Prospero | Choirs and boy bands

From trebles to Take That

Successful bands of all genres are being formed by boys in school and cathedral choirs

By E.B.

REALITY television shows such as The X Factor may have forged the likes of One Direction and JLS, but it is from choirs that the next generation of male heartthrobs will emerge. Die Prinzen, one of Germany’s most popular pop bands, consists of former pupils in the St Thomas Choir of Leipzig. So does the internationally-celebrated Amarcord, a classical group. The Choirboys, a British boy band, consists of two former trebles at Ely Cathedral and one from Southwell Minster. The members of Elliot Minor, a punk group, met as trebles at York Minster.

In Latvia, a choral superpower, all members of the boy band Carnival Youth met as choristers; two in the Riga Cathedral Boys’ Choir and two at their school choir. “It was just a way of having fun,” Roberts Vanags, the keyboardist, says of their early days as a band. “Choir gave us the skills to make music together.” Those skills have reaped rewards for Carnival Youth, which has gained a large following across Europe. They released their second album, “Propeller”, last month.

Choirs may be the ultimate training ground for hopeful boy bands and ensembles. Choristers—who in British and American cathedral choirs usually range from eight to 13, with continental choirs retaining their singers until the age of 19—typically rehearse together daily, making their decision to team up in ensembles of their own making less risky. They form an immediate talent pool of skilled musicians who enjoy making music together, and know one another’s musical likes and personalities. “[British cathedral] choirs are an ideal place for future bandmates to grow up in,” says Simon Kirk, director of music at St John’s College School, which educates the boy choristers of St John's College Chapel in Cambridge. “You work as part of a professional team that tours and records. From the age of nine to ten, the boys work as professional musicians.”

When Barnaby Smith graduated from Westminster Abbey Choir School at 13, he already knew that he wanted to keep singing with some of his fellow choristers. Several years later, four of them formed the acapella ensemble Voces8, which has since won numerous competitions and is now the singers’ full-time occupation. “A small ensemble is like a family,” Mr Smith explains. “Having sung in a boys’ choir was vital. Choir school is a very professional environment where boys depend on one another. It’s not something you do on your own.”

Though top-level choirs are fertile band-making territory, establishing an ensemble can be awkward if it takes place while the boys are still choir members. “You decide who you get along with,” explains Louis Weise, a 17-year-old member of the St Thomas Choir in Leipzig. “If you’re going to do additional rehearsals together and also try to make money together, you really have to get along.” Added to that is the problem of exclusion: sometimes a boy would like to join an ensemble but isn’t invited, and occasionally one who has joined proves a disappointment.

With choirs increasing their fundraising efforts, newly-formed boy bands have opportunities to perform in front of potential clients. Semi-annually, the St Thomas Choir in Leipzig organises musical soirées for friends and supporters. In the spirit of showcasing the range of their fellow choristers' skills, the school's head boys select a varied programme that ventures far beyond Johann Sebastian Bach, the choir's most famous conductor. Singing at an event last year brought a heavy-metal ensemble several engagements. Some supporters continue to express interest in the boys’ non-choral projects.

Back at St John’s College School, a former chorister has been hired to oversee the school’s expanding non-classical music programme, with an eye towards encouraging the pupils to perform more jazz, pop and rock music. Mr Kirk is eagerly waiting to see whether, several years from now, there will be jazz ensembles born from the distinctly Anglican environs of St John’s College School. Who knows—there may even be a heavy-metal group or two.

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