00:00 OK. Good morning, my name is Phil Heward, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Now,
00:06 it's always a huge pleasure to speak to Charles Harrison, who is the Organist and Master of the
00:10 Choristers at Chichester Cathedral, but always a pleasure particularly to speak about a very
00:15 important day that's coming up, which is the Chorister Open Day in the Cathedral on March 9.
00:21 Now, why is this a key date in the Cathedral calendar?
00:26 Well, we're trying to achieve two things with the Open Day. One is to open a window on the
00:31 working of the choir. I think lots of people will have heard us, perhaps at the theatre at the
00:36 Christmas concerts, or they've come to a carol service, or, you know, interacted with us in some
00:41 way. But there are not many opportunities to get behind the scenes and see how the choir works.
00:47 So the Open Day gives an insight into that, and it gives our guests, the children who join us on
00:53 the day, an opportunity actually to get involved, to do some singing, and to work alongside the
00:59 choristers in preparing for a short service. So that's one thing, is getting behind the scenes and
01:04 rolling sleeves up and having a go at being a chorister. And the other thing we're trying to do,
01:08 of course, is make the opportunity, the chorister opportunity, widely known. And we hope that among
01:16 the children who will join us on the night of the march will be some who are so excited that they
01:21 want to find out a little bit more, and some of them, we hope, will join us.
01:26 >> And these are eight-year-olds we're talking about.
01:29 >> That's right. Choristers usually start at the beginning of year four. So yes.
01:34 >> And typically you would require four each year as part of the renewal.
01:39 >> Yeah, yeah. And I'm pleased to say that for the last 18 months we've been welcoming
01:43 girls as well as boys. For centuries it was only boys, but we changed that at last. So,
01:50 you know, ideally we'd be looking for two boys.
01:51 >> Absolutely. And it's always so lovely to see those girls on the stage during your
01:55 Chichester Festival Theatre concerts in December. What difference has that
01:59 made practically to the choir, to have the girls amongst the boys?
02:02 >> Well, one of the girls who joined us in our first year after the new policy was introduced
02:11 was very grown up. She was year eight, so she was at the upper age range for choristers.
02:19 But she was incredibly sensible and mature. So she was a really civilising influence and
02:25 a calming influence. So everything just settled down a bit. And there was this extremely
02:30 able and grown up young lady suddenly taking on these responsibilities and doing a wonderful job.
02:37 So there's that. It just seems right, above all, you know, these children, they all attend
02:45 the same school. It is a mixed school. They have their other lessons side by side.
02:49 There was no convincing reason not to invite girls to join us.
02:56 >> Absolutely. And I think when you see the choir, you're just struck by the absolute
03:00 naturalness of the mix, aren't you? As you say, just...
03:03 >> That's right. You know, and some people will have had worries about how well the voices
03:07 might have blended together. I mean, that so far has not been a problem at all. You know,
03:12 they do so much singing together. I think that a natural blend does emerge. And, you know,
03:18 another concern was socially, how will it work? How will they get on? And the answer to that is,
03:22 well, they get on absolutely fine. You know, there's been no additional friction.
03:29 >> But I guess the point is they're so unified in this common purpose, which, as you say,
03:34 is not just training. It's doing a valid, valuable, worthwhile job, isn't it? From a very young age.
03:41 >> Yes. Yeah. I mean, the results of it are some wonderful music making, but in the background,
03:47 there are all sorts of skills and qualities that are being developed that will be
03:51 valuable to these children all the way through their lives. So the focus that's needed to
03:58 work towards these, you know, really detailed, high-quality performances, the teamwork,
04:03 the determination to keep on trying to get things right and to get things better,
04:09 you know, the perseverance, the sensitivity. And not to mention the kind of forbearance that's
04:15 needed when they're not just working together, but they're actually sort of living together and
04:19 learning together at the Probendall School as well. These are all fabulous life lessons that
04:24 will be of use to them in whatever profession they choose to follow. And, yeah, there are some really
04:31 good musicians out there who started their musical lives as choristers at Chichester, but most of them
04:37 go on to do other things. But I'm sure they would tell you that the experience of being a chorister
04:41 has been absolutely fundamental to their… >> Fundamental, but fun as well, because I think
04:47 one of the really attractive things you were saying is, I think from the outside, you could
04:50 imagine that it could be all a bit dark corridors and intimidating being part of the Cathedral Choir,
04:55 but your approach is absolutely to stress the fun and the friendliness, and to be encouraging,
05:02 isn't it, whilst being professional? >> Yeah, I'm keenly aware of that
05:06 responsibility. I mean, these children are giving us a lot. We give them what we hope is a really
05:12 great musical education. They give us their time, and they're giving us their qualities to work on.
05:19 So we do owe them a lot. And one of the ways I can say thank you is to make sure that every minute is
05:26 really enjoyable, really worthwhile. So our approach here is characterised by a relaxed atmosphere,
05:33 friendliness, encouragement, and always focusing on the positives. And I do treat them, the choristers,
05:41 as professionals, because that really is what they are. That's what's expected of them,
05:44 and they deserve that respect. So when people see the choristers working alongside the adults,
05:51 there's not much difference in the way I talk to the children, compared with how I speak to
05:57 their adult colleagues, because we're all in it together. We're all doing the same job.
06:01 The expectations are the same for all of us. And I think the children really enjoy that.
06:05 >> Fantastic. Well, congratulations on all you achieve with the choir. I've always thought
06:10 it's phenomenal. It's a wonderful part of church still life. So the Cathedral Chorister Open Day,
06:17 March 9th, and in the article I will include all the details of how to sign up for that.
06:22 Charles, always lovely to speak to you. Thank you very much indeed.
06:24 >> Thanks, Phil.
06:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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