The Choir

Set in Aldminster, a small town in England, this is a story about a cathedral and the boys' choir that sings in that cathedral. The dean is a power-hungry micro-manager who has no power at home and so needs to have it in his job. The cathedral is the most important thing in his life, so when it is discovered that the roof is leaking and there has been extensive and expensive damage to the structure, he proposes that they get rid of the choir and use the money for the cathedral. The war begins between those who want the choir and those who believe it is elitist, and no one comes out of it unscathed. I know, the plot doesn't sound very exciting, but because the characters are so well-written, even the minor ones, you can't wait to find show more out who is going to do what next, and there is some family drama thrown in for good measure. Just a lovely book. show less

(30 December 1993)

Her first novel, and perhaps she chose to consciously ape her distant relative, Anthony, in setting this in a Cathedral Close. We meet a variety of characters, all connected to the Cathedral and its boys’ choir in one way or another, from the school headmaster to the old school left-wing city councillor who happens to have a grandson in the group. As money tightens and passions run high, splits appear in all sorts of likely and unlikely places. Will anyone be able to save the day? Will broken relationships be repaired? Does anyone actually want them to be?

What’s interesting about this book, looking back from a perspective of having read almost all of her contemporary novels, is that this doesn’t really feel like show more a first novel. It just feels like a Joanna Trollope novel. All of her stylistic quirks are there: people start padding around almost immediately, and “They all,” she thought as she wrote her review, “split their utterances in a weird way” (I once wrote a whole review in her style – deary me!). She has women who are not good wives, women who have Agas, children, hapless men … all as in all of her books. It’s quite an achievement to have such a homogenous whole and very comforting to her fans.

I picked this one up for re-reading precisely because I wanted to check whether I should keep these. And I still don’t know. It’s not like the “quest” books, where a re-read of a Dave Gorman has reminded me how fun those are – I really am torn. I’ve had these and my Mary Wesleys (in a similar edition) for 20 years. But with pressure on the bookshelves and these not exactly invisible on the charity shop and library bookshelves, do I NEED to keep them? I don’t even have the later ones, even though I’ve read them: I didn’t need to keep those! The jury is still out! show less

My third Trollope read in a row. As with the others, well written and engaging. Not challenging material, which suits me at the moment, as I can pick the book up and easily get back into the tale.
The choir at the Kings (private) school is central. Henry Ashworth is an exceptional 11 year old chorister, who is about to be admitted as a full chorister. Around him we meet the clerical world of bishop, dean and archdeacon, Mr Troy the school headteacher whose wife regularly disappears for “space), Leo Beckford, choir master and organist. Jealousies, obsessions, morals all feature.

The boys’ choir in a cathedral town is in danger of being abandoned because of a lack of funds as well as the immediate necessity of the cathedral needing a ne roof. The Deacon is determined to use the money the choir costs toward the cathedral’s physical repairs. However, a significant number of the townspeople want the choir to stay – notably the Deacon’s daughter who fancies herself in love with the choirmaster. She organizes a fun raising scheme to save the choir that is quite successful. The choirmaster, however, is in love with the married mother of his lead chorister, so trouble is ahead.

A lot of this book seems very old fashioned when one considers how unreligious Britain is today, and the reader really needs to suspend show more a sense of reality in order to keep some of the handwringing and soul searching from turning into the ridiculous. show less

Meaty story balancing the politics of an English Cathedral Close with the human stories of the people involved and arching over all a love of music. Transcends the aga saga genre to be a really good novel. One of her best.

This was a very entertaining novel, with characters that I (mostly) liked and sympathized with. Relationships were explored without the writing becoming "syrupy", for lack of a better word. If you are a fan of politics in academia or in small towns, you should check this book out. The Choir is the first of Joanna Trollope's books that I have read, and it has inspired me to read more of her works.

A fascinating story revolving around a Cathedral choir, and the people involved. Realistic characters and setting, with a likeable boy caught up in various dramas. Reasonably satisfying conclusion.