With an estimated 42.6 million people singing in American choirs today, there are bound to be a few voices raised in opposition to a new article in the magazine Gramophone that hits the U.S. newsstands this week.
Titled “The 20 Greatest Choirs,” the article ranks the world’s best ensembles, and finds America lacking. There isn’t a single U.S. group on the list. Indeed, most of the choirs that made the rankings were British. Which led me to wonder: Are English choirs really that much better than those everywhere else? And why isn’t there a single American chorus listed?
To find some answers, I sought out James Inverne, the editor of Gramophone, for this e-mail conversation about his choir rankings.
[blockquote]I’d also say that there’s nothing like the depth of choral tradition in the U.S. that there is in the U.K., thanks to the Anglican church. The sheer volume and intensity of the activities of the church choirs here, the amount of commissioning of new work that occurs and that informs the rest of the repertoire, have become part of the wider culture here. It means, in effect, that you get elite squads of choristers who operate at an almost unbelievably high level every single day.[/blockquote]
Very true, and the enthusiasm and following of these choirs is getting stronger, but with changes in worship styles, you really find them in the university colleges and cathedrals, rather than the parish churches as you used to.
There are some American choirs worth watching at church level. In particular, St Thomas, Fifth Avenue brought over John Scott as Musical Director from St Paul’s Cathedral where he had done an excellent job. It is early days however, and from listening to them online, the sound recording quality is poor and at risk of being drowned out by noises off, and there isn’t the brisk rigour surrounding the developing choir in the services needed for broadcast [one hesitates to say it is all a bit sloppy], which you get in the equivalent English services, so who knows whether progress will be as positive as the ingredients would suggest.
Yes, there seems to be much more of a choir culture in the UK. As an American, I’m a bit embarrassed by the underlying sense of entitlement, wondering why there are no Americans in the “top 20,” as if we should naturally be “tops” in everything. I have greatly enjoyed the liturgical richness of worshiping at St. Paul’s, Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral — the “house choirs” are superb, and the visiting parish choirs are nothing to sneeze at, either!
The article mentions the use of choirs and music in the UK to foster community. I SO enjoyed the series on BBC America called “The Choir.” What an uplifting, marvelous program that was!
There are some good American choirs, Teatime, particularly those specialising in early music.
Actually, since I first came across the St Thomas website a few months ago, just listening to them now, the improvement in the choir is noticeable. Let’s hope they continue, but as for the rest, there is still an opportunity for improvement and tightening up.
I think there is also a popular openness to and interest in choirs in the UK TT. Not only in programs like ‘The Choir’, but also in things like the ‘Choir of the Year’ competion, broacast on television by the BBC. Unfortunately in many of these programs, the music and singing is emphased in isolation from the religious context and purpose. Still, it is better than nothing. The large services broadcast such as Carols from Kings and the Festival of nine lessons and carols redress this to some degree.
It is also worth remembering that the rankings in this survey are based, not on the work of all choirs, but those who have issued recordings recently, as one might expect from ‘Gramophone Magazine’.
I take it these are all choirs performing classical works. They would probably turn their collective noses up at the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (led by, of all things, an untrained director), but they have made some amazing music.
#6–I totally agree. You have to define “best” and “choir” before you can make a judgement about the best choir.
The choir of St Thomas NYC was excellent when under the long-term direction of Maestro Gerre Hancock, a highly dedicated and respected church musician. That St Thomas would appoint Maestro Scott, a foreigner, as his replacement stunned the American choral scene.
What’s truly scandalous, though, is that these elite choirs don’t allow girls to sing.
[blockquote]What’s truly scandalous, though, is that these elite choirs don’t allow girls to sing.[/blockquote]
Many of the cathedral and college choirs are beginning to take girls. However, one has to recognise that widening the membership does change the tone and timbre of the choir into something quite different, and you will not hear it again.
Much as did the ending of the 18th Century castratti.
One of the great supports for choirs, and indeed any church musicians, is the resource, tuition and training and preparation guides for services provided by The Royal School of Church Music, and they have an unsung role in providing the resources used by smaller choirs as well as those with their own schools and internal support.
..and I don’t think that John Scott will let either St Thomas or the American choral scene down.
In fact, I was shocked that we let him go.
But then unlike artworks, exporting living treasures like choir masters does not require an export licence.
I think he is, if not the best, right at the top among an outstanding generation including Stephen Cleobury at Kings. The excellent St Paul’s Choir is now a great choir thanks in large part to him.
Our parish choir and music are quite good. Here’s a link if anyone would like to give a listen. It doesn’t appear that the Christmas cantata links are working yet — or it’s just my computer, lol.
http://www.heavenlyrestabilene.org/music/listen.html
#12 Teatime2 – thank you – I am enjoying that.
btw what have you done with Teatime1?
LOL, pageantmaster, Teatime was sucked into some sort of password blackhole when the website name/platform changed. So, Teatime2 was born, the 2 indicating the synonym for “also.” 🙂
Glad you’re enjoying it! The choir and music program are open to anyone who wants to participate and learn, which is really nice. They are dedicated, work very hard, and do a beautiful job with our liturgies.
Sorry that not all of the music links are working yet but check back! The church website is being redone and is still a work in progress. They wanted to get it online, though, for Advent/Christmas services and events.
#14 TT2 Thankyou, and I am glad it is the real you.
Online is the way to go for churches I think and brings all this music and worship to a wider audience.
Indeed. In fact, this is the first time I’ve heard the choir/musicians’ “Easter Story Cantata,” as it predates my membership in the parish. It really is beautiful!
John Scott is also one of the world’s noteworthy organists. His recording of the Liszt “Ad Nos” at St. Paul’s is stunning.
If one were to get a group of promising young singers (boys and girls), and take them through the several years of English choir school training (which is unbelievably intense), I suspect that even the most discerning ear would not be able to tell the difference between a boy’s voice and a girl’s voice at, say, the age of eleven. I wonder if someone has done that experiment.
The other unfortunate things about the “best” choirs are that they only use professional singers for the ATB voices, and that they only use male altos. So, old Rafe wouldn’t be allowed in such a choir (because of lack of vocal training), and old Mrs Rafe wouldn’t be allowed in either (because of sex and lack of vocal training).
#17 Ol Rafe
[blockquote]If one were to get a group of promising young singers (boys and girls), and take them through the several years of English choir school training (which is unbelievably intense), I suspect that even the most discerning ear would not be able to tell the difference between a boy’s voice and a girl’s voice at, say, the age of eleven. I wonder if someone has done that experiment.[/blockquote]
It is being done, in some of the cathedral choirs I believe [Exeter? comes to mind], but you can tell the difference – it is not a question of quality and training, but of tone. Girl’s voices just do sound differently from boys. It won’t be worse or better, but it will be different, and with many pieces having been composed with boys’ voices in mind, you will get a different sound and experience of a piece. It also has to be said that at its best you do get a remarkable sound from a boys choir, which when added to men can be sublime. I think that, rather than anything else is why there is reluctance of the very top choirs to incorporate girls, and of course there is some mix and match in various combinations.
It was the same with the Castratti – you can get a sound which is now immitated by a counter-tenor for example, but having heard an old cracked recording of one of the last of this rightly extinct group, there is a matchless power, sound and range which a counter tenor cannot match.
Pageantmaster wouldn’t be allowed in a choir either since his voice broke in more than one way, although in a large enough group he is pleased to be allowed to groan away among the bases. Fortunately his speaking voice is unimpaired.
While there are good American choirs I feel on a macro can be explained by:
This
“But I’d also say that there’s nothing like the depth of choral tradition in the U.S. that there is in the U.K., thanks to the Anglican church. The sheer volume and intensity of the activities of the church choirs here, the amount of commissioning of new work that occurs and that informs the rest of the repertoire, have become part of the wider culture here. It means, in effect, that you get elite squads of choristers who operate at an almost unbelievably high level every single day”
VS.
In Americia
Contemporary on Youtube
For the most part the US is dominant by revivalist evangelicalism and various Church growth movements.
Interesting that no American choirs made this list; I guess it means we have to work harder.
But I have to give a nod to two greats that I know–Westminster Choir College in NJ and St. Olaf’s in MN. My high school choir was directed by a graduate of the former, and there were many times when Kings’ College Cambridge was used as a standard, and we did A LOT of Anglican church music, which I was always happy with because I am Anglican!! We were pleased and proud to win medals of excellence(usually gold) at adjudication. When I was a senior, our treble choir won gold and one of the judges asked our director if all of us took private voice, and only about 3/30 took private voice.
I’ve also been blessed to sing in some good church choirs; true–not the quality of St. Thomas NYC but still decent and hardworking. I would doubt they’re available in Britain, but the recordings of Church of the Ascension, NYC are also 4.0; here’s a sample if you’re interested:
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Chant-Mysteries-Renaissance-Composer/dp/B0000006ZN/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1293148047&sr=8-6
And, if you can get ahold of their recordings through the Naval Academy store, the US Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club is great, and it’s neat to hear arrangements TTBB. I’ll admit my bias; Mr. Bookworm is an excellent bass alumnus.
It would take more of an expert than me to get into the differences between boys’ voices and girls’ voices. But I do know that, by the age of 11, boys’ voices are starting to change; and, countertenors notwithstanding, you’re probably going to get a much different sound out of them, as opposed to girls. It might be hard for Britain to ride a unicycle all of a sudden, when they’re used to a bicycle. 🙂
But even some wonderful English stalwarts are “mixed”–I believe Rutter’s Cambridge Singers are mixed, and I love anything they do.