Men and Boys’ Choir Tours the U.K.
The Crescent Men and Boys’ Choir embarked on its 2023 U.K. tour in November, performing in Edinburgh, York, Cambridge, and London. The 55 students and three staff choir members were joined by former faculty Michael Jansen and Michael Sproule; alumni Michael Cheng ’22 and Larry Hui ’22; and Anne Fraser, a former Crescent music teacher, who provided the piano accompaniment. Including family members and staff chaperones, the group totalled 117, which was a massive logistical undertaking. “It really represented a huge and meaningful community effort,” says Choir Director Dr. Sandra Boyes.
The tour began at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh on Remembrance Day, where they drew a large crowd of people who stopped to enjoy the full performance. “It was at this performance that the boys really galvanized and understood the impact of their voices on others,” says Boyes. They then travelled to York where they performed at the St. Lawrence Parish Church where the acoustics were exceptional and the choir was able to perfect their sound.
The third performance took place at All Souls Langham Church in London. The men and boys performed “The Lord is My Shepherd,” “Northwest Passage” and “Abide with Me.” With their voices honed and well-rehearsed, Dr. Boyes took advantage of the opportunity to have the performance professionally filmed. After a tour of Eton College the choir did a fourth performance at Windsor Parish Church.
“In a choir, regardless of your age, your contribution is equal,” says Boyes, explaining the beauty of this collaboration. It was so collaborative, in fact, that Boyes enlisted some of the fathers and brothers who had come along as chaperones to join the choir for their finale, “Band of Brothers.” “We had these incredible male role models performing alongside them,” says Boyes. “They were quite emotional by their last performance because they knew that would be the last time they’d sing together.”
