Choristers of Ushaw College Chapel Durham alternating
verses with students of the senior seminary
directed by Fr. Lawrence Hollis
Daily, Daily, sing to Mary : Hymn
Private reel-to-reel tape recording : 1959
Commercial recordings
In-House recordings
Private recordings
Radio broadcasts
TV
broadcasts
BBC Choral Evensong
Documentaries on Radio & TV
Library archive
Photographic archive
Recording notes
The
Collection isn't just about acquiring and cataloging Commercial recordings - some of the greatest gems are the In-House releases
and the Private Recordings, together with archive Radio and TV broadcasts of Services, Recitals, Concerts and Documentaries.
A constantly expanding part of the Collection is the Library and Photographic Archives, together with ongoing
historical research into choirs, choir schools and recordings which continues to bring to light the most fascinating and hitherto
unknown information.
Articles about the Collection have appeared in various publications and you
might like to read my article, 'A Recorded Heritage' published in the FCM magazine by clicking here.
I also produce a bi-monthly Newsletter, with illustrated articles on
recordings and choirs, together with the latest news about the Collection and Website. Please click here for your free subscription and to read back issues.
COMMERCIAL
RELEASES The Discography contains the
definite listing of commercial recordings issued by every choir of gentlemen and boys singing in the English Cathedral tradition
and the Collection contains a copy of almost all of these recordings. IN-HOUSE RELEASES Click here for more in-depth information 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 release goes back to 1939 with a 78rpm record from Rose Hill School Chapel
Choir made for sale to doting parents!
PRIVATE RECORDINGS Click here for more in-depth information 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 many 100's of Private Recordings, for without them,
there would be very few recordings of some choirs and absolutely no recordings of others.
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 and represents a treasure house of music and choirs. TV BROADCASTS The domestic video recorder arrived in the early 1970's and the first recording of a TV broadcast
in the Collection is from 1974. Over the years there have been many outstanding Documentaries, Services and Concerts
and it is of the greatest importance that these broadcasts are preserved.
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 Television 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.
RECORDING
NOTES An integral part of the collection are the notes on
various recordings in the collection. These are a combination of historical information, anecdotes, points of interest and any correspondence
about a particular recording. This information has been gathered from many sources and makes for a fascinating read,
illustrated with photographs.
Listening post
Choir of the Exeter Cathedral directed by Thomas
Armstrong
First recording by the choir
This joyful Eastertide : arranged
Wood
Columbia 78rpm record : 1928
You are most welcome to contact me about my Collection, Discography and Website or on any topics regarding
recordings and church music in general. Click here for the Contact page.
