THE LIFEBLOOD OF A CHOIR

Actively seeking out new boys with singing potential has become a core function of the Australian Boys Choir. Progressing from three to then only two audition days per year, the Institute now conducts auditions on a weekly basis, from which it aims to draw potential singers from a deep pool. The goal is then to train those selected boys in various skills so that they may ultimately don the silver badge of a Senior Singer and are invited to join the Performing Squad.

The famous ABCI ‘school visit’ around Melbourne shares something of what it’s like to be in the Australian Boys Choir. But what does it take to make this happen? The first answer is always ‘a willing school’. What goes on is a question the ABCI is often asked, as many envisage potential future singers engaged in substantial song preparation. In fact, all the ABCI requires is a quiet room and a chair. No piano, no preparation. And our auditions are similar and possibly even more fun.

In these school visits, ABCI staff run some fun musical exercises around rhythm and the children’s ability to repeat musical intervals. At the end of the visit, each and every child is given a letter. For most participants (girls often do take part), the letter will state that the ABCI visited their school today, outlining the process. A selection of boys from school visits are specifically invited to audition however, based on what the facilitator has heard and seen them do. Herein lies the difference between the ‘thank you’ and ‘yes!’ letters, with the distinction generally also passing over the heads of any other adults in the room.

Do all boys who are invited to audition actually enrol? The short answer is no. We have numerous stories within the Institute of parents who dismissed a ‘yes’ letter as a marketing exercise only to then discover their child was the only boy issued such a letter in his class. Similarly, we have parents who phone us months later, as the letter sat fermenting in a schoolbag under a salami sandwich for the better part of the school year.

In an environment in which classroom music programs are disappearing from Victorian schools, parents are now often actively recommending the ABCI to their friends. Some boys enrol to sing with older cousins or other family members. Those who have experience of school choirs, can think a choir is just about fronting up and singing with often little idea that the ABCI offers a holistic training program. Any parent will tell you that the ABCI has helped their son considerably with almost every aspect of music. We also have a number of singers who have come to the Choir via a school visit without their parents having any idea how musically talented their boys were.

The pandemic has obviously altered the Audition Process at the ABCI considerably, with these now taking place via Zoom for sheer convenience. Even as schools re-opened earlier this year, there was an understandable nervousness about letting third parties onto campus, even for a few short sessions of musical fun.

We have, however, seen things return gradually to normal. If your son attends a school which would allow the ABCI to conduct a school visit, please let us know. Alternatively, if you know any boys who like to sing, please direct them to our Audition Page.

We find that the best choir boys are those who sing to themselves, while they work and play, and it is a genuine joy for them to come together and sing. The ABCI gives them the opportunity to do so, but it also gives all of the boys who pass through Choir House the opportunity to pursue music, regardless of the music literacy of their own homes. Often, those who join the Choir having ‘stumbled upon it’ through a recruitment drive, feel lucky that they did.