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Claire Stewart THESIS FINAL 131120 The impact of the introduction of girl choristers at Salisbury and its influence on other British Anglican cathedral choirs Claire Elizabeth Stewart University of London PhD November 2020 'I, Claire Elizabeth Stewart confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis.' Claire E Stewart, November 2020 1 To the Choristers, Adult Singers and Organist at Sandringham who show great commitment every week in rehearsals and services. You enrich my life and bring me joy in all our musical offerings together. 2 Claire E Stewart, November 2020 Abstract Abstract The aim of this thesis has been to examine the effects that the introduction of girl choristers has had on the all-male tradition that hitherto characterised the Anglican cathedral choir. Arguably, the future of any tradition relies on the success of the present generation for its survival and continuity. That should not imply that the tradition remains identical as in past generations, but rather that a tradition should be able to respond and, if necessary, embrace new ideas. The thesis provides an historical context for the widely reported and seemingly ground-breaking initiative at Salisbury Cathedral in the early 1990s. Through the analysis of contemporary texts, related literature, interviews, a small-scale survey and three illustrative in-depth case studies (Salisbury, Lincoln and Lichfield), the thesis reviews the background to this choral development and explores the immediate and subsequent impact across the sector. The initiative at Salisbury was not (and in some instances is still not) without controversy and so opportunity is taken in the text to rehearse examples of these conflicting views by drawing on contemporary commentary, in part by using the lens of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). Notwithstanding these cultural dissonances, by 2020, nearly all the Anglican cathedrals have introduced girls' choirs to share the responsibility of sung services with boys across the liturgical year, occasionally combining for special festivals and musical events, such as concerts and broadcasts. In each instance, the boys' choir has continued and the evidence suggests that there is now commonly mutual recognition of the value of having separate choirs of girls as well as boys – a value that is both musical as well as social and cultural. Claire E Stewart, November 2020 3 Impact Statement Impact Statement This thesis aims to highlight the impact of the introduction of girl choristers at Salisbury and its influence on other British Anglican cathedral choirs. In order to investigate this phenomenon, a detailed scrutiny of contemporary literature and reports was undertaken, followed by detailed case studies in two cathedrals of the introduction of girl choristers. Through a comparison of the reported impacts, allied to stakeholder perspectives, it is possible to see that the cultural change was the outcome of wider social trends, as well as the commitment of particular individuals who felt that such a change in terms of the previously all-male hegemony was appropriate. Currently, there are 39 out of 42 Anglican cathedrals which have girl choristers. The innovation at Salisbury offers a unique insight into the possible drivers for change across the sector and how this has influenced other cathedrals and brought about fundamental change in the make-up of the young personnel (in terms of sex) who participate weekly in the music of the Anglican choral tradition. The similarities and difference between the case studies (Salisbury and two subsequent followers) enabled a comparison and contrasting of different moments in the histories of three cathedrals. The research narrative seeks to provide a unique and important contribution to an ongoing debate about the virtues of such changes, not least by providing much detail and grounded evidence in contrast to the opinions of various individual stakeholders – which, although valuable, are not sufficient to explain the nature and impact of these changes over the past three decades. Currently, only 3 out of the 42 cathedrals continue to rely solely on an all-male choir. One impact of this doctoral research would be to enable any remaining cathedral that is considering the introduction of girl choristers to understand the likely nature of this process, the strengths as well as the challenges. The thesis also can provide a lens by which it is possible subsequently to examine in greater depth the gender politics of choirs, such as at the University of Oxford where Einarsdottir (2018) has recently completed an EU-funded small-scale study. The evidence presented in the thesis suggests that, through analyses of empirical data (derived from the literature reviews, fieldnotes, case studies and interviews), generally there has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the introduction of girl choristers. Furthermore, it appears not to have had any negative impact on the provision for boys, nor on the quality of the sacred music performance. Indeed, the innovation has been suggested to have led to benefits, in the sense that a slight reduction in the numbers of boy choristers' sung services each week has allowed additional time to be available for more in-depth rehearsal and the shaping of musical performance – more time to concentrate on the interpretation of the music and perform it with greater musicality, rather than just simply sight reading the music without fully understanding the importance of the text or appreciating the beauty of the music. With extra rehearsal time there is an opportunity to rehearse larger scale musical pieces which would have been limited in opportunity previously. 4 Claire E Stewart, November 2020 Impact Statement One impact in a vocal sense is that empirical and experimental studies have shown that boys' and girls' voices, particularly in a younger age range, can be shaped to ensure that the characteristic customary chorister sound of the Anglican cathedral choir (notwithstanding individual differences between cathedrals) can be perceived to be very similar if not identical much of the time. This evidence has been emerging for some time across various studies, and one value of the current thesis is to provide a richer understanding of the ways that the choral tradition has been sustained throughout this period and why there are such similarities between male and female choristers. The vocal training of both sexes is undertaken by the same small set of expert Directors of Music and their deputies in order to produce the desired sound that people associate with cathedral choral music, which is why it can be difficult to distinguish (should you want to) between boys' and girls' collective singing within the acoustic spaces of a cathedral. The thesis reports that, despite the initial controversy, there appears to be little if any negative impact of these changes – on the contrary, there are various pluses, including the induction of a whole new group of children and young people into the music that characterises the Anglican Tradition. Also, as the study's participant female choristers report, the personal impact of this initiative stretches well beyond their chorister years and accords with findings from other literature on the possible and actual benefits of collective music making on well-being through the lifespan. Claire E Stewart, November 2020 5 Contents Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 Impact Statement .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Contents ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................... 10 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................. 11 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ 12 List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 1: Introduction, context and methodology ................................................................................. 15 1.1 Introduction and context for the study............................................................................................ 15 1.2 Personal motivations for the study ................................................................................................... 18 1.3 Research questions for the study ...................................................................................................... 19 1.4 Methodology ........................................................................................................................................ 19 1.4.1 Research paradigm ....................................................................................................................... 19 1.4.2 Case studies ..................................................................................................................................
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