European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine the Vienna boys choir hat Boen singing the sunday Matt at the City t Hombur Kapelle far nearly 500 Yean. Where the Hoys Are Vienna choir is More than just singing by Anita Gosch staff writer w e have a joke in Austria says Herbert Groger general prefect of the Vienna boys choir. It goes successful austrian is a member of the boys choir As a child then he becomes a lip planer Vienna s dancing White stallions and he retires As an emperor s adviser. That would be the dream career of an  each year some 100 to 180 boys audition for the world famous a Cappella ensemble which Lor nearly 500 years has been singing the sunday mass in Vienna s Hombur Kapelle. Today the choir is a major tourist attraction in Vienna and on Tho Road. Entrance requirements into the choir Are strict. Beol nning at age 7 or 8. The youngsters attend a preparation class twice a week Tor one hour where they Are taught music theory and appreciation. Any boy can attend the class. All it takes is desire and enough motivation. It used to be that the parents would Tell their sons they will audition for the Sange Knaben says Groger. A Choirboy himself from 1951 to 56. Nowadays it s the boy s own Choice. He might see the choir perform in concert or on television and decide on his own that he would like to try  at age nine the boys take a final exam. In order to pass they must sing a song of their own Choice a simple children s song will do. They also must clap out a Melody played to them on a piano sing Scales and perform other exercises that demonstrate their vocal abilities. Tho Best singers each year about 30 Are chosen to oin the choir. It does t help if the father tells us he has connections or that he s a member of a certain political party or that he belongs to a particular Church says Groger. If his son can sing he can join the choir. If he can t sing then we won t take  once they be passed the final exam and Are official members of the choir the boys move into the Augarten Palace in Vienna where they live from mondays to saturday afternoons. The Palace an imposing White building set in an expansive Well trimmed Yard is a converted boarding school with living areas and classrooms As Well As a swimming Pool and gymnasium. Saturday november 23, 1985 Many of the boys who move into the Polacc Are away from Home for the first time. Without their parents to look after them the youngsters must lend or themselves socially find their own niches and discover their own personalities a task that May appear demanding for a 9-year-old. Our adult intellect tells us this is very difficult for the boys says Groger. But i know from my own experience that the boys regard it As in adventure. Just like going on tour is an adventure no is being away from Home for the first  the school is a private institution completely sell supporting from the Sale of concert ticket and record albums. The tuition room and Board the Tours and even the uniforms Are provided by the Institute at no Cost to the boys families. Classes Are Small with Only five to eight boys each and the school year is Shorter than in a regular school Only six months instead of the usual 10 so that the boys can tour during the rest of the year. The choir itself actually consists of four separate groups of 24 boys each. The groups each have a  an adult Leader who monitors the boys school work and musical development and who also acts As a substitute father with whom the boys can discuss personal problems. The prefects also keep an Eye on the boys character development. We have to watch out Tor instance that none of the boys Are intimidated by the  says Groger. Or if a boy tends to dominate the others then we have to Send him Back Home. It s not that we want a problem free  he adds. We just want the problems to be Small and manageable. Because when we re on tour 12,000 Miles away irom Home it s got to go relatively smoothly. There s got to be As Little friction As possible so that the tour does t become a horror  the boys begin touring during their second year with the choir travelling in the same groups of 24. The prefect accompanies them As does a nurse who acts a the Mother. The older boys help out the younger acc. Showing them around and teaching them about new experiences. It s like a travelling family business except that it s a very Large family says Groger. At age 14 or so. When the boys voices begin to change they must leave the choir. They can then go Back Home to their parents or they can remain at Augarten and continue school in Vienna. After completing High school they leave the Palace and go on to Lead Normal lives. There s perhaps a Little prestige involved in having been a member of the boys choir says Groger. But it does t go so far in that they can say look what i did As a child i m entitled to a position with the government rather it s the education the boys receive Here. The choirboys learn How to handle themselves around All kinds of people Normal people like themselves or politicians artists the Pope the president of America or the Queen of England. They learn How to be themselves and not play roles. And because they be had so much experience the boys become More critical and analytical values that surely add to their character. Ii somebody tells them something they la ask themselves is that really True must i believe it just because he says so " the question most frequently asked of Groger is Why girls Aren t allowed to join the choir. In response Groger jokes the girls Are our fans. But  he says it has to do with the timbre the sound of the voice. Girls voices Are Fuller. Whereas boys voices Are thinner sounding. This is very important especially for baroque or Renaissance music the kind that we perform. That sound can Only be achieved with the voices of Young boys. It s just like if you have a Balalaika orchestra sure you can also play the piece with a guitar but it la sound completely  the Vienna boys choir performs at the Hombur Kapelle every sunday morning from mid september to the end of june. Tickets Are available at the Chapel Box office fridays from 5 to 6 . They usually Are sold out within minutes but standing room is often available. The stars and stripes Page 13