Boston, Mass., Sep 27, 2017 / 05:03 am
Boys' choirs have been a tradition in the Catholic Church since the Middle Ages, when men and women did not sing together in public, and boys' higher-pitched voices were needed to round out the sound of sacred music used at Mass.
Today, the United States is home to just one Catholic boys' choir school – St. Paul's choir school in Cambridge, Mass. The school is open to boys in 4th-8th grade, who must audition to earn a spot in the renowned and rigorous program.
Having celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2013, and having produced their first CD, "Christmas in Harvard Square" in 2014, the school has enjoyed a recent uptick in interest and awareness of both their program and music.
Given the success of their first CD, the group decided to produce another CD entitled "Ave Maria," with a wide variety of sacred music centered on the theme of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was released on Sept. 8, the feast of the Nativity of Mary.