to more effectively develop the boys’ musical talent. The Columbus Boychoir made their first major concert performance on the national stage with a concet in New York during World war II (1943). A French boy choir found itself stuck in America when France fell d\during its world tour (1940). The CBS Network seeing the potential for national morale broadcasted their singing. The Choir made their first tour afer the War (1946) and the tours are now a tradution. The Choir moved the school to Princeton, New Jersey (1950) which for some reason was seen as more fitting for what was now a respected national organization. They changed their name to the American Boychoir (1981). Another of America's best known boy choirs appeared in the middle of the southwestern desert thanks to Eduardo Caso, a singer who had entralled American radio audiences during the 1930s. Hewas known as the tenor of the American airwaves”. Caso moved to Tucson, Arizona after contracting tuberculosis. While recuperating he decided to pursue a dream of creating a boys’ choir. The Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus was born and is now one of the most respected choirs in the country. George Bragg was another early leader of the American boy choir movement. He founded the Denton Civic Boys Choir in Texas. The Choir moved to Fort Worth (1956) and became famous as the Texas Boys Choir. They becae jnown for extreely popular albums of Gabrielli’s music made with Organist E. Power Biggs at St. Mark’s in Venice. Briggs after retiring has helped mentor choirmasters in new choirs being founded ththroughout the country. Boys’ choirs were never an important part of the Catholic tradition in America. The choirmaster at St. Paul’s Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts established a choir school to help preserve and promote sacred classical music in the United States (1963). The St. Paul Boys Choir is the only one of its kind in the country. There are many boy choirs in America. Most are, however, secular choirs with the boys attending regular schools. St. Pul's is the only Catholic choir school.

Australian Boy Choir

The Australian Boys Choral Institute was founded (1939). They perform classical Anglican boy choir music as well as twork of modern Australian composers.

South Africa

John Tungay founded the Drakensburg Boys’ Choir School with 20 boys from all over South Africa (1967). His idea in the midst of Apartheid was to form a boy choir representing all different ethnic groups. Because of the Africa lab\nguages the boys speak, it is unlikely that any choir in the world sings in more varied languages. The boys no only sing European classical works. They specialize in Anglo-American pop music and, more iinterestingly traditional African music. from the heart of Africa.

Japan

Boy choirs for some reason have become very popular in Japan. As far as we know this is a development folloing World war II. We are not sure what prompted this development. A major developmnt was the Boys Air Choir. Here Conner Burrowes has played a major role, both with the singing and subsequentky the conducting. He was as a boy the head chorister of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Using just eight boys at a time, this group has produced inventive performances and recordings. The Hiroshima Boy Choir was founded (1960).

Created: October 28, 2000
Last updated: 2:59 AM 11/30/2012