Interesting that there is a gaping gap in the psalm, even in 1974. Beautiful chanting and diction (also from the continuity lady; that sets the scene niceley). Thanks for uploading
Most cathedrals now also have a girls choir but that is relatively recent and the tradition until the introduction of girls was an all male choir of men and boys, the foundation of some which can be traced back to the 12/13th century. Before 1991, when Salisbury became the first cathedral to introduce a girls choir, all recordings (from the very first in 1902) were from choirs of boys and men.
Following on from this reply, the Church of England was of course in medieval times not only Roman Catholic but the church in general was strictly a preserve of males. This did not change with the rift from Rome in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. As pointed out there are many cathedral girls choirs now but the all male dominance is still preserved in such places as Westminster Abbey and King's College Cambridge. There is much discussion with the merits or otherwise of an all male choir but it is agreed by some that the absolute apex of such choirs is an all male set-up of trebles, counter-tenors, tenors, and basses. The elusive 'gelling' that can take place in this set-up is without equal, and for those participating, unforgettable. This unique experience cannot be achieved with 'mixed' voices, simply because the timbre of the female voice is different from the male voice, despite however much training a female voice may undergo to sound otherwise. The fantastic recordings posted by our host here are testament to this. The results sing for themselves.
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Interesting that there is a gaping gap in the psalm, even in 1974. Beautiful chanting and diction (also from the continuity lady; that sets the scene niceley). Thanks for uploading
You're welcome.
Absolutely beautiful. And such gorgeous voices. Psalm 69 was stunning. Question: Why are these choirs always strictly male?
Most cathedrals now also have a girls choir but that is relatively recent and the tradition until the introduction of girls was an all male choir of men and boys, the foundation of some which can be traced back to the 12/13th century. Before 1991, when Salisbury became the first cathedral to introduce a girls choir, all recordings (from the very first in 1902) were from choirs of boys and men.
Following on from this reply, the Church of England was of course in medieval times not only Roman Catholic but the church in general was strictly a preserve of males. This did not change with the rift from Rome in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. As pointed out there are many cathedral girls choirs now but the all male dominance is still preserved in such places as Westminster Abbey and King's College Cambridge. There is much discussion with the merits or otherwise of an all male choir but it is agreed by some that the absolute apex of such choirs is an all male set-up of trebles, counter-tenors, tenors, and basses. The elusive 'gelling' that can take place in this set-up is without equal, and for those participating, unforgettable. This unique experience cannot be achieved with 'mixed' voices, simply because the timbre of the female voice is different from the male voice, despite however much training a female voice may undergo to sound otherwise. The fantastic recordings posted by our host here are testament to this. The results sing for themselves.
Many female Religious Houses had female choirs prior to the Reformation.