DESCRIPTION:
More Archive Recordings (1960-76). The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford directed by Bernard Rose. OxRecs DIGITAL [OXCD-130]
Many early Choral Evensong broadcasts have sadly not been retained by the BBC and are not available in the National Sound Archive, so these recordings are very much a unique discovery. Out of the Choral Evensong broadcasts recovered (14 December 1960, 21 December 1960, 28 May 1969, 4 June 1969, 22 November 1972, 5 December 1973) it was decided to include only those where the restored audio was of acceptable quality, and the singing representative of the time.
The compilation contains a performance of Magdalen and New College Choirs directed by Bernard Rose and David Lumsden recorded in Magdalen Chapel in 13 December 1963. It is now a rare opportunity to hear both choirs singing together. Sir David Lumsden says ‘The quality of both singing and recording is superb and amazingly fresh and alive after such a long time. I can’t imagine that the original recordings were any clearer than this, a real tribute to the company which prepared this CD.’
The last five (stereo) tracks on the disc were recorded at De Duif Roman Catholic Church in Amsterdam on 31 August 1976 and form part of a complete recording of this concert by VARA Radio when the choir was touring the Netherlands. Because of neglect De Duif (The Dove) deteriorated over the next 25 years, but was extensively restored from 2001–3 and now serves also as a flourishing arts centre and concert hall.
Timothy Day provides a foreward in the booklet giving us a historical background to the style of choral singing which was prevalent in the other major choral foundations of the time.
More Archive Recordings (1960–76) The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford [OXCD‐130] can be purchased through any UK classical music shop, or online at
http://www.oxrecs.com/