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| Children of Paul's | |
|---|---|
| Name | Children of Paul's |
| Caption | Choir at St Paul's Cathedral, c. 17th century |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genre | Anglican choral music, Renaissance, Baroque |
| Years active | c. 12th century–20th century (historic continuity) |
| Associated acts | St Paul's Cathedral, Choir of St Paul's Cathedral, Royal Chapel, King's College Choir |
Children of Paul's were the choirboys and choristers attached to St Paul's Cathedral in London, serving liturgical, educational, and theatrical roles from the medieval period through the modern era. Their activity intersected with major figures and institutions of English religious, musical, and theatrical life, including Thomas Tallis, Orlando Gibbons, William Byrd, Christopher Wren, Samuel Pepys, and the Royal Court. The ensemble contributed to cathedral liturgy, state ceremonies, and public performances, influencing the development of Anglican choral tradition and English secular theatre.
The origins trace to medieval cathedral schools linked to St Paul's Cathedral and the Diocese of London, where boy choristers sang for daily offices and masses alongside chantry priests and secular clerks. During the Tudor period the choir's fortunes rose and fell with religious changes under Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I; reforms and recusant controversies involved composers such as William Byrd and Thomas Tallis who served the wider court and cathedral circles. The Stuart era saw the choir tied to court ceremonial under James I and Charles I and disrupted by the English Civil War and the Commonwealth of England, when cathedral choirs faced suppression and many choristers were displaced. Restoration under Charles II restored choral foundations; rebuilding after the Great Fire of London and the architectural interventions of Christopher Wren reshaped cathedral life. Chroniclers like Samuel Pepys and antiquarians such as John Aubrey record performances, while 18th- and 19th-century reforms paralleled broader changes associated with figures like Benjamin Cooke and Samuel Sebastian Wesley.
Administration historically fell under the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral, with musical direction by the Organist and Master of the Choristers and oversight by Chapter Clerks and Precentors. Choristers were typically educated in the cathedral school, receiving instruction in plainsong, polyphony, and keyboard from masters linked to institutions such as Westminster School and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Membership included boy trebles, alto boys, lay clerks, vicars choral, and probationary scholars; recruitment drew from London parishes, parish charities like the City of London Corporation, and patrons including the Royal Court and livery companies such as the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. Careers often led choristers to apprenticeships, cathedral posts, or roles at institutions like King's College, Cambridge and Christ Church, Oxford. Discipline, boarding, and liturgical duties reflected practices paralleled at Windsor Castle and the Chapel Royal.
The repertoire combined Gregorian chant for the Divine Office, polyphonic motets by Orlando Gibbons and Thomas Tallis, anthems by Henry Purcell, and service music by William Boyce and Samuel Wesley. Choristers performed at state occasions such as coronations, funerals, and civic processions connected to Guildhall ceremonies and royal entries into London; repertoire overlapped with works presented at Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal. The choir also participated in theatrical entertainments and civic masques alongside dramatists and composers linked to Inigo Jones, Ben Jonson, and Henry Purcell's theatrical music. Manuscripts and partbooks preserved at repositories like the British Library and Royal College of Music document Tudor and Restoration repertory, while 18th-century prints show transitions toward oratorio performance at venues such as the King's Theatre and Drury Lane Theatre.
Prominent composers, directors, and patrons associated with the boys include Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, Henry Purcell, John Blow, Samuel Pepys, Christopher Wren, Benjamin Cooke, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, and William Croft. Organists and masters such as Maurice Greene, John Blow, and Charles Villiers Stanford influenced training and repertoire. Choristers who later distinguished themselves include alumni who progressed to posts at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster Abbey, King's College Choir, and academic positions at University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. Patrons and civic supporters included members of the Royal Society, the City of London Corporation, and livery companies such as the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
The institutional model shaped Anglican choral practice, informing the liturgical music of cathedrals such as Westminster Abbey, Durham Cathedral, and Canterbury Cathedral and educational models at schools like Eton College and Harrow School. Repercussions extended into English secular music and theatre via ties to Purcell and the court masque tradition, affecting the evolution of the English anthem and service. Archival holdings at the British Library, Guildhall Library, and cathedral archives preserve manuscripts, partbooks, and administrative records useful to scholars of Renaissance music, Baroque music, and English church music. Modern cathedral choirs that trace lineage to the historic institution continue practices of choral training, liturgical performance, and civic ceremony, while biographies and studies by historians such as Sir John Hawkins and musicologists in the Royal Musical Association examine their role in English cultural history.
Category:English choirs Category:St Paul's Cathedral