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I was in a choir school for a few years during the early-2000s. My parents felt it was a good education, better than available in an ordinary state school. I had heard choirs perform a few times and was interested. I have mixed feelings about the experience. I enjoyed the experience. I liked the singing and traveling, but it was tiring sometimes. The education focused on choir training, and the training was strict. The overall quality was good. We had the educational qualifications to go to many other schools after leaving the choir school. I do not sing often now, so choir training was not beneficial in a vocational sense. In school, we listened to classical music and pop music. After leaving the choir, I listen mostly to pop music. Not a lot of people seem to like choral music nowadays. As choristers we boarded. We had friends, but I missed home a lot. It was difficult because we have less freedom and more rules in boarding school. I was still young and a little home sick. I was 10 years old when I began with the choir. I left when I was 14 years old and my voice changed. We only went home during vacations. While at the school we didn't need to wear a uniform, except on certain special occasions. When we sang or when we went on tours, we had to wear our uniforms. We had a religious costume and a secular uniform. The religious uniform was a white robe, like many other choirs. Usually we wore the white robes over our secular uniform. The secular uniform was made up of a shirt, sweater, short pants, knee socks, and black leather shoes. Most of the time we wore the secular uniform. The standard of dress for our performances was very strict. The Choir wanted us to look smart. People notice us when we visited places on tours. In the past, this uniform style was used by fee-paying/private schools, but today most schools do not have a uniform. We prefered to wear our own clothes, but we were required to wear uniforms in the choir. We were proud of our uniforms, but it is strange to walk in public places because the style is from many years ago. Other boys our age could wear normal, trendy clothing, like t-shirt and jeans. Sometimes it could also be cold in our short pants. The rules for the uniform are very strict, so we don't have a lot of freedom to choose. We stayed in the boarding school most of the time so we do not meet a lot of other boys often, although some boys we meet thought wearing a uniform was not 'cool'. Sometimes when we go on tours to small towns, we stayed with other families, and we have to remain in uniform at their homes. They said we looked smart. But the boys in the home sometimes ask why we dressed like that. Short pants and knee socks were no longer worn by boys our age when dressing up, especially teenagers.
France has a few good choirs, and I think Britain too. There are now both boy and girl choirs. Boy and girl choirs sound quite different. One reason boy choirs are more received here in France is because a boy's treble voice only lasts a few years, so it is rare. Also, boy choirs have more history. But definitely, girls can also sing beautifully. I joined a choir school here in France and was with them for several years during the early-2000s. I had a good voice and my parents felt it was an opportunity for a good education, better than that available in an ordinary state school. I had heard choirs perform a few times and enjoyed music and singing so I was interested. There is a ceremony when we arrive (enter the Màne) and are given our uniforms for the first time. It was a very important event for us. The ceremony is called Prise d'Aube. Aube means the robe, so prise d'aube is receiving the robe ceremony. we had our Prise d'Aube ceremony about 2 weeks after we actually joined the choir and began boarding. At this time we received our choir school uniform. We received instructions on how to wear the school uniform. And we practise for the Prise d'Aubeceremony. We we measured for the white ribes. We began to adjust to boarding school life before the first formal event. The Prise d'Aube is a formal ceremony, and our families attend. We wear out school uniform. After a speech, the older boys will put on the white robe for us. After, the choir will come together and sing. The ceremony is the first time I and the other new boys see our parents and siblings after we moved into boarding school. We were of course very happy to see them, but a little shy because we are wearing our new uniforms. During the ceremonywe are gioven our new white robes that the choir uses as one of our performance costumes and for which French choirs are internationlly known.
Our school fees were minimum. Private boarding schools were very expensive. Feees at a boarding school could cost thousands of Euros per year. Our choir school was thus a way for boys from often modest-income families to obtain a quality education that would not otherwise have been possible. When we perform, the money collected is used for our school fees. Some people think the school should not make children work for free, but we pay very little school fees, and it is also meaningful because we learn the merit of hard work.
The education was like a standard boarding school. The overall quality of our education was good. The school time table was demanding and looked like that of a British school, with choral teaining substituted for games (sports). Classroom manners were formal. For us, we call our teachers Monsieur (last name) or Madame (last name), and use 'vous' (formelle). During homestay, we call the host parents as Monsieur or Madame (in English it is 'sir' or 'madam'), and we use 'vous'. For the host children, we use 'tu'. With our own parents, it is also 'tu'. In school we also work on music. We listened to classical music and pop music. There is a short morning break but it is not formally in the timetable. We did our choir training in the afternoon after regular school lessons. When we come together, we stand in rows from bass to soprano. We had to follow the school timetable, so we could not miss our training. We have a full school day. Sometimes we watch the clock and cannot wait for the school day to end. During vacation, we train at home. The day starts at 7.00 am and we go to bedf about 9.30 pm. We have very little free time, but we enjoy sports in our free time (lunch and break) and we especially liked to play football. It was a very full day. The normal timetable at school was:
7.00 am: Wake up
7.30 am: Breakfast
8.00 am: Normal school (There is a short morning break but it is not formally in the timetable.)
12.00 pm: Lunch
1.00 pm: Normal school
3.00 pm: Choir training
4.30 pm: Break
5.00 pm: Choir training
6.30 pm: Study/home work
7.30 pm: Dinner
8.00 pm: Shower and other activities
9.30 pm: Sleep
We did our choir training in the afternoon after classes every day. This was 3 hours of training daily, two 1 1/2 hour sessions separated by a break. The choir training was very strict. Choir training is tiring as the choirmaster has a high standard, but it is something we have to do. Many of us liked the choir training more than school because we like to sing. In boarding school, you can hear voices singing all the time, so it was not a big drudgery. During training, we are not allowed to use the mobile phone. We memorise music, as we have to put our hands behind our back in concert. We practiced singing a variety of pieces, but there was much more to our training. Our choirmaster had many techniques and exercises. There were face exercises, using our hands. There were breathing exercises, for example, we bent down to touch our feet and stay in the position for a while, and we take deep breaths. Sometimes to train the soloist, the boy will stand on the chair to sing, so he will learn to project his voice. There were some singing parts without lyrics, so it is just to exercise the mouth. We have to open our mouth wide to sing. Before concerts, we train without music sheets, so we can remember our parts by heart. Most of the time we all practice as a group, because it is important that we sing as a group. Sometimes, there is a separate practice for the soloist. While we mostlyb practice togrther, this changes just before a concert tour. We know who is selected about one month before a tour. Then the group selected for the tour prctices separately. Those not selected for tour will practise separately during the tour training. Everybody likes to go on tour, so when we are not selected it is very disappointed.
As choristers we boarded. I was still young and a little home sick. I was only 10 years old when I began with the choir. I had never been away from home for any time before. I think there is a difference between boarding school choirs and other choirs. This is because the training is much more intense at a boarding school. Thus a level of performance is possible that is difficult for other chours to achieve. Boarding is not as common in France as in England where there are many private schools including some choir schools. Adjusting to boarding school is difficult. It is common for boys to cry because when they first arrive because they are homesick, but the teachers and choir instructors will comfort them. We stayed in dormitory a room with three other boys, so it is less lonely and we do not think so much about being homesick. It is easy to make friends because we are always together and the bond is strong. Also, when we stay with other families during tours, we go with different boys each time, so we make new friends. We mostly lived in dormitory rooms with four boys. A few rooms had as many as six boys, but four boy rooms were the most common. For three years, I stayed in a six boy room, and the rest in a four boy room. All the beds are two-level bunk beds, so one boy sleeps on the top and another boy sleeps on the bottom. In the room, we share two cabinets, two tables, two sinks, and one shelf for towels and brushes, and one bin. Showers and toilets are in a common area shared by all boys. We have a common computer and TV room, but we need permission to use it. Video games were forbidden. Everybody goes to bed at the same time, but as there are many boys in one room, sometimes it is not exactly 9.30pm we sleep.
We made many friends as boarders, but I missed home a lot. This was especially the case when I first joined the choir. It was difficult because we have less freedom and more rules in boarding school. After joining the choir, we only went home during vacations. The Choir followed the same basic vacation schedule as regular French schools, except that some vacations such as Easter and Christms were times we went on tours. There were vacation accommodation for boys who do not go home during vacation because they live too far away. Some boys went to stay with their friends. The Choir arranged accomodations for those boys who did not. They stayed with a host family. We follow the same rules as staying with a hostfamily during concert tours. The boys who go home do not need to wear a uniform, but for boys who stay at another boy's home near the school, the uniform is necessary.
We sang mainly religious (sacred) music, classical music, and French folk music. The various pieces were decided by the choir master. Some boys were chosen perform solos. The choirmaster tried to give everybody a chance, but you had to show that you are interested and want the chance. I performed solos during a few concerts. For our choir, we did not have skits, but I am not sure about other French choirs. Sometimes we will sing a birthday song to our friend on stage, but otherwise it is mostly a serious performance. Of course the music was the cebntral thrust of our performances. Considerable attention was devoted to stage craft. One of the things we were taught when we first entered the choir was to do a proper bow. We must bend 90 degrees at the waist. This is more complicated than it may seem because everyone must do it at the same time. It is very important because we stand close to each other, something like I noticed on the HBC page about 'Performances'. When the boy at the back bows, he is facing the lower back of the boy in front, so it is easy to knock each other if the front boy gets up too fast. In the photo posted, the boys turn different directions when they bow, which is not so 'neat'. It could be done better. Our Choir Master would not have allowed that.
The choir took several trips where we sing to a variety of audiences. For tours, we are selected a few weeks early, and we will practise. We pack our bags 2 days early. We have all the same bag, and we pack our robe, two school uniforms, school books and personal items. We take a bus to the town and concert place and practise from afternoon. Just before the concert, there is a uniform check. The robe is difficult to wear, and usually we help each other get it just right. We are taught to stand with our hands behind our back, and we have to follow this position during singing, walking up and down the stage, taking photos, talking to an adult, etc. Our two feet have to touch each other when we stand. There is another uniform check for the school uniform. Our socks must be the same length. Usually the performance is in the evening for about 2 hours, divided into two parts. During the intermission, we changed into our school uniform. Also, during the concert break, the choirmaster will tell us about our mistakes, for example, someone is singing too loud or not standing in proper position. He wanted everything to be perfect. And he helped us to see these little details. We were all very anxious to do as well as possible. And we then walk around to sell items to the audience. After the sales, the performance continued. After tours, we usually had e a short vacation. The boys living near the school were allowed to go home for a short visit. The boys living further from schools stayed with a host family, or with other boys (if their parents agreed).
When we went on tours to small towns, we stayed with local families. If there is a budget or a sponsor, we can stay in hotels, but this was less common. Usually we have home stays. In my 4 years with the choir I must have stayed with at least 300-400 families (I cannot remember exact number). They are called 'famille d'accueil'. For hotels, only a few times.
After the concert, we remain on stage, and the choirmaster will call our names. We will walk down the stage and introduce to our host family. Usually it is two boys with one family, but sometimes it is three or four boys with one family. It depends. The number of boys in one family depends on the number of host families which volunteered. When we stay with other families, we think about our own families very much.
We are given rules on how to behave, and the host families are given instructions on what they have to do. One time, a family ask for one soprano boy, one alto boy, one tenor boy and one basse boy. Most families want us to sing in their house, and we cannot refuse although we are shy. Many families tell the school that we are well-behaved and polite. As we only bring two school uniforms, we shower in the morning and change to a clean uniform, and the family will wash the other uniform. We take our bags, and the family will bring us back to their house. Many families talk a lot to us, and sometimes we do activities together. Many families also ask us to sing for them. We have to remain in uniform at their homes. They said we looked smart. But the boys in the home sometimes ask why we dressed like that. Short pants and knee socks were no longer worn by boys our age when dressing up, especially teenagers. I did not wear short pahts much before joining the choir. When we went to small towns, usually two boys were placed with one family. That way we were not by ourselves and did not feel as unconfortable and lonely. And because each of us wore our uniform we did not feel so out of place and differently dressed. Usually we split up into pairs, but the number of boys with each host family during tours depends on a few situations. Often our host family would take us on unteresting little excursions to explore the town. When we stay with other families, we are seldom allowed to watch television or use the computer. We are given school work, and we join the family's activities. We stayed 1-2 days, and the family will bring us back to meet with the choir. We continue to the next concert. As to what we preferred, it depended. For the home stays, some families are very nice. They give us nice food and we have a lot of fun. Not all families are the same, but generally they are ok. And most of the time, only two boys share one room (unless the house is small), so it is very comfortable, as good as a hotel. For hotel stays, we usually stay in a triple room. But if it is a hostel rather than a traditional hotel, sometimes there are ten boys in one room, and with ten boys they is so much excitmenet that we don't get much sleep. So it depends. If the family is nice, we prefer home stay. Interestingly, our homestays proved to be helpful recruiting devices for the Choir. Because of our homestay, many children got interested in the Choir and wanted to join when they were old enough. Some of my friends joined because their family hosted earlier choristers.
I have mixed feelings about the experience. I enjoyed the experience. I liked the singing and traveling, but it was tiring sometimes. We have many experiences in choir. Many people call choir boys 'anges' (angels) because we looked so young and innocent and sang scared music, but it of course was not the case. We were very much just regular boys in our boarding school.
The school always emphasised that the uniform was not just a costume, but it was a commitment. So when we received the uniform at the start of school, we have to do our best to wear it properly. While at the school we didn't need to wear our uniform, except on certain special occasions. When we sang or when we went on tours, we had to wear our uniforms. We had a religious costume and a secular uniform. The religious uniform was a white robe, like many other choirs. Usually we wore the white robes over our secular uniform. The secular uniform was a kind of school uniform. It consisted of a shirt, sweater, short pants, knee socks, and black leather shoes. Most of the time we wore the secular uniform. The standard of dress for our performances was very strict. The Choir wanted us to look smart. People notice us when we visited places on tours. In the past, this uniform style was used by fee-paying/private schools, but today most schools do not have a uniform. We prefered to wear our own clothes, but we were required to wear uniforms in the choir. We were proud of our uniforms, but it is strange to walk in public places because the style is from many years ago. Other boys our age could wear normal, trendy clothing, like t-shirt and jeans. Sometimes it could also be cold in our short pants. The rules for the uniform are very strict, so we don't have a lot of freedom to choose. We stayed in the boarding school most of the time so we do not meet a lot of other boys often, although some boys we meet thought wearing a uniform was not 'chouette' (cool). I see now that the unifiorm also gave agood impression at our performances, but because we had to remain in our uniforms at all times outside the boarding school reminded us to behave well because we were representing the choir.
the choir I left when I was 14 years old and my voice had changed. My parents were right about the quality of teaching. We had the educational qualifications to go to many other schools after leaving the choir school. I do not sing often now, so choir training was not beneficial in a vocational sense. After leaving the choir, I listen mostly to pop music. Not a lot of people seem to like choral music nowadays.
I hope you find my account of the time in the Choir of interest. Let me know if you have any further questions about my time in the Choir. I would be interested to know from an observer's perspective, what is the impression about our choir. What do you thinkof the uniform? And do you feel the school is too strict and regimented, or do you feel it is necessary for discipline? I am interested to know what an observer thinks.
This is a difficult question. I can roll off some thoughts off the top of my head. Socially I am liberal, believing adults should have a great deal of freedom to pursue their lives as they see fit, as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. With children I would ideally like to see the same thing, only they do not understand the importance of many things. Thus left on their own, they are likely to chose the easy or fun options. Which means they may not develop their abilities. This is what happens in our inner cities where children are often without parental guidance. And a similar tendency is at play in your Muslim city areas where Islam limits the ability of individuals to pursue their abilities. And with children they need to be taught to appreciate the rights of others. I think French parents are better at this than American.
So discipline is necessary for children both to develop their talents and to learn to live in a community and respect the feelings and rights of others. The success in maximizing an indivudual's talents is a very important factor here.
I can't really comment on your particular school as I do not know much about it. But as long as the discipline is responsibly and humanely applied and there are real benefits--academic or artistic achievement, than it seems to be that both the boys and as a result, society benefits. And for me a big kicker is that it is voluntary. The parents/boys are not forced to be there. If a boy is really unhappy, I am sure he can convince his parents to switch schools.
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