I actually did propose these ideas of why boys are not joining the TCC to an administrator who worked for the organization and my concerns were not taken seriously and I was told that "boys just don't want to sing these days and there is a general decline world-wide in boys choirs, or they just want to play hockey..." Ugh, I knew this wasn't true, because I think of the choirs that are in existence which are either separate boys choirs, or a boys choir within a children's choir in Canada, USA and overseas. I actually think people cannot be bothered. In 2008 the men's and boys' choir of St. James Cathedral in Toronto folded up, because a newly appointed choir director said the choir was way past its sell by date. The cathedral didn't try to stop him and now Toronto only has one choir of men and boys - St. Michael's Cathedral (Roman Catholic) which also has a grade 3-12 choir school. Well, there is an anglican church which is supposed to be maintaining its boys and girls chorister program, but it mostly seems to be the men and women taking over in services and concerts. It's very disappointing and disheartening. There should be more churches with girl and boy chorister programs. There's many, many women and men's choirs in Toronto, community and in the churches. It all seems to be same old, same old. There's nothing unique or special or the worst part about it is that the churches with adult choirs have lowered their standards - "ANYONE can join - no experience needed" and one goes to a church service expecting to hear beautiful music and the choir is off-key and there is enough vibrato to sink a ship. What can be done?

The more men who are observed by boys to be singing, the more boys will notice that it is, in fact, 'manly' to sing. (Real men aren't afraid to sing.) (In fact: only sissies are afraid to sing!)

What I don't understand is why the alumni and children of these choristers (ie. St. Mike's Choir school) aren't in choirs? We have them in our parish and they don't sing.

My boys sing, but it is because I have put energy and time into their music training. The schools are certainly not doing this, and most parents are way to busy to have the time to do it.

Very true Skirp. Why would I put my children into a choir which is learning songs I would rather my children didn't sing and have them learn bad habits and technique?

We have a parish elementary school Pre-K 4 thru grade 6 with maybe 110 students in a good year. I have 24 kids in my auditioned Capella, pretty much evenly split between boys and girls. The choristers receive a $50 scholarship twice a year (before Christmas break and at the end of the school year), $10 for the 4 PM Christmas Eve Mass, and $10 for Easter Noon. I've only just recently realized how unusual it is to do serious choral music with elementary school students. They love it. They sing with choral scholars from the local university, which makes a big difference in the consistency of the choral sound.

This is from last Easter; I've got one sixth grade boy and three fourth grade boys singing with four girls and a few choral scholars off-camera.

In most children's choirs, because girls master impulse control earlier and tend to be socially dominant in their early years, the boys will sound like girls when they are mixed up because that's what the group's "alpha's" are doing.

Circumstances prevent us from having separate boys and girls choirs (we're just too small and we only have one full-time staff member- me), but we rehearse seated separately (boys on one side, girls on another) in the same room. For some pieces, the boys will sing alto, the girls soprano, others they switch. They have a chance to develop their own sound: the boys will sound like boys because they sit together and can hear each other and are encouraged to develop their own sound: likewise, the girls. Their unisons have a good mix of head and chest, and because the boys have developed their own sound, there's not the tell-tale "Annie" nasality that comes with most American elementary school girls.

Just putting my 2 cents in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSBaiXGJvnk

They don't??!!!! Says WHO?????!!!!!!!!!

Kathy,
I'm not talking about teens. I'm talking about ADULTS. The teens have graduated from highschool and university and now are adults who will not sing in their churches. I don't get it.