Choristers from across the world return to 'spiritual home'

By Rachel Millard (rachel.millard@croydonadvertiser.co.uk)

FORMER choristers from the prestigious Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) returned to their "spiritual home" in Croydon for a reunion last week. Some 50 former choristers came from all over the world for the lunch last Wednesday at Addington Palace, where the RSCM was based until 1996.

TOGETHER AGAIN: Choristers from the Royal School of Church Music had a reunion at Addington Palace, including guest of honour Martin How, dressed in grey at the front.

TOGETHER AGAIN: Royal School of Church Music choristers with guest of honour Martin How, right.

Most had been trebles in the school's choir as boys during the 1950s and 60s under choirmaster Martin How. Peter Hood, head chorister in 1963, spent months tracking down members from that era, including through an article in the Advertiser. He said: "It went very well indeed and we were all very pleased; it took quite a lot of planning. "A lot of them had travelled a very long distance in the UK and from France and from the Netherlands. The furthest traveller came from California."

The event's guest of honour was choirmaster Mr How - credited with turning the choir into "one enormous family." Alongside musical training, he set up the RSCM Scout Group and gave the boys "the best childhood one could imagine," in the words of one. Mr Hood added: "Martin's secret was that he could instil discipline and we all had the greatest respect for him but he made it all such fun. I don't think we necessarily appreciated what a wonderful thing it was that we were involved in; we just knew that we loved it and we enjoyed it. Addington Palace became our spiritual home and Mr How became our father figure and he constructed an enormous family for us."

The choir performed at many prestigious venues including Lambeth Palace. Mr Hood led the choir into Westminster Abbey in 1963 and later that year he was presented to the Queen when she visited Addington Palace. Last Wednesday's event, attended by the vicar of Croydon Canon Boswell, included speeches from RSCM head Andrew Reid and former chorister Brian Weller.

Former chorister Colin Creed, who helped to organise the event, said: "It was like being reunited with a family member. We had a wonderful, wonderful day." Describing his time in the choir, he added: "It was the best childhood one could imagine – I was born in 1943 and after the war the world was still quite depressed. "But this completely changed my life and set me up for life beyond."

Guest of honour Mr How, 82, praised the efforts of organisers, adding: "It was delightful - as if we had never had the 55 year break, as if we had carried on from where we left off."

The RSCM moved to Dorking from Addington Palace in 1996 and to Salisbury in 2006, where it remains. Founded as the School of English Church Music in 1927, it has thousands of affiliates. To contact Peter Hood, e-mail pnrhood@hotmail.co.uk