Belfast Boy Choir Makes TV Documentary

A new three-part documentary series following the Schola
Cantorum of St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast began on BBC One on
Monday.

Producer/director Cara O’Doherty explains how the Choirboys
series came about.

Conscious of the old adage of “never work with children”, I
first went to meet the 40 `choirboys’ of St. Peter’s Cathedral with
more than a little trepidation.

Even before I entered their modest rehearsal space at the
cathedral, their voices could be heard escaping into the evening
air. Clichéd as it may sound, it was simply angelic.

It was hard to believe that the choir I was to follow for the
next few months was still in its fledgling stages.

The boys had been brought together by musical director Nigel
McClintock, and his assistant Helen Frame, who together scoured
Belfast’s schools to source raw singing talent and turn them into
bona fide choristers.