Ely Cathedral Boys' Choir gains American member

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Amanda Currier
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England (USAFENS) --  The Ely Cathedral Boys’ Choir dates as far back as the 15th century, and for as long as anyone currently affiliated with the choir can remember, the singing group has never had an American member.

That all changed when Maxwell Kunkle, 9, son of Team Mildenhall members Laura and Taylor Kunkle, joined the choir in September.

“I always thought Maxwell had a good singing voice, and while I was aware of the long-standing choral tradition in this country, it hadn’t occurred to me that my son might be a good candidate for a choir,” said Mrs. Kunkle, a secretary here for the vice commander of 16th Air Force (Africa). “I thought about it more after he started taking piano lessons, and his teacher told me ‘Your son has a natural musical ear,’ and recommended we get Maxwell involved in something that could foster his musical talent.”

Children must pass an audition before they can become members of the Ely Cathedral Boys’ Choir, a choir of up to 22 boys between 8 and 13. Then, they must gain admittance into The King’s School, a boarding school in Ely with a curriculum geared toward developing children’s musical and artistic talents as well as their academic skills.

“The musical upbringing here is absolutely second to none,” said Neil Porter-Thaw, Choir House master and a music director at The King’s School junior school. “The students here learn to be confident, polite and generous -- ready for their next step in life.”

As far as steps go, Maxwell took his first toward becoming a chorister when he passed an informal audition with the cathedral’s music director, Paul Trepte. Then, he tackled the academic tests potential students must take to get into The King’s School. After that, he passed a voice audition in front of a panel of judges. The last hurdle he had to overcome before he could become a choir member was spending a night in the school’s Choir House, where he now lives with fellow choristers from Sunday nights to Friday evenings.

“Up to this point of the admission process, I don’t think he realized joining the choir meant living away from home, so his initial reaction was ‘no way,’” Mrs. Kunkle said. “But he did it. He’s been so brave.”

All of the choristers reside in the Choir House and sleep in an open-bay style room.

“Staying overnight was his biggest hurdle,” said Taylor Kunkle, treaty compliance officer for RAF Mildenhall. “He had to spend a ‘successful night’ in the choir house to see if he could be away from home and get along with the other boys.”

Maxwell did have a successful night at the Choir House, and he began attending classes at The King’s School at the end of summer.

Now, a typical day for Maxwell and his fellow choristers is to rise at 6:45 a.m.; go to a music lesson at 7 a.m.; eat breakfast at 7:30 a.m.; have choir rehearsal at 8 a.m.; attend school from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a quick break for lunch; and rehearse for choir service from 4:45 to 5:15 p.m. Then, it’s time for tea, homework/music practice and bed.

“Being a chorister is a lot of hard work, but it’s not all work. It’s also a lot of fun,” Mr. Porter-Thaw said.

In addition to choir practice, the choristers perform Evensong Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Evensong is an evening-time service during which Christians can reflect.

“They have to work very hard, but the truth is, boys that age like hard work,” Mr. Trepte said. “My teaching style is to have the boys (constructively) criticize themselves. I ask them what they think of their performances. When they make a mistake during practice, they put a hand up to acknowledge their mistake. This signals to me, and the rest of the choir, they are aware of their mistake and intend to correct it the next time around.”

The school is structured, but Maxwell, who formerly attended a British school in Mildenhall, seems to enjoy life at King’s School.

“I like it because it’s serious,” Maxwell said before explaining how the school uses a merits/demerits system to reward or discipline its pupils. “If you get a lot of merits, you can earn some really cool stuff. I’m getting quite used to it. I’ve learned a lot of new things, and I’ve made new friends.”

Although Maxwell is currently the only American boy in the choir, Mr. Trepte is hoping others will audition for the singing group.

“I’m really pleased we have an American boy in the choir. It’s such a rare thing, and I don’t know why,” Mr. Trepte said. “If this boy can do it, there must be others. We’d really like some more Americans in the choir. It’s a great opportunity, and we’re right down the street from base.”