Westminster Cathedral Choir: Ubi Est?

With the news yesterday, still officially unconfirmed, that Westminster Cathedral may have chosen its new Master of Music at long last, it is an opportune moment to take stock of matters as they stand.

The sobering reality, for the time being, is that:

(a) Westminster Cathedral Choir in fact does not exist at the present time - it is indefinitely suspended; 

(b) because of (a), but in my opinion, also independently, Westminster Cathedral Choir is no longer the world's finest Catholic choir of boy trebles. 

As to (a):

The fact is that Westminster Cathedral Choir has not sung in its full form for many months. During the first lockdown, it is understood that the trebles did not sing together at all, period (at least not under the guidance of the Assistant Master of Music). This is to be contrasted with comparable choirs across Britain, which managed some form of online rehearsals.  

The full choir returned fleetingly at the latter part of 2020, and has since gone back into hibernation. 

Once again, this is to be starkly contrasted with other comparable British cathedral and collegiate choirs, many which have brought back some form of their "full choir" - usually the full complement of trebles, and a reduced back row. This is permitted under current Government regulations. Some sing without a congregation present, for the time being, which is likely not an option for Westminster Cathedral Choir. However it must be stressed that singing with a congregation present is not outlawed, and current guidance that choirs singing with a congregation present should be "small" is just that - guidance. And of course it is up to the venue/organisation to determine what is safe after having carried out a risk assessment. The Westminster Cathedral apse has plenty of space for the whole cohort of trebles to sing, and for the back row to be socially distanced (especially as it is likely to be in reduced form anyway). Their singing location is situated as far from the congregation as it could possibly be - much further than in almost all other cathedrals / churches in the country.  

Yet it is understood that the Westminster Cathedral Choir trebles are not likely to resume any form of public performance until September 2021.  

The folly of this position is self-evident. Currently, infection rates are at some of the lowest they have ever been, and the country is opening up. That will continue into the warmer months. If ever there was a time to resume with the "full" choir, now is it! There is a strong likelihood of future lockdowns, despite claims that the national lockdown recently concluded was "definitely" the last. Infection rates are known to increase in the cooler months (starting around September) and the Government is known to order lockdowns when infections increase. Thus, the Cathedral / School's current strategy will likely see the trebles sing for a few weeks in September / October, before going into another long hibernation.  

Either way, it will mean that, come September 2021, the trebles will have sung together for only about two months in the 18 month period starting in March 2020. Further lockdowns could mean that they may be lucky to have sung for 4 months in 24. This is plainly disastrous for an ensemble whose professionalism and cohesion relies on singing together, live, and in public. Any strategy that prevents the trebles singing together in this way, despite being allowed under current regulations, is an act of tremendous self-harm to a choir already reeling from the tumultuous period after March 2019 when the School and Diocese attempted drastically (and ultimately unsuccessfully) to cut back the choir's singing schedule.  

UPDATE (4 May 2021): There are other major problems with setting a hard date of September 2021 for the full choir to resume (if that is what is currently planned). 

It assumes the new Master of Music will be prepared for the trebles to start public performance straight away. This is highly unlikely (for practical and reputational reasons), and there is therefore the real possibility that they will spend a few weeks warming up the boys before any appearance at Mass. That potentially pushes the timetable to October 2021, or in other words when restrictions are likely to be phased back in.  

It also fails entirely to take into account that the guidance (on choirs singing as part of religious worship) will likely change in the coming weeks. Amateur choirs will be allowed to convene indoors (without set restrictions on numbers) from mid-May. It is therefore highly unlikely that religious choirs, especially professional ones, will continued to be asked (not told - see above) to remain "small" without any regard to context (i.e. size of house of worship, ability to socially distance, ventilation, etc etc etc).  

As to (b):

In my considered opinion, Westminster Cathedral Choir has fallen from its long-held position as the top Catholic choir of boy trebles. How far it has fallen is not yet entirely clear.  

The objective reason why this is the case is simple: per above, Westminster Cathedral Choir simply does not exist at this present moment in time. It is de facto suspended, in abeyance, in hibernation, even disbanded. I say disbanded, because as explained above, it appears that the Cathedral / School authorities have decided that, despite the regulations, the Choir should not assemble and perform.  

A choir that does not exist cannot be regarded as the best in the world.  

More subjectively, I was personally present at several Sunday Masses during the latter part of 2020, in the small window when the Westminster Cathedral Choir resumed in its "full" form. To my ear, it was abundantly clear that standards had fallen remarkably.  

Equally, I have been able to compare what I heard in the latter part of 2020 to the sound currently being produced by the London Oratory Schola Cantorum, which resumed in its full form at the Saturday Vigil Mass on 24 April 2021. Despite an enforced hibernation of over four months, they sounded crisp, precise, well rehearsed, confident and spirited - they clearly were desperate to sing again at Mass.  

The sound the trebles are producing is extraordinarily distinctive and with a perfect balance of full bodied, natural delivery and subtle refinement.  They sang Palestrina as if they were reading a book, and the Alleluia chant verse was exquisitely rendered. Add to this the fact that Hyperion has engaged them for recording projects (after the Westminster Cathedral Choir parted ways with Hyperion after a decades-long relationship, which some attribute to the Choir School not making the trebles available for the scheduled recording week).  

Therefore, it is my view that Westminster Cathedral Choir continues on its downward trajectory, while the London Oratory Schola Cantorum continues in the other direction. Their trajectories have crossed. This means that I am happy to declare that as things currently stand, the London Oratory Schola Cantorum, on its own merits (and separately because it is functioning and and Westminster Cathedral Choir is not), is now the premier Catholic choir of boy trebles. Indeed, such is its quality at present, Westminster Cathedral Choir will have one almighty challenge to reclaim its place at the top. 

Whether the incoming Master of Music accepts this challenge, and if so, is capable of meeting it, remains to be seen.