Now That’s Discipline!

In the best English choirs, the choristers are renowned for being highly disciplined. I experienced an example of that last night . . . or didn’t as the case may be.

I was at New College for Evensong. It was a good service by the usual high New College standards, nothing remarkable, or so I thought.

When I left the chapel, I noticed a mess on the floor. Puzzled, I asked someone else leaving what happened.

It turns out that during the service a chorister threw up and left! He did it so quietly and the service went on with so little, if any, interruption that I didn’t know anything was amiss!

Maybe it was during the Magnificat. I noticed the choristers lost a little of their volume during it. And Mr. Higginbottom was pointing to his temple, motioning for them to stay focused perhaps. But that’s just a guess. The service was seamless.

For 17 boys to ignore quite a substantial barf like that is discipline!