A recent article in the UK Daily Telegraph discuss the earlier onset of puberty and how it impacts boychoirs:Growing numbers of boy singers, known as trebles, are having to leave prematurely because they can no longer sing the high notes. Instead of singing until the age of 15 or 16, many now stop at 13 or even earlier.
Experts believe the trend is caused by changes in modern diets, which have caused an earlier onset of puberty.
We all know that of course boys don’t really need to stop singing once their voices start changing, but they can’t continue singing as trebles in the cathedral choir. An editorial continues:
The emotional depth and finesse of a youth of 15 or 16 can’t be replicated by an 11- or 12-year-old. It’s a quality that sacred composers have put to exquisite use – rather as the boy actors of Shakespeare’s theatre could inspire him to create a Juliet, a Cleopatra, a Lady Macbeth. May the magic of a treble singer never be, as the talents of those Tudor boy players are to us, an almost unimaginable gift.
Richard Allen Roe says
I am impressed that a mainstream print publication (although
the UK Daily Telelgraph is from the UK) is even giving any space to
the topic of choral music and a smaller sub-topic of boy choirs.
This article, and the related editorial are not roughly equivalent
to the myriad US news accounts of the various adventures of “Glee”
influenced high school choirs.
Stephen Stomps says