Choose the right time of day, and a frosty walk around a city’s cathedral quarter or through an ancient university cloister this weekend might well be accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack: an angelic chorus of harmonious voices, borne on the wind.
It is one of the bonuses of a 800-year-old choral tradition, a skill at which Britain has always seemed to excel. But now the choirs at America’s top ivy-league colleges are poised to beat our best efforts, or so fears the renowned choral expert who leads elite choirs on both sides of the Atlantic.
“The excellent choral tradition in Oxbridge is threatened, whereas Yale is thriving,” said David Hill, who has spoken out this weekend about a failing supply of talent for Britain’s top cathedral and independent choirs. “This fantastic tradition is on the cusp of losing its pre-eminence – let’s hope we are not sleepwalking into the history books.”
Hill, the Bach Choir’s director of music for a quarter of a century, claims that the impact of under-investment in music and singing at Britain’s state primary schools has been exacerbated by a new push for wider access at leading universities. Both pressures have reduced the flow of quality voices.
“Due to continuous downgrading of arts education and funding, we are seeing a slow-motion decline,” said Hill, who also conducted Yale’s Schola Cantorum for more than a decade.
It is, he believes, the unintended result of “positive discrimination against public schools at Oxbridge, where the choral tradition is strongest” and means that many singing students are “being discouraged to apply”.
Some Oxford and Cambridge choirs are now known to be supplemented by professional singers due to a lack of trained student singers.
Speaking ahead of Bach Choir’s carol concert at Cadogan Hall, central London, on Tuesday, Hill argues that standards are suffering because the custom of choral singing is linked to a privileged education. “For many political reasons, the UK now appears to be embarrassed by the success of the private education sector, which is therefore sidelined.”
Hill points out that each Christmas Eve the public enjoys hearing the BBC’s broadcast of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge – “the sound of Christmas itself”. The choral service opens with a solo treble chorister singing the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City.
“Across the country, young singers are being given extraordinary musical training in cathedral choirs and choir schools,” said Hill, arguing that the tradition should be preserved, not downgraded. “With many founded in the 11th and 12th centuries, these schools are something of a national treasure.”
Music has often been a good way for children to access a quality education, he claims, citing the example of the leading bass baritone Roderick Williams, but also non-musicians who have benefited from being choral scholars – public figures such as MP David Lammy, former Channel 4 presenter Jon Snow, actor Sir Simon Russell Beale and former England cricket captain Alastair Cook.
“Through my work at Yale School of Music, it is striking how our American colleagues are seeking the best from wherever they can find them,” Hill said. In contrast, he fears choirs at Oxford and Cambridge are “losing pre-eminence”.
“Universities on both sides of the pond are seeking similar equality of access, and Yale is no different,” Hill says. “The importance of inclusion is crucial, and students are encouraged to apply from all backgrounds. Yale’s wealth is such that it can assist students to whatever level is required – indeed, many are on 100% scholarships. Furthermore, Yale does not set ‘absolute’ standards for entry.”
Cambridge, Hill claims, has “exchanged” this flexibility “for uncompromising examination results”.
“At the local primary school I attended, we were proud of our school orchestra, and I was taught by the head of music to play hymns in daily assembly. Music was a highly-valued part of the school’s daily life,” concludes Hill. “The choral world in the UK is a very active community: with more than 2 million people singing in 40,000 groups, one is certainly not short of choirs to join. But how long will it continue?”
