This year Lenny Rush will spend Christmas in school. In fact, he spends every Christmas in school — and he works hard during the holidays, too.
Lenny loves it. The 11-year-old sings in the choir of Westminster Abbey, widely considered the world’s most prestigious boys’ choir. “Sometimes it’s hard work because the services are long,” he tells Metro. “But Christmas is fun. This is like celebrating Christmas with your friends.”
The 30 choir boys, ranging from 7 to 12 years old, attend the Abbey’s boarding school. “Because all the boys in the school sing in the Abbey, we can schedule everything around their musical activities,” explains headmaster Jonathan Milton.
Around Christmas, that’s a lot: While the boys sing at least eight services a week, at Christmas they add a dozen other events.
“People from other parts of the world are often astonished by what the boys can do,” says James O’Donnell, the Abbey’s organist and choirmaster. “But there’s nothing unique about English boys. It’s all about the expectations, and the boys are very proud of what they do.”
