On my rather long train journey (thank you SouthWest Trains

) to friends in Surrey yesterday I was listening to a programme about castration

Thousands of young boys were bought up by the Church in the 17th and 18thC on the pretext of a better education in fine schools only to find that their lords and masters were keen on giving them the complete snip, thereby condemning them to a brief life as a castrati followed by either destitution, prostitution or both. A miniscule percentage actually made a name for themselves, became wealthy and allegedly were rather sought after in court
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqUoCD_-gp0