Disability and child choristers: a qualitative study of experiences of disability in Anglican Cathedral Choirs

Supervised by: Professor Bennett Zon (Department of Music), and Professor Pete Ward (Department of Religion and Theology), Durham University

Project Background

Cathedral choirs, and their child choristers, are “central to Christian worship”[1] in Britain, representing a unique intersection of religion, culture, and arts. Experiences of disability in this context remain underexplored, despite providing a window into life as a disabled child today, and therefore showing inclusion in society currently works while prioritising disabled children’s voices and lived experiences. Understanding the challenges disabled choristers face, as well as the ways we could adapt to accommodate them, is crucial to fostering inclusivity and resolving the “long-term sustainability crisis”1 facing cathedral choirs. This leads to my central question: How do disabled choristers experience participation in Anglican Cathedral Choirs?

Literature acknowledges significant developmental and musical benefits of participation in Cathedral Choirs[2] [3]. However, a gap in understanding around the experiences of disabled child choristers has been acknowledged[4]. Research around disability in educational settings, including music education, show clear benefits for disabled children and their peers[5], as well as suggesting adaptions which can be made to support children in these settings[6]. Most of this has focussed on community ensembles, leaving the elite environments of cathedral choirs[7] underexplored. Furthermore, much of this research has been done by non-disabled researchers, which has led to many in the disabled community feeling unrepresented by work done about them[8] This research aims to begin to fill this gap, exploring the intersection of disability and choristership in Anglican Cathedral choirs, utilising my own experiences as a disabled choral scholar to ensure I am accurately and sensitively advocating for my community.

Research Objectives

To understand the experiences of disabled child choristers through qualitative study of disabled children, their parents, and choir directors, discovering barriers as well as strengths and accommodations they have developed.

Through these, I hope to foster inclusivity within Anglican Cathedral choirs. Furthermore, this research will contribute to ethnomusicology, music education, theology, and disability studies, creating a basis for further research.

Research Questions

What barriers are faced by disabled child choristers to participation in Anglican Cathedral choirs?

What strengths do these choristers have in the context of cathedral choirs? Are these strengths related to creative adaption to overcome barriers?

What specific adaptions are being made for disabled choristers in the cathedral choir environment, including to rehearsals, practice, and musical/physical environment?

Methodology

This research will draw on theoretical resources including the social model of disability[9], inclusive education theories[6] , and theories of identity formation[10], employing a quantitative approach of phenomenology[11] and seeking to understand the lived experiences of disabled child choristers.

The data will be gathered from interviews with disabled choristers and questionnaires for parents and choir directors. Collaboration with Anglican Cathedral choirs will allow participant selection for diverse disability types. Semi-structured interviews will capture lived experiences of the choristers, exploring barriers, strengths and adaptions in a way that sensitively prioritises their voices, while structured questionnaires will provide insight into parents’ and directors’ perspectives, and inclusivity practices. Thematic analysis of the data will provide a comprehensive understanding of their experiences. Ethical concerns such as informed consent, participant confidentiality and privacy will be prioritised.

Some foreseen limitations include participant reluctance to share sensitive experiences, which may impact the depth of findings. Furthermore, small sample size may reduce generalizability. Reliance on self-report data may introduce response biases. Despite these limitations, this research will still provide valuable insights into these choristers’ experiences.

Significance

Through the experiences of disabled choristers, this research offers a lens into disabled childhood and the current state of societal inclusion. It will highlight successes as well as feedback for systemic change within cathedral choirs and the wider arts, fostering a conversation around inclusivity. Most fundamentally, the research will show disabled children that they are not alone, encouraging empowerment and belonging within a global community of disabled musicians.

In conclusion, this research explores the experiences of disabled choristers in Anglican Cathedral choirs, discussing their challenges, strengths, and adaptions. The findings will inform inclusive practices across the arts, offer insights on diversity and access to cathedral choirs, and contribute to the music education and disability studies fields. Focussing on the voices of disabled children, it aspires to foster a more inclusive and empowering musical environment.

References

[1] “A Future for Cathedral Music.” Cathedral Music Trust, September 2022. https://www.cathedralmusictrust.org.uk/Common/Uploaded files/Uploads/A FUTURE FOR CATHEDRAL MUSIC - RESEARCH SUMMARY.pdf.

[2] Barrett, Margaret S., and Katie Zhukov. “Enduring Impacts of Cathedral Choral Training on Choristers’ Lives.” Music education research 24, no. 2 (2022): 209–222.

[3] Alcock, W. G. “Salisbury Cathedral Organ.” The Musical Times 75, no. 1098 (1934): 730–32. https://doi.org/10.2307/917728.

[4] Noble, Jason. “Choral Practice and Research at the Beginning of the 21st Century.” In The Routledge Companion to Interdisciplinary Studies in Singing, 295–312. 1st ed. Routledge, 2020.

[5] Laird, Lynda A. Ewell. “A Little Bit More the Same than Yesterday: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Choir Member Empathy and Attitudes toward Individuals with Disabilities.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2016.

[6] Abramo, Joseph Michael. “Gifted Students with Disabilities: ‘Twice Exceptionality’ in the Music Classroom.” Music Educators Journal 101, no. 4 (2015): 62–69.

[7] Mowery, Stephanie. “Children’s Choirs: A Model of Excellence for Children’s Music Education in the Church.” The Choral journal 50, no. 4 (2009): 67–68.

[8] Avery, Erica. “Disabled Researchers Are Vital to the Strength of Science.” Scientific American Blog Network, January 11, 2019. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/disabled-researchers-are-vital-to-the-strength-of-science1/.

[9] Howe, Blake, Stephanie Jensen-Moulton, Neil Lerner, and Joseph Straus. The Oxford Handbook of Music and Disability Studies. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.

[10] Forber-Pratt, Anjali J, Dominique A Lyew, Carlyn Mueller, and Leah B Samples. “Disability Identity Development: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” Rehabilitation psychology 62, no. 2 (2017): 198–207.

[11] PATERSON, KEVIN, and BILL HUGHES. “Disability Studies and Phenomenology: The Carnal Politics of Everyday Life.” Disability & society 14, no. 5 (1999): 597–610.