Figure 1.--Here we see a CDV portrait showing three English choristers from Southport. The portrait is not dated, but would have been taken in the 1880s-90s. There was no great cathedral in Southport. We are not sure in what church they were singing. The studio was Lambert Partington in Southport. A British reader writes. "Interesting portrait of te Southport choir boys. As you say no magor church there. Quite a surprise to think Southport was in the forefront of change. Maybe a connection to Liverpool which also did not have a cathedrals at the time."

We still have only limited historical information on the English boys' choir. As I understand it there were few such choirs by the 19th century and the tradition was dying in England. One source tells us, "The heavy lassitude that overcame the Church of England in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries all but gutted that church’s glorious choral tradition. With ministers seriously derelict in their duties, it was no wonder that there was little life in the choirs. Only a tiny repertoire of simple music was in use." 【Marr】 There appears to have been a revival of choral music in the mid-Victorian era. We are not precisely sure the cause of it. Sebastian Wesley described the sad situation, "No cathedral in this country possesses, at this day, a musical force competent to embody and give effect to the evident intentions of the Church with regard to music." (1849) 【Marr】 Wesley lunched a personal crusade in Britain, dedicating his life to reviving the boy choir tradition in England. He set out to improve the salaries and working conditions of organists and choirmasters. Maria Hackett launched a five decade effort inspect and reinvigorate the choir schools. One source suggests that the choir schools had not only declined, but were suffering neglect and abuse. She took on bishops and deans about these conditions and their ecclesiastical responsibilities. She continued with her efforts until needed improvements were made. And it was no one stop effort. She visited the schools again and again to make sure improved standards were not merely adopted, but energetically maintained. Her efforts were aided by a kind of renewed energy within the Church as well as an Anglo-Catholic. The impact was to increase public interest in high-quality church choirs. None other than Prince Albert followed the revival of choir church music in England, Their was a boy choir at the St. George Chapel at Windsor. He began to take an interest in the English cathedral choirs. We remember reading of Prince Albert traveling, I think to Canterbury to hear a boys' cathedral choir which was considered something of a unusual wonder at the time (about 1860). But here we need more information. Similar development were underway on the Continent. English emigrants to America helped to revitalize the Episcopal (Anglican) Church. This included the establishment of several boy choirs, a new tradition in America.

Sources

Marr, Andrew. "Boys singing together: A brief history," (2005).

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