Chorister Bishop Sermon
Sunday 8 December 2024, Salisbury Cathedral
Emmie, Chorsiter Bishop
It was just under 5 years ago that I first arrived here at Salisbury Cathedral for my chorister voice trial. Mr Halls said yes, so my parents, brother and I (and Nell the cockerpoo) moved house in the middle of a pandemic and I started the chorister adventure!
It’s been an incredible 5 years as a chorister, I have sung in some amazing concerts and services, been on tour, recorded a CD, broadcast on live radio, appeared in the national press and media and have enjoyed so many experiences that I will never forget as well as making wonderful friends along the way. On behalf of all of the senior choristers I would like to thank everyone here at the cathedral in the music department and clergy and all the brilliant staff at school for their support, teaching and encouragement and for making it such a happy time.
Of course, I expected all the musical opportunities when I first became a chorister, but I never expected to end up as Bishop of Salisbury! In fact, I’ve heard that there’s a vacancy in Canterbury that I might apply for next if this goes well… The tradition of the Chorister Bishop dates back to mediaeval times and is a symbol of the lowest in society becoming the highest, the powerless becoming powerful and a reminder of the need for adults to sometimes be humble in the face of children.
One of the big things that I will take away from my experience of being a chorister is that with hard work and commitment children can achieve great things. As choristers we are expected to conduct ourselves with the same professionalism as the adults in the choir and we are certainly expected to perform to the same musical standard as any professional musician in the country. It is easy to dismiss children as being unable to behave or work with the same amount of responsibility and dedication as an adult, but being a chorister proves that, given the right environment and support, children can be trusted with power and responsibility. To all the adults here this afternoon, I would say this: don’t underestimate children. Whatever it is that interests your child, support them as best as you can, believe in them and have high expectations – who knows how high they might fly?
It is certainly true that children can achieve all sorts of things if they put their minds to it, but even I must acknowledge that at our age we do need grown-ups for some things. Adults provide us with food, shelter, education, love, things to do, and of course that essential taxi service! But perhaps even more important than this, as children, we rely on adults to make decisions for us in the world until we are judged to be capable of doing it ourselves. Sometimes I look at the decisions made by adults and I wonder what has motivated them. Have those choices been made impulsively, driven by thoughts of power, greed and self-interest, or have they been made looking to the future? Have they even considered the impact on children?
Governments across the globe make decisions every day that children have no say in, but which affect them hugely. There have been more women and children killed in the war in Gaza than there have been soldiers. 2.5 million children have been displaced from their family homes by the conflict in Ukraine. In 2021, the Taliban issued a law preventing girls in Afghanistan from going to secondary school. Over 700 million children are living in countries at grave risk from the consequences of climate change, and every child in the world will inherit a planet with more frequent extreme weather events than ever before.
Closer to home, a survey carried out by the Children’s Charities Coalition at the beginning of this year highlighted that 62% of children in this country don’t think that politicians understand the issues affecting children today, and almost three quarters of them don’t feel listened to by politicians. In the UK today around 4.2 million children are living in poverty. One in six children aged 7 to 16 has a diagnosable mental health condition. Air pollution is linked to 33% of childhood asthma cases. 71% of the country’s 9-13 year olds have been exposed to harmful content online, whilst nearly 1 million have experienced cyber bullying. I could go on, but this is supposed to be a joyful occasion and not a depressing list of statistics! But what all of these facts have in common is that they are the result of people making decisions that they thought were right at the time. Maybe they didn’t mean their actions to harm children, but we can’t deny that they have, and it could be said that other individuals and governments are just as guilty by not having the strength or willingness to stand up to them.
Even I will admit that adults do get things right from time to time and of course there are many decisions made that improve the lives of children and bring us all hope. In fact, it was on this very day 4 years ago that the first ever Covid vaccine was administered; I remember so clearly hearing that news, and even as an 8 year old girl feeling hope spread through those dark times. Just last week we heard hopeful news from the Middle East with the ceasefire in Lebanon and, although not a perfect solution, the recent COP29 climate conference brought nations across the world together to try to make a real difference to climate change.
Sometimes making the right decision involves having to admit we were wrong and then work hard to put things right. As children we are encouraged to learn from our mistakes or poor decisions and work to correct them. Whether in choir, in lessons or out in the playground, we are reminded about what is right and wrong and guided to make better choices. But as we grow up, we have to make more of these decisions on our own and have the courage to admit to ourselves and other people when we got things wrong.
The tradition of Chorister Bishop reminds us, as Matthew reminds us in the Gospel, that whilst children are not as powerful as adults, they are often more honest and humble. In the New Testament reading tonight, we heard how Jesus values children and the choices they make, not because they are the wisest, but because of the clarity, perceptiveness and honesty that they often display. Children rarely have any power over adults’ decisions, and yet the consequences of them will touch them far and wide. My fellow choristers and I are so privileged and lucky to have benefitted from some very thoughtful and wise decisions in our time here in Salisbury, but there are many other decisions in the world, over which we have no control. Nobody owns this planet, we are all here to preserve and guard it for the next generation. So, as Chorister Bishop today, I would ask the grown ups of this world to channel their inner child when it comes to making decisions. Take yourself back to that time when it was important to know what was right, and even more important, to admit when you were wrong. Make your decisions not only for yourself but also for us children. Whether it’s deciding who to vote for, or whether to walk to the shops instead of drive, every choice you make will have a consequence for a child somewhere in the world.
We are children. We are capable of great things. We are powerful and yet powerless. But we are the future.
Amen.