Hereford Cathedral Choir is holding an open morning for prospective choristers at the cathedral on Saturday 8 March 2014. The open day is an opportunity for boys aged 6 to 8 who might be interested in joining the choir to come to the cathedral and experience what it is like to be a chorister.
Geraint Bowen, the Cathedral’s Director of Music, said ‘The life of a chorister is a busy one, but one which will give them experiences and skills to last a lifetime. This year we are inviting boys to come along and have a real hands-on experience. The morning includes an opportunity to take part in a short workshop with the choristers and sing with some of them in the Cathedral’.
‘When parents hear the choristers sing for the first time, they often think that they must all be brilliant singers before they join the choir and are put off from enquiring further as a result’ said Geraint Bowen. ‘In fact, what we are looking for are boys who enjoy singing and being part of a team, and it is not necessary for them to have had any previous experience: it is the training they receive at the Cathedral and the hard work that they put in which produces the results.’
The choir’s most recent recruits joined the choir last September and the search is now on for the next generation of boys, currently aged 6–8, to join the choir in 2014 or 2015.
Geraint Bowen continued: ‘As well as singing some of the most beautiful music ever written, they have the opportunity to visit some amazing places. In 2010 we toured South Africa and last October we visited the USA for the fifth time since 2002.’
All cathedrals recruit choristers, most both boys and girls, so children all over England have an opportunity to join a cathedral choir. Further details are available on cathedral websites.
