Durham E-Theses Lifelong Inuences of Being a Chorister: a Phenomenological Study DONG, LAN How to cite: DONG, LAN (2018) Lifelong Inuences of Being a Chorister: a Phenomenological Study, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12843/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk LIFELONG INFLUENCES OF BEING A CHORISTER A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY Lan Dong A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Education Durham University June 2018 Choral music is not one of life’s frills. It’s something that goes to the very heart of our humanity, our sense of community, and our souls. You express, when you sing, your soul in song. When you get together with a group of other singers, it becomes more than the sum of the parts. All of those people are pouring out their hearts and souls in perfect harmony. Which is kind of an emblem for what we need in this world, when so much of the world is at odds with itself...that just to express, in symbolic terms, what it’s like when human beings are in harmony. That’s a lesson for our times and for all times...It’s not a frill, it is like a great oak that rises up from the centre of the human race and spreads its branches everywhere. That’s what music does for us, and choral music must stand as one of the supreme examples of it. John Rutter This thesis is dedicated to my sons Tiger Li and Edward Li, who are the fountain of my courage and genuine confidence to face challenges. i Lifelong Influences of Being a Chorister Lan Dong Abstract This thesis examines English choristers’ education based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with thirty people who attended a broad selection of English Choir Schools as choristers between 1940 and 2010, divided into three groups: 1) those in secondary or tertiary education; 2) those in work; 3) retired people. The value of traditional education is much debated, but by giving a detailed description, this phenomenological study has focused on providing a better basis for understanding the subject, and offers empirical evidence about how musical expertise is achieved. Choir schools claim to offer a solid training in choral singing, especially sight-reading and vocal proficiency, and in academic subjects, and that the regime they employ seems also to help the general development of the individual, especially where commitment and team spirit are concerned, as the majority of interviewees agreed. However, this way of life does not suit every child even if they enjoy singing, and this study has developed a further interpretation of its complexities. Almost every choir school with a sound reputation is also a boarding school, which can in some cases damage family ties and preclude a normal childhood, a sacrifice mentioned by many participants. Interviewees also generally found life hard during the transition to their next school and some even had no desire to return to a church environment because of the religious aspect, though they would return for the singing. I hope this study will contribute to educational research and practice in several ways, giving future researchers some useful guidelines. Perhaps the research outcomes can also inspire parents and more especially those who are directly involved with choristers’ education to consider the needs of the child alongside those of the school thus making the process more beneficial and at the same time helping to continue the tradition. Key Words: English chorister; choir school; boarding school; music education; phenomenological study. ii Declaration I declare that this thesis, which I submit for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, is my own work and has not been previously submitted for a degree in Durham University or any other institution. Statement of Copyright The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the author’s prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. iii Acknowledgements Once the format of my thesis had been settled, Dr Brian Crosby (d. Dec, 2015) who had had links with the cathedral choristers for half a century Proved vital in recruiting my first set of contacts; a bit later, Alan Oyston offered me endless helP in finding more and even tutored me in the ways of church music. These two deserve my very deePest thanks for getting me started on my Path. I would like to thank my supervisor Dr Dimitra Kokotsaki who has provided invaluable encouragement, advice and guidance over the years. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr Sophie Ward who very kindly offered to read through my thesis and gave much appreciated comments and suggestions for its completion. I was lucky enough to have great suPPort from many local PeoPle esPecially John and Jeannette Bygate. They treat me as a family and invite me and my children for dinner every Thursday which has become an integral part of our life for the past four years! They grab my hand and lead me through very difficult and sad Paths of my Personal life with their truly kind heart and wisdom. Thank you for comforting me whenever I needed it during this long period away from my home country, esPecially John committed many hours of invaluable proof reading and discussion of my thesis. When I first arrived with my two young kids on a cold winter night, John and Janet Claydon offered us accommodation for five weeks until we had our own rented Place and helped us to get the boys into a local school. They showed me a great attitude and amazing energy for life. Dr Claydon shared with me his own PhD journey, lending me a recoding machine which he used in his own data collection, showing me how to use Nvivo software for coding, which helPed me a lot in my research. My long-time friend John Shotton was always there to give me a hand when some emergency childcare was needed and whenever my old car broke down. (Thank you very much also for the Parking sPace you allowed me to use!) My grateful thanks must also go to staff at St. Chad’s College, esPecially Dr Margaret Masson and Rev. Ashley Wilson, who have given me all sorts of helP over the Past nine years, not only with my studies but also with my Personal life. I was also very lucky to get our College librarian Jenny Parker’s helP, who helPed me to familiarise myself with the cathedral routine from the inside by getting me made an Acolyte and helPed me dig out iv the relevant archives from the cathedral library as well as Proof-reading some of my thesis. Among my fellow PhD students, I must single out Shila (Rusilah YusuP) who kePt me company during my endless hours in the research room and cooked me dinner from time to time. Also my musician friend Dr Tat Amaro who taught me how to use the sound editing software Audacity to edit my interview recordings and also showed how useful Endnote really was, despite my earlier misgivings. My Chad’s friend Curtis Runstedler, the most warm-hearted Person I ever met, always helPed me to Proof-read my conference papers with a very Professional manner. Another great Chadsian Robert Schoonmaker not only helPed with my work by discussing my ideas but also devoted a lot of time to taking on my boys to fulfil their curiosity in matters scientific. In the latter stages of my study, Mark McGinty helped me to tidy up the interview data which was a huge amount of work and his unshakeable belief in me has sustained me from beginning to end, while Dr James Francis and Dr Michael Huxtable spent a lot of time reading parts of my thesis. Their patience and willingness to listen to my ideas has enabled this thesis to come to fruition. Finally, my Parents and my boys! This thesis was a beautiful but expensive journey and I was lucky enough to have financial helP from my Parents, without whom I could not have travelled so far, and I will always remember their trust, love and empowerment day by day. The boys are the best suPPort I could Possibly have; they had been looked after by various friends on various occasions but never complain about it, and their understanding and indePendence make this journey the most memorable Period in my life. Thank you ...... everybody! v Table of Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... ii Declaration ............................................................................................................................... iii Statement of Copyright .......................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................