Why aren't women welcome in a male singing choir?
Derbyshire Constabulary Male Choir has reportedly cut all ties to the associated police force after being asked 'to admit women or else.A request they refused. The male vocal choir appears to be falling.
Where did the male choir come from?
The answer lies in the almost overnight appearance of cities and towns linked to the new industries of the 18th and 19th centuries. In the north of England, the factories were at the centre of the Industrial Revolution. In South Wales, explosive demand for coal meant cities appeared around the potholes. Poor quality streets were turned down at incredible speed. At the end of a hard day's work in the forges or the pit, men came home in their two-room apartments to discover that there was literally no room for them to engage in any kind of indoor entertainment until their children were in bed. At first, the recreational activity of choice was drinking, with a huge number of pubs who emerged in the cities to meet the needs of the thirsty workers. The social consequences were inevitable. To counter this, non-conformist chapels preached in the industrial centers self-control and self-improvement and the demon drink was eventually pushed aside in favor of community music production in the form of choirs and marching bands. The men's voice choir was born.
