Eight or nine is a preferable age for training children in a church choir environment. Clerget is spot on about earlier than that. Very young children can rarely make a decent musical sound in ensemble and have no business at all singing at liturgy (as a 'choir'). Some people only want to see their dear little ones 'up there' singing at mass, with no care at all for what they really sound like or whether the liturgy is objectively enhanced. The liturgy is not a variety show (though legion are those in and out of holy orders who seem to think that it is).

As for 'cherub choirs' and such, these are more a Protestant phenomenon, where they have multiple choirs of all age groups which sing periodically at their services and are oohed and aahed over. This is not Catholic worship.

Now, all the above is not anywhere near to suggest that the parish should not provide early musical training for very young children in a class room situation. As the children grow they may then be expected to become members of the parish choir (or choirs), or become confident members of a robustly singing congregation. A parish which doesn't provide musical training for its enfants and youth is seriously remiss. But having the very young to sing (as what would be a choir) at mass is wholly inappropriate. Singing in choir at mass is a serious liturgical charism, and the privilege of doing so is earned with age, experience, musical competence*, and dedication.

At Walsingham we have for our youth and older children a Treble Choir. This choir learns the treble parts of certain motets and anthems, certain chants and so forth, and expertly sings the treble parts with the cathedral choir on certain occasions. It seems to me that this is an ideal and eminently sensible solution which teaches the young real music and involves them seriously in the cathedral's liturgical life. They are a devoted bunch who are proud and honoured to participate in this way. Others here may have different scenarios to suggest.

As for whether you, yourself, should undertake the instruction of such a group seems to me, under your circumstances, gratuitously to be asking too much of you. You should say 'no' unless you really feel 'called' to do this work. Or, you might suggest to the pastor that for an increase in salary you will do it. Otherwise, don't do it. All but the most enlightened and honourable parishes will pay you as little as they can for all they can get out of you. Don't be taken advantage of - not even once, or it will never stop. Many parishes, including those with full time choirmasters, have paid associates or assistants who undertake the training of children and youth, with The Choirmaster having oversight and ultimate (and unquestioned) responsibility and authority for repertory, when and how they sing, etc., etc.



*What constitutes 'musical competence' may vary from place to place, or from city to hinterlands.