Isobel Frances Chesman
Page 315 | 2025
The vocal health status of lay clerks in English Anglican cathedral choirs
Abstract
Lay Clerks (also known as Lay Vicars, Vicars Choral, or Songmen) are professional adult singers in Anglican cathedral choirs. The vocal health of lay clerks has not been discussed in literature, despite this population demonstrating similarities to other populations such as choristers, school teachers, and operatic singers, all of whom can serve as bases for research in this field. This study seeks to provide an overview of the vocal health of lay clerks in English Anglican cathedral choirs, exploring factors previously noted in literature as impacting vocal health.
An online survey was used to collect responses from 141 lay clerks (male = 115, female = 20, other = 1) in the areas of health & lifestyle, vocal experience & hygiene, and job satisfaction. Descriptive comparisons and linear regression analyses suggest that vocal health training correlates with higher than average vocal health scores and perceived importance of such training; higher levels of past vocal training and chorister experience improve average vocal health scores; tenure is indicative of levels of past voice training and vocal health; and that cathedral choirs as workplaces provide alarmingly little support for lay clerks regarding the safeguarding of vocal health. Future research comparing the vocal health of lay clerks with that of the general public is needed to provide a greater depth of understanding of lay clerks’ vocal health.
