Choir Schools: St. Mary of the Angels Song School--Uniform


Figure 1.--The choristers at the St. Mary-of-the Angels Song school used the smock uniform for traveling to and from school. They wore a mortar-board academic cap rather than a school cap. These were used at a numbr of schools in the 19th and early-20th century. The boy at the left appears to have some kind of award badge.

The boys were outfitted in Eton suits on Sundays and wore a practical blue smock at other times. The back buttoning smocks had a front button for the waistband and the school badge worn on the left chest. There were also buttons on the shoulders of the smocks. The smocks had a cut away square collar so the shirt collar and ties showed. The smocks looked more like a French than an English school uniform. There do not appear any indication of seniority in this everyday uniform. All the boys from the toungest to tholdest dressed identically. Under their smocks they wore grey shirts and short trousers with plain grey turn-over-top kneesocks and school sandals. All of the boyswear school sandals although we note that they wear both the "T" strap style and the double bar style. Either were acceptable. I am not sure what color the tie was, but it was a light-colored solid color tie. The boys also wore a choristers robes with a ruff for formal events. Later the school acquired residential premises out of London. Note the smock from this period (picture from the 1960s) with the tie worn hanging outside.

Eton Suits

The boys were outfitted in Eton suits on Sundays. This was their formal dress uniform.

Everyday Uniform

The boys and wore a practical blue smock as their every day school uniform. Rather than a standard peaked school cap they wore a rather academic-looking mortar board. The back buttoning smocks had a front button for the waistband and the school badge worn on the left chest, although this appears to be an addition in the 1960s. Earlier photographs show the boys without the badge. There were also buttons on the shoulders of the smocks. The smocks had a cut away square collar so the shirt collar and ties showed. Some of the smocks had a small fromt pocket, but many did not have these packers. The smocks looked more like a French than an English school uniform. There do not appear any indication of seniority in this everyday uniform. All the boys from the toungest to tholdest dressed identically. Under their smocks they wore grey shirts and short trousers with plain grey turn-over-top kneesocks and school sandals. All of the boyswear school sandals although we note that they wear both the "T" strap style and the double bar style. Either were acceptable. I am not sure what color the tie was, but it was a light-colored solid color tie. The boys not only wore this unifoirm at school, but it was also used for traveling while coming and going to school. Note the smock from this period (picture from the 1960s) with the tie worn hanging outside.

Choir Robes

The boys also wore choristers robes with a ruff for formal events such as church services. The robes included a ruffled collar, surplice, and alb. Despite their rather destinctive everyday uniform,. this was a fairly standard choir robe costume. They also wore their motar-board caps. A former chorister tells us, "Our clothing for services was a crimson cassock with a white girdle and a white starched should length tippett. The red cassock was unusual because the wearing of red required permission from the Archbishop of Canterbury." [King]

Sources

King, David. E-mail message, January 12, 2014. David attended the Song School from January 2, 1960 to Christmas 1963. He was Head Boy during 1962-63. He tells us, "My pleasure to add to your web page. I remember the school with great affection."







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Created: December 5, 2002
Last updated: 8:54 AM 1/14/2014