King's College, Cambridge

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Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, BC

Choristers Kellan King's College Cambridge

A Weekend with King's College, Cambridge

Director of Music Donald Hunt invites you to dream big on music education

Last weekend was one for the ages: the visit from the world-famous Choir of King’s College, Cambridge was sensational, inspirational, and I believe it has the power to be transformative. This group of impressive young people sang concerts with the Victoria Symphony and with the Choirs of Christ Church Cathedral on the back of a fulsome Easter season back home – a schedule which included a performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion and a BBC radio broadcast service on Easter Day.

As I reflect on the weekend and my conversations with their director, Daniel Hyde, the subject of music education emerges as a theme. Let’s face it: music education in Victoria is in trouble – not for lack of skilled and hardworking teachers, the parents who understand and care, or students who thrive in the joyful and disciplined environment that music-making fosters – music education is in trouble because of the steady whittling away of financial resources in the public education system.

Cutting money from music programs in SD61’s schools seems to be a depressing annual pageant. And even when students and private donors come forward to keep things going for another year, we all know that this issue comes up every year because music education is simply not valued in the way it should be.

So, what is the solution? For inspiration, let’s look at the ecosystem where an ensemble like the Choir of King’s College can flourish, training 8- to 13-year-old youngsters to sing with understanding and delight. It’s no surprise that the UK is where some of the world’s best choirs and musicians are trained and educated, despite their own troubling pattern of steady cuts in government funding.

However, despite these cuts, UK music educators continue to push for better access to music for all children. Increasingly, cathedrals – the keepers of a centuries-old choral tradition – have been stepping up to fill the gap left by government cuts. Some of England’s 42 cathedrals have recently joined the National Schools Singing Programme, a privately funded initiative that sends choral specialists into public schools. As the preceding link explains, “[These] cathedrals have been chosen for their diversity and their capacity to reach some of the most music-deprived areas of the country. Their inclusion...means that the National Schools Singing Programme is expected to reach around 20,000 children in more than 200 state schools every week.” Under a new generation of leaders, our tradition is neither elite nor ossified. Quite the opposite: It is reaching more people, and it is under constant renewal.

St Paul’s Cathedral (where our own choir will be singing services this summer) is also responding to a growing need for music education in public schools. Their Choral Partnerships Programme, led by William Bruce, now reaches over 30 schools. The purpose of St Paul’s Cathedral Choral Partnerships Program is simple, says Bruce: “to provide high quality music education.”

Learn more about St Paul's Choral Partnerships Programme in this video:

Here at Christ Church Cathedral, we continue to focus on choral music education and outreach, taking on projects to build up our relationship with local school choirs. I reviewed some of these about a year ago in this piece. But there’s still lots of work to be done. Could the cathedral be a partner in launching a transformative expansion of choral and music education in Victoria? Such an initiative could enrich young lives, strengthen community connections, and preserve a centuries-old musical tradition for a new generation.

I invite you to dream with me. The Cathedral’s reputation for excellence in music education makes it an ideal place to ignite passion for music and performance where young people can soar higher than they ever thought imaginable with instructors and musicians of distinction.

We are still in the early stages of achieving this vision, but I can feel a buzz in the air after last weekend’s exhilarating performances by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. I believe that the enduring legacy of their visit could be a bold next step for the future of music education in Victoria. Join me in making that vision a reality.

If any of this resonates with you, I encourage you to get in touch and keep the conversation going.

Sincerely,

Donald Hunt

Director of Music

dhunt@christchurchcathedral.bc.ca

Emily Carr String Quartet Season Finale this Friday

Over their 20 seasons together, the Emily Carr String Quartet has brought a new lens to the art and writings of their namesake Emily Carr with creative programming and commisions, and virtuosic performances of much of the great quartets in the musical canon.

To wrap up the season, the Quartet will perform their program Letters from the Rainforest this Friday, April 24 at 5.00 p.m. giving voice to Emily Carr's wondrous landscapes with music by Shostakovich (String Quartet No. 4), Piazzola (Four, for Tango), and Janáček (Intimate Letters).

Emily Carr String Quartet

Letters from the Rainforest

Friday April 24, 5.00 p.m.

Shostakovich String Quratet No. 4

Piazzola Four, for tango

Janáček Intimate Letters

Get Tickets

Another Successful Choir Work Day

Last weekend saw 47 workers comprising Cathedral singers and their families completing odd jobs at your houses all across the city. We had workers washing widows, clearing brush, doing dump runs, polishing silver, cleaning out garages, gardening and more! The proceeds from this fundraiser, totalling more than $3000, will help provide equity of access for the upcoming choir tour to the UK. Apart from the funds raised, this is always a fun, rewarding day which lets our singers build connections while helping our community. Look forward to this October, where we plan to expand the Work Day model beyond the choirs and into the wider Cathedral community.