The Collection isn't just about acquiring and cataloging Commercial recordings - some of the greatest gems are the In-House Private Issues and Private Recordings, together with archive Radio broadcasts and Documentaries. 

Another constantly expanding part of the Collection is the Library and Photographic Archives, together with ongoing historical research into choirs, choir schools and recordings.

IN-HOUSE PRIVATE ISSUES  :  Commissioned by smaller and less well known choirs, using the services of small independent recording companies, these 78's, LP's and CD's were for sale in the local area, making them more difficult to track down, yet representing a hugely important part of the collection. 

The earliest example of an in-house private issue goes back to 1939 with a 78rpm record from Rose Hill School Chapel Choir made for sale to doting parents!

PRIVATE RECORDINGS  : Some of the real gems of the collection are private recordings which were not made for commercial use.  Usually recorded by an enthusiastic amateur, often with very good quality equipment, these are the recordings most likely to be lost or discarded.  I am pleased to say the Collection has 100's of Private Recordings and many of these are the only surviving examples of how that choir sounded.

RADIO BROADCASTS :  The Collection contains a huge archive of Radio broadcasts, consisting of Documentaries,  Services, Recitals and Concerts, with the earliest one going way back to 1938. 

BBC CHORAL EVENSONG BROADCASTS :  The BBC have very few broadcasts in their archives from before 1980; in the various purges of the past when tapes were re-used or wiped wholesale to free storage space, this unique part of our musical heritage was destroyed.  I have built up a collection of over 900 broadcasts with the earliest one dating from 1948 and so often they represent the only recorded example of a choir or a choir under a particular Director of Music.

DOCUMENTARIES  :  Another important feature of the collection are Audio Visual and Radio Documentaries of Choirs, Choristers, Choir Schools, Directors and church music in general.

LIBRARY ARCHIVE  :  These contain written articles from all sources, books, booklets, magazines, newspapers and everything to do with the written word.  One of the many interesting parts of the Library Archives are articles written by Choristers, often extremely humorous; together with written and voice interviews from Choristers and Directors of Music, past and present.

PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE : The collection contains over 2000 contemporary and archive photographs, some of which are extremely rare, of choirs and individual choristers.  Many of these photographs have been given by the choirs themselves to the collection.