A Chorister’s Christmas
It can be hard work
being a chorister! I and my brother Freddie are both choristers. The Lincoln Cathedral
Choir consists of roughly 20 boys, 20 girls and 10 men (lay vicars).
The boys and girls
rarely sing together except for special occasions, and of course one of these is
Christmas. The run up to Christmas for choristers is very busy. In addition to normal
services we have several concerts to perform. Our first carol service is actually at the
end of November on Advent Sunday and between then and Christmas day there is a lot of
singing to fit in! The concerts include several carol services, Carols by Candlelight and
Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols.
When school breaks
up the choristers have to wait for their holiday - we still have another week of music to
rehearse and perform. Of course it's not just the girls and boys, as the lay vicars also
rehearse with us. Some of the boarders don't get to go home until the end of Christmas
Day, although we are lucky living near the Cathedral.
The days are
counting down and there's a general feeling of excitement and expectation. The day
is just around the corner, the Christmas Eve Carol; Service is always great fun with the
Cathedral full and everyone is a happy mood. Whoever is going to sing the first verse of
Once in Royal will be looking nervous, but the service is suddenly over, the great West
Doors are opened and we line up shaking the hands of the congregation as they leave, which
I really enjoy.
On Christmas
morning, Freddie and I imagine most choristers will probably get the chance to open a
stocking before a hurried breakfast - green jelly and cream for us on Christmas Day!
Most children are probably still asleep in bed when we get up. We have an hour's
rehearsal with our choirmasters - Mr Harrison, who will play the organ, and Mr Prentice,
who will be conducting. We all get changed into our robes: probationers wear the blue
cassock, Burghersh Chanters a cassock with a white surplice and the Girl Choristers wear
an alb with a blue scapular. The Choristers wear a cope over their cassocks, which is like
a cloak. The copes are very good for keeping warm during the winter!
After the 9.30
Eucharist with the Bishop, the girls will be free to go home and we boys go off for tea,
coffee and biscuits in the Chapter House, then it's back to Mattins. Everybody then goes
home for a small lunch. Some people have Christmas lunch in the school. We will have lunch
at home, maybe with another chorister family. A chance for parents to have a Christmas
drink and a chance for a little present opening!
At 2.30 it's back
to the Cathedral for Evensong rehearsal - our last Mag & Nunc of the year. After
Evensong, around 5 o'clock, we rush back home to presents and a turkey dinner and look
forward to a good lie-in on Boxing Day. A Chorister's Christmas really is a busy time but
there's a great team spirit, we do have fun along the way and it's worth it!
(William Wright)
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