Boys' choir

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In a boys 'choir or the boys' choir , in contrast to a mixed choir for children and young people, the soprano and alto voices are sung by boys ("boys").

history

The roots of today's boys' choirs lie in carolers and chapels (see a cappella ) of the early and high Middle Ages . Boys and castrated men were used particularly in churches , where female singing was forbidden until the 19th century . The boys' choirs that exist today are traditionally associated with church music .

The exclusive use of boys before the voice change and its prevention by removing the testicles can only be justified historically, as the voices of equally trained boys and girls differ only little - in terms of timbre. On the other hand, the differences between adult male and female soprano to alto voices compared to children's voices are clear.

The final ban on castration in 1903 , pronounced by Pope Pius X. , did not oust the boys 'choirs, although “mixed” children's and girls' choirs also emerged. In the 20th century, especially in the post-war period, many boys' choirs were newly founded.

Boys choirs today

The Wilten Boys' Choir in the Rochuskirche Vienna
Tölzer Boys Choir

The most famous boys' choirs in German-speaking countries are the traditional church choirs:

There are also some new foundations from the 20th century:

Most boys' choirs have full voices ( SATB ). An exception are the Vienna Boys' Choir , which only have soprano and alto voices. Many singers stay in the choir after changing their voices and sing in a male voice. If necessary, singers from outside the choir are also required for the male voices.

In addition to traditional liturgical tasks in church services , concerts are one of the main tasks of these choirs.

According to the age of the singers of no more than 14 years, the artistic design options must be taken into account.

Due to problems with young talent, it is sometimes necessary to add girls to the soprano and alto voices. B. for the St. Thomas Choir.

Works for boys' choir

  • Gustav Mahler : The plaintive song for solos, boys' choir, mixed choir, large orchestra and long-distance orchestra (1878–1880).
  • Richard Wetz : Gesang des Lebens for boys' choir and orchestra op.29 (1908)
  • Benjamin Britten : A Boy was Born , Variations for mixed choir and boys' choir op.3 (1933)
  • Benjamin Britten: Missa brevis in D major for boys' choir and organ op.63 (1959)
  • Benjamin Britten: The Golden Vanity , text by Colin Graham, for boys' choir and piano op.78 (1966)

literature

Web links

Wiktionary: Knabenchor  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ann-Christine Mecke: Why girls don't sing in boys' choirs. Contribution to the conference on gender competitions: men-men, men-women, women-women. February 2 to 4, 2006, TU Dortmund University (PDF; 266 kB).
  2. ↑ cf. Apostolic Exhortation Tra le sollecitudini , November 22, 1903: Paragraph V. Cantori, no.13 .
  3. ↑ portrait. Website of the singing boys of the St. Ursus Cathedral Solothurn, accessed July 20, 2019.
  4. ^ History. Website of the Rottweiler Minster Choir, accessed July 20, 2019.
  5. ↑ Expert: Boys choirs will need girls' voices in the future. Hamburger Morgenpost, February 25, 2002.
  6. ↑ Girls sing, boys sound. MDR Figaro-Café, June 17, 2012 ( Memento from April 12, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ).