BCM:  Adrian, I would like to thank you for agreeing not only to do this interview, but also for your steadfast encouragement over the past year and a half!  Whenever I see an email in the box from you I always open it with great enthusiasm because I know it will be full of encouragement and fire.  That really means a lot to us.  I also appreciate your kindness because this issue is very different than past issues and, as always, there is a certain risk at that kind of faith.

But onward to the first question!  Would you please tell us a little about yourself, where you are and how you are connected to the world of boy choirs?

AC:  I live in the county of Kent in SE England, near the town of Gravesend. I'm 61 years old, married with a grown-up son and daughter, and have lived in this area for the last 28 years.

I suppose the seed of my interest in boy choirs was sown about 30 years ago when I heard "My Way" sung by a boy from St Paul's Cathedral Choir (it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I discovered that it was Paul Phoenix, now with the King's Singers), but the interest lay more or less dormant until the mid 90s when Joanna Trollop's book "The Choir" was adapted for a television series starring Anthony Way, who as you know was also a chorister at St Paul's. Over the next few years I bought a few choral CDs, though not specifically boy choir music.

The real kick-start occurred back in 2004 when I was casually listening to the radio, I think it was Classic FM, and I was not taking a great deal of notice until they played Sanctus sung by Libera.  Like so many other people, I was quite literally stopped in my tracks by what I heard and subsequently went on a mission to discover more about them. I ended up buying all the then-current CDs by this amazing group, namely Angel Voices 1, 2 and 3, Free, Luminosa and Libera, and I have added to the collection as new CDs have been released.

Having become an ardent Libera fan, I then started to listen to more choral music and my collection and interest has slowly widened and grown with CDs from many UK cathedral choirs, and choirs like Riga Dom and JMMS from Latvia, Sølvguttene from Norway, as well as solo CDs by boys like Lorin Wey and Harry Sever.
 
In terms of live music I have had the good fortune to attend Libera concerts in 2005 and 2007 in the UK, and I have attended a number of Christmas and Easter services and concerts, as well as Evensong in several cathedrals and quite regularly at St Philip's, the home of Libera.

My only regret is that I didn't develop the interest in choral music decades ago.

BCM:  I think it would be very difficult indeed not to find Libera fans everywhere.  And we certainly appreciate your kind mention of us to Robert Prizeman on more than one occasion.  It must have been a positive contact because, for the information of our readers, we certainly have not been ignoring Libera!  Their publicist called us over a year ago and we actually had a days worth of interviews set up in London.  Unfortunately for everyone they had to change plans because of a newly booked Asian tour and we lost our slot.  But we are still hopeful that one day we will step on that Miami jet and head out for London and our long awaited interview.

Adrian, you mention your attendance of Evensong on a regular basis at St. Philips.  Can you tell us a lot more about that?

AC:  One of the things that has struck me most since I started attending services at St Philip's is that at a typical Evensong service the choir will often outnumber the congregation by about two to one, yet the choir continues to treat this handful of people to some first class music week after week, when it would be so easy just to say "why do we bother?"

My wife and I go mainly to Evensong, usually two or three times a month, but we also attend some morning Eucharist services as well as special services such as the evening of Good Friday, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in the run up to Christmas and Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.  I have yet to be disappointed by what I have heard.

Paying particular attention to Evensong, the choir is normally one of men and boys, though several of the men are actually boys whose voices have changed in recent years, but it is not unusual to just have the boys singing.  There are typically between 14 and 20 plus boys present at services, something I find quite amazing in a small parish church choir.  The boys range in age from about seven to 14 and there is a regular influx of new blood.  The members of Libera form the core of the treble line of the choir but there are always a few faces that have yet to perform with Libera.

The repertoire is very broad and draws from the music you can hear in any cathedral Evensong service, but we do get an occasional Libera song.  The standard of singing is just as good as any other choir though it always seems to have that distinctive sound associated with Libera.  These services are always a clear reminder that while Libera may use electronic effects at their concerts and on CDs, in their alta ego as a church choir they can hold their own with the best.

I said earlier that the choir usually out number the congregation by two to one so you can see that a typical congregation can be as few as 12 people.  The commitment from these boys - and of course Robert Prizeman - is total, turning up as they do virtually every Sunday throughout the year, usually for both services, plus the practice nights and recordings and concerts.  I honestly don’t know how they do it, not being a full time choir.

I don’t think the boys always realize quite what an impact they have on their audience as when singing as Libera. I was talking to the father of one of the younger boys after the recent carol service and this boy was listening in.  I mentioned to the lad that their music brings a great deal of pleasure to thousands of people around the world, to which his father added, “There you are!  That’s just what I have been telling you.”

BCM:  What is it about boy choirs that captures your interest with such intensity?

AC:    There is an indescribable beauty in the sound of a boy's voice, whether solo or as part of a choir, and the more I hear it the more I like it.  It is a unique sound that seems to impact all the senses.  It has such a purity and, dare I say it, innocence about it.

Although I particularly like the sound of a boy choir I also find the contrasting sounds produced by a choir of men and boys an experience too, and, if I am honest, I would have to say that I like both equally.

Given my inexperience, I have perhaps not been as discerning as I might have been in my purchases of CDs, but there are some choirs that I will buy without hesitation.  Apart from Libera, Tewkesbury Abbey is one that I have come to love.  I was quite simply awe struck by the “Light of the World” CD and, while I do not usually like to single out individual boys for praise, Andrew Swait was amazing on that CD, especially as he was only 10 years old at the time.  I was sorry at Andrew’s departure from the choir at the time the Abbey school closed. Tewkesbury Abbey’s latest release, “The Three King’s” really is Christmas music with a difference, and the way the recording engineers have captured the superb acoustics of the Abbey is quite something.  I think Ben Nicholas is another inspired director of music and I heartily recommend anyone who can to make a visit to Tewkesbury Abbey.

BCM:  How about others who may be interested in boy choirs?  Do you have any connections outside Kent?

AC:  I am a member of several choir and treble related Yahoo groups and I find them a valuable source of information.  I am very grateful to many members of these groups for their willingness to share their knowledge, too.
 
One of the great things about these groups is the number of people with whom I have made friends through a shared interest in the genre, and especially through the music of Libera.  I have had the good fortune to meet some of these people in person, but even those I have not yet met I count as good friends.  It is amazing how people get drawn into the genre - and Libera must bear their share of responsibility for so many people gaining the interest who would not otherwise have given boy choirs or choral music in general a second thought.

BCM:  I just wish to reiterate to you, Adrian, how much we appreciate your support over the past year and a half.  Your encouragement is no small thing to us!

AC:  Boy Choir Magazine is something I just have to read.  I like to learn about different choirs and their history.  I particularly like the interviews with directors, boys and their parents.  I am deeply moved by the commitment of all these people, but especially the boys who I know put in many, many hours of hard work.  I find the different perspectives quite enlightening.  I am also amused by how some boys struggle when choosing between their choir and playing a sport!  It shows that they are just human, after all.

The standard of production of Boy Choir Magazine is also something to behold and I am sure if it were to appear as a magazine on store shelves it would attract a lot of attention.

BCM:  Adrian, I hate to drag all this up, but I just have to.  When I think of the United Kingdom, I get this odd-double image.  I always first think of Adrian Chapman and Gabriel Jackson – the open, communicative, respectful, kind aficionados of boy choirs.  And then I reflect on my other UK experiences which have been frustrating, to say the least. At Boy Choir Magazine we consider the Anglican tradition of choral music to be very important in the story we tell.  But we have been rebuffed at nearly every turn.  We rarely even get a response to our emails of inquiry, and when we do it is typically “not interested”.  In truth, Gabriel has tried patiently to explain all of this to me and I have received and understand his explanation.  But it is so frustrating to be wanting, waiting and enthusiastically willing to tell the Anglican choir story with an emphasis on the boy chorister component but to be met time and again by a solid wall of indifference.  What is your take on all this?

AC:  First of all thank-you for your kind comments, and to be mentioned in the same sentence as Gabriel Jackson has boosted my ego no end!  I only know Gabriel through his music and his valuable contributions to Voices of Angels Yahoo group and elsewhere.

You are right that the discussion of boy choirs would be incomplete without a great deal of input from the UK with its tradition of boys and men singing in churches and cathedrals going back more than 1000 years.  My feeling, and it is nothing more, is that the silence you get in response to your enquiries has as much to do with the fact that these choirs are not usually just boy choirs, and their raison d'etre is to participate in the act of worship and definitely not to entertain - something anyone attending a service at any church or cathedral must bear in mind.  The fact that they record CDs and go on tours does not - and must not - detract from their prime purpose

I am no expert on religion but the Anglican Church is a very conservative institution and I don’t think many members of the church fully understand the interest in the music per se.  I also suspect they do not understand what Boy Choir Magazine is all about, especially as it is published in the USA.

BCM:  No matter what, you and Gabriel Jackson have been our true heroes!  And now, if I can somehow gracefully slide out of this whine, we have indeed had some awesome interviews with Truro and Tewkesbury – so all has not been lost!  I am just seeking a way to engage your countrymen and tell their story so that we can all be richer!  If you have any hints – let me know what and how to do it!

AC:  The only advice I have is not to give up!

BCM:  If you look about at the differences between the UK boy choir experience and the US experience, what strikes you as some of the more interesting aspects between the two nations?

AC:  I think the thing that strikes me most is that in the UK we do not seem to have many boy choirs in the sense that you have them in the USA.  Most singing boys are members of church or cathedral choirs, and I can only think of one non-church boy choir reasonably local to me, namely the Bromley Boy Singers, and I have yet to attend one of their fairly infrequent concerts.  I am sure there are others so maybe I need to do a little more research, but I don’t think they are as prolific as in the USA.  I’d be pleased to be told I am wrong about this!

A consequence is that most music sung by our choirs tends, obviously, to be religious whereas your choirs seem to sing from a much greater repertoire; though when our choirs are allowed, they can sing some impressive music.  I think it is a good thing when they are allowed to break out from their traditional repertoire, although some of the purists may not like it.

BCM:  The theme of this issue is the boy choir from the boy’s perspective.  I realize that as adult men it is difficult to have that view – even though we have valiantly attempted it in this issue.  But what do you think makes the experience so powerful to you as a man as you partake of what the boys are accomplishing for your delight?  There is this powerful interface that affects both of us and I would ask you if you can get a handle on that process and explain it from your point of view.

AC:  Well, obviously it is the unique sound of a boy’s voice that is the first attraction. There is also the very fleeting nature of a boy’s treble voice so it is something to be savoured while it is there.  For me there is also a very strong emotional element.  I can easily be moved by the sound of the music, but I am also moved when I see and hear such young children working so hard at what they do - more so when most of the time all you hear around you are comments about how awful kids are today.  I know these boys aren’t angels, and I would be unhappy if they were.  Boys are meant to be unruly - even riotous - but when the time comes for discipline, these youngsters show us just what they are capable of and we should be proud of them.

Although I am not a religious person, I do so enjoy much of the music sung in our churches and cathedrals…but I am always willing to listen to something new.

BCM:  Adrian, allow me as the editor of Boy Choir Magazine to thank you once again for your kindness, support and faithfulness.  What would you like to see from us in 2008?

AC:  I knew there would be a difficult question somewhere!  I think, just carry on as you are.  The content and format of the magazine are second to none.  If you can get more input from the UK, that can only be a good thing; but even without that I am sure I will always find the magazine a good read.