The first thing I would say is that, to a foreigner, you take your choral singing seriously. You may think that this is a strange thing to say, considering our vaunted cathedral choral schools, but outside of that circle of musical experience, we have a real problem: how can we encourage children and young people to sing, and to sing music of the highest quality? It is clear that this was a problem which you needed to address a few years ago, and, from my perspective, you addressed it. You may feel that you have a long way to go, but, unlike this country, you nowhave a situation where most of your cities can boast one, two, or often more children’s choirs, with some elementary and high schools producing choirs that would be the envy of any music teacher here.
Perhaps there is something uniquely American in your love for “programs.” We English think we can somehow muddle through, with a bit of enthusiasm here, a bit of talent there, and the odd begging bowl handed around at critical times. We have so much to learn from you: your children’s choir movement seems to be underpinned with a strong philosophical base, with clear aims and objectives, and clear organizational structures to help carry these out. Your choirs (at least those I visited) have paid conductors, administrators, and, in some cases, fund-raisers. This is all in stark contrast to the essentially amateurish way we run things over here, where more often than not the poor conductor has to do all the administration, fund-raising,
and stage managing, usually for free or a small honorarium.
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