Little singers, big resources | The press

Charles Nault is an engineer, and father of four boys. Married to a musician, he has long believed in an education that goes beyond school subjects.

Posted at 7:15 a.m.

His four sons have very different personalities and courses, and it is far from being certain that one of them will become a musician, but as little singers of Mont-Royal, they all learned two or three quite interesting things: the value of effort, mutual aid and perseverance.

As nothing is simple in education, it is worth taking an interest in this unique institution of its kind, which is based on the will of people who have understood that a tailor -made approach can sometimes be the right one. An amazing human and musical laboratory.

The little singers of Mont-Royal (PCMR) will hold their concert-benefit on Thursday, May 8 at Place des Arts, accompanied by a string orchestra. The evening on the multicolored musical program will be hosted by the actor Rémy Girard. If you want to get to know PCMR, know that you can buy tickets at the usual price, or choose the cocktail-benefit formula to support the organization.

At the heart of the PCMR experience, there are children from 8 to 17 years old involved in an original service exchange: “your voices for the masses of the oratory, and a school in exchange”. It may seem strange, but it is a bit of the basis of the agreement between the little singers of Mont-Royal and the Saint-Joseph Oratory, which provides them with a primary school on its own land.

Another particular agreement is added: in the secondary, PCMRs frequent the Notre-Dame college, practical for its proximity to the oratory … but without paying. In this case, it is the Ministry of Education which supports the share normally paid by the parents.

But Charles Nault has always presented things differently to his sons: “When they have to get up on Sunday morning to repeat and then sing the 11 am mass to the oratory, I remind them that by this work, they help to pay an exceptional education. »»

For parents, it remains to pay a little more than $ 1,000 a year for the push musical training that comes with the PCMR program: ten hours per week in primary school, and around five hours per week in secondary school. All PCMRs study the piano, music theory, vocal technique, choral song and its repertoire. To the secondary, we add initiation to musical writing.

How has the place of religion evolved, since the PCMR Foundation in 1956? Should students sing dozens of masses per year should be perfect little Catholics? ” No way ! “Says the general manager of the OBNL, Marie-Pierre Rolland. “We now have a certain proportion of our students who come from immigration, from Muslim or Buddhist families, among others. »»

Charles Nault tells me that it would be uncomfortable to see openly anticlerical families in the PCMR movement, but that it would be just as uncomfortable to see religious extremists.

By listening to the director as much as the parents questioned, I measure how much this atypical school is a model of true secularism, that which does not exclude religions, but where each of them must respect the others.

“Obviously, we must explain to the singers the meaning of musical works, we are part of a heritage, but the religious journey is left to everyone, our school is public and secular,” confirms Marie-Pierre Rolland.

The arrival of this new director, in 2019, marked a turning point for Charles Nault: “There are more projects outside the masses, more pleasure, more concerts with guest musicians, like the one around the film The Lord of the Rings. »» Less austerity … But no cellular: “They are prohibited during our activities: it’s surprising to see all the games we have come out! “, Notes Marie-Pierre Rolland.

After religion, the other delicate question linked to PCMRs is the place, or rather the absence of girls. Marie-Pierre Rolland maintains the opinion expressed in these pages less than two years ago^⁠1. “We are open to the idea, but above all you have to take anything away from the boys. Rather, we should double our mission, adding a group of girls. For the moment, our OBNL is too small for the magnitude of the task. »»

I feel the field with the Davide Gentile journalist who has a son with little singers.

“I understand that it annoys some people, because this kind of choir is related to a tradition that overall excluded women. But times have changed, and the little singers do not have to wear this millennial error: their existence does not harm the girls! The school dropout of boys is a problem that we are not talking about enough, and with PCMR, we have a model that promotes the opposite. »»

Indeed, the figures put forward by the Director of PCMRs are clear: “Each cohort begins in 3^e year of primary school with 26 students, and there are still 21 or 22 in the secondary, 9 years later. »»

Charles Nault evokes the notion of safe space (safe space)by making the analogy with the boys who choose to make ballet: “In the middle of choral song, the boys are underrepresented and often, young people of their age make fun of them. In secondary school in Notre-Dame, several small singers play sports and are very well integrated, but for others, it is more difficult, signals Charles to me. “When they find themselves between small singers, the strength of the group is there, there is a lot of mutual aid and respect. »»

Marie-Pierre Rolland adds: “The oldest help the youngest, there is camaraderie, no clicks”. And of course, a lot of music.Consult the concert page 1. Read the article “When will little singers from Mont-Royal?” »»