Boys' Choir - Contemporary Developments

Contemporary Developments

Various factors contributed to a subsequent decline of boys' choirs. A general societal tendency away from choral singing was certainly a contributing factor. More specifically, gender inclucivism has led to certain reservations about "males only" choirs— as have instances of sexual misconduct in some choirs and choir schools. Moreover, since the age of onset of puberty has sunk, boys' choirs can no longer expect to retain a majority of their singers through the age of 16 or 17—as was the case when Bach wrote complex cantatas for the male treble. Boys' voices now break, on average, by the age of 13.5, leading to higher choir turnover rates and limiting the complexity of a choir's musical repertoire. This (early) loss of the singer's treble voice has proven frustrating for successful boy singers and contributes to negative perceptions of the boys' choir experience, for example as popularized by the 1960s Disney film Almost Angels.

Nonetheless, boys' choirs still offer boys and their families with an active point of entrance into music and vocal training. They can also help to foster discipline, high standards and cultural awareness, as well as providing strong peer groups oriented around children who identify themselves with a choir's cultural and ethical values. A greater awareness of the value of gender-specific youth work may also support the positive contributions of boys choirs.

Many contemporary choirs have also developed proactive strategies to safeguard the well-being of young singers, ensuring transparent public relations and background checks, encouraging parental involvement (and oversight) and avoiding situations that could allow for abuse. Likewise, many choirs also provide choir alumni with extensive opportunities - often coupled with continued vocal coaching - to support their vocal transition to tenors and basses and to stimulate their continued artistic development.