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BoychoirBoychoirs Craig Denison National R&S Chair

The Inspiration of Music and Film— Boychoir Brings Singing to the Big Screen By Nancy Plum in the fi lm as the students and choristers boys attending the school, all of who of the fi ctional boychoir school is the have personalities those in the choral The impact of fi lm and television on American Boychoir, based in Princeton, fi eld have seen many times before. the interests and activities of youth is New Jersey. Boychoirs have been scored Stet, played by Garrett Wareing, has undeniable. The Harry Potter fi lms cre- into a number of fi lms in the past, in- the capability to succeed in the choir ated a sub-society of young magicians; cluding The Lord of the Rings, Empire of but cannot get past acting out, both in The Hunger Games revived interest in the Sun, and, dating from 1962, Almost rehearsal and in residential life. Another the ancient sport of archery; and the Angels with a storyline centered on the student, played by Joe West (a recent television program Glee, with its plot Vienna Choir Boys. However, not in re- star of NBC’s Sound of Music telecast), lines centered on show choirs, has done cent decades has a boychoir fi gured so had a brother who attended the school more for music in the schools in its fi ve signifi cantly in an American fi lm. and is under great pressure to live up seasons than decades of begging legis- Boychoir tells the story of Stet, a to his past reputation as a choir star. lators for more music education funds. troubled and angry eleven-year-old boy Fernando, played by American Boychoir Teachers show fi lms in the classroom from a small Texas town who enrolls sixth-grader Dante Soriano, is the glue for a variety of educational reasons, usu- in the National Boychoir Academy fol- holding many of these student person- ally in history and English classes, but a lowing the death of his single mother. alities together, helping Stet adjust to movie is set to appear that can serve an Finding himself lost in the boychoir tra- the musical demands and encouraging invaluable pedagogical purpose in vocal dition and the music and the structure him to make the most of his boychoir music classrooms and rehearsals. of the school, Stet embarks on a battle experience. The feature fi lm Boychoir, scheduled of wills with a demanding choirmaster What makes Boychoir uniquely cap- for release in spring 2015, summarizes who recognizes a unique talent in this tivating and particularly valuable to the in one movie the musical and character- young boy and pushes this exceptional boychoir genre is the music. Guided building goals for which boychoirs have student to discover his creative heart by American Boychoir Litton-Lodal strived for centuries. Starring Academy and soul in music. Dustin Hoffman plays Music Director Fernando Malvar-Ruíz, Award-winning actors Dustin Hoffman the role of the choir’s music director; who served as musical consultant for and Kathy Bates, Glee star Kevin McHale, Kathy Bates, that of head of school. Kevin the fi lm, the score and soundtrack are Academy Award-nominee Debra McHale plays the musicianship teacher drawn from the highest level of choral Winger, and noted actors Eddie Izzard and Debra Winger plays the principal repertoire with some of the most and Josh Lucas, Boychoir introduces a of the Texas school from which Stet is complex pieces in the repertory. The new population to the boychoir genre recommended to the boychoir school. pulsating “Adiemus” from Welsh com- and can inspire boys to seek out local Boychoir inspires the boychoir fi eld poser Karl Jenkins’s Songs of Sanctuary ensembles to join. Featured extensively through characters such as six young brings a riveting sense of drama to the

CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 55 Number 9 65 RRepertoireepertoire & STandardsSTandards

Dustin Hoffman as Master Corvelle, music director of the National Boychoir Academy Choir.

fi lm, while the fi ctional boychoir tackles quickly established the actor’s immense nomenon. When asked what he learned the glorious majesty of Handel’s “Zadok respect for professional musicians. from the experience of fi lming Boychoir, the Priest” and the complex intricacy of Playing the role of a boychoir school Hoffman commented that the boy cho- Tallis’s “Spem in Alium” (fi lmed by cam- choirmaster added the requirements of risters “have an extraordinary gift from eras on a track inside a circle of singing conducting a choir to the usual tasks of God, and they know more than anyone choristers). Boychoir director François learning a script—a challenge Hoffman that it’s there for three years and then Girard (director of the award-winning took very seriously under the tutelage it disappears.” The Red Violin) recognizes that “among of Fernando Malvar-Ruíz. Sharp-eyed Encouraging boys to sing in all forms all the weapons of a fi lmmaker, music viewers of Hoffman’s HBO series Luck of choral performance is a continual is the most powerful,” and he was im- can catch the actor conducting along challenge for music educators and cho- mediately taken by the “power of music with recorded chamber music in a ral directors, but as tennis great Billie through the voice of boychoir, which is scene, and through Boychoir, the actor Jean King said, “If you can see it, you can a very special and emotional experi- added convincing skills of conducting be it.” The DVD and soundtrack CD ence I lived with for fourteen months.” to his lesser-known musical identity as can also be meaningful in the classroom Just as he was immersed in the world an accomplished jazz pianist. Despite and rehearsal to show pure vocal tech- of violin-making and music in The Red Hoffman’s humorous admonition to nique from boys and provide students Violin, Girard was quickly mesmerized the Messiah orchestra assembled for and choirs with living examples of what by the “pure soul” of boys’ voices and Boychoir’s fi nal scene that “whatever you boy singers can achieve. The tag line to found that he had to force himself to do, don’t follow me,” the closing concert Boychoir is “Find your voice. Dare to stop listening to boychoir recordings of the fi lm presents a men and boys dream.” To boychoirs, “fi nd your voice” after several hours while researching the ensemble at its best. can clearly be the key to an unforget- fi lm. His hypnotic melding of fi lm, story, Boychoir debuted in early September table experience. and music will enable new audiences to 2014 at the Toronto International Film more readily comprehend and appreci- Festival. Comments from the stars on Nancy Plum is a writer and professional ate the boychoir genre. the red carpet indicated that all involved singer in the Philadelphia area and has The operatically based fi lm Quartet, recognized and were deeply impressed a long association with the American Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut, by the uniqueness of the boychoir phe- Boychoir School.

66 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 55 Number 9