Head Chorister, Samuel Irvine, Tells Us About his Experience of Being 'Boy Bishop'

January 21, 2025

On St Nicholas Day, Samuel Irvine, U4 Pupil and Head Chorister, was selected as Boy Bishop, reviving a medieval tradition. Sam tells us a little bit about this experience below!


Photo credits: Bill Smith


Can you tell me a little bit about what a Boy Bishop is? 

A Boy Bishop is a Chorister who is selected from the choir to take up the Bishop’s role at a service. They are blessed and given a prayer book, they deliver some prayers and then they give a Homily about their view of the world as a child to hear about children’s lived experience. 


So, is this a one-off event? Or is this a recurring thing? 

It happens on Saint Nicolas Day (6th December) as he is the Patron Saint of Children. In the Middle Ages, the Boy Bishop would take on the duties of the Bishop (excluding mass) until the 28th of December but now we just do it for Saint Nicholas Day and that’s it. 


How long before Saint Nicholas Day did you get told that you were going to be the Boy Bishop? How long did you have to prepare? 

I was told earlier in the week. The Canon Precentor told me and talked me through what I needed to do. I had enough time to ask some of my friends about their views on the world and its problems and then I added my ideas into it and my parents helped me to put all these ideas together into a Homily. 

And how long did this end up being? 

The Homily was about 5 minutes long. 


How did it feel standing up there by himself? 

At first I was really nervous but once I got into the swing of it it was a lot easier. 


How did you feel when you got chosen to be Boy Bishop? 

I felt honoured, very honoured. Also, nervous but at the same time excited. It was a great experience. 


Had you heard of a Boy Bishop beforehand? 

Actually, when I was in Lower 2 we had a Boy Bishop! When the Boy Bishop goes up to be blessed by the real Bishop, there are also 2 Canons chosen from the choir who go with him, and I was one of the Canons in my first year as a chorister, so I walked up with Daniel Neville who was chosen to be Boy Bishop. When I was Boy Bishop, I went up with two Canons, they were Probationers Luca and Moli. It was just such a full circle moment. 


How long have you been a chorister? 

I have been a Chorister since the beginning of Lower 2, so I am in my 6th year 


And what started that? What made you want to become a Chorister? 

I was taking singing lessons in Upper 1 and then we were told about ‘Be a Chorister Day’ and I asked my mum if I could go along. I went and I really liked it, so I auditioned and got offered a place. 


Great! So what is the week-by-week life of being a Chorister? 

It’s quite full on! It’s Monday 8-9am with rehearsal and Evensong from 4-6:20pm, Tuesday 8-9am  then a rehearsal from 4-4:45pm, Wednesday 8-9am with rehearsal and Evensong from 4-6:20pm, Thursday 8-9am and then every other week we have singing lessons until 4.45pm. On Fridays we have 8-9am rehearsal and then Evensong and another rehearsal until 7pm. Saturday is a day off. Sunday we are in from 9 until about 11.45am for Eucharist and then back 14:30-16:30pm for Evensong. 


How do you fit it all in with your school life? Do you take on any extracurricular activities? 

You learn to be quite organised! I play Hockey and Scouts out of school, and I play saxophone and piano. After a year or so you get used to fitting it all in. You just really have to knuckle down, try and get your homework done as soon as you get it. 


Excellent, so what are your duties as Head Chorister? 

I have to make sure that everyone is behaving, feeling ok and generally doing ok. I help them out as and when needed. I hope they see me as someone they can talk to if anything is wrong. 


What would you say to any young people who want to audition to be a Chorister? 

Go for it! Enjoy it and just have a great time singing, it is so fun. 


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