Christmas at Temple Chuch London

London's historic Temple Church was founded by the Knights Templar, with the church building itself dedicated in 1185. Its choral tradition dates back to 1842.

The church choir was under the direction of Sir Henry Walford Davies (1869-1941) from 1898 until about 1920. He was succeeded by Dr. (later Sir) George Thalben-Ball (1896-1987) as organist and director of the choir. Thalben-Ball was to remain in the post for nearly 60 years. (Sources differ on when Thalben-Ball took over, I have read 1919, 1923 and 1924.)

Temple Church, London

Temple Church, located in Fleet Street, was badly damaged in the Battle of Britain, and was not restored until the mid-1950s. The choristers continued to sing in the shell each week until the restoration was complete.

Temple Church blitz damage

Today's post contains a 1959 album of carols from the choir and Thalben-Ball, plus three earlier singles, including the famous 1927 recording of Mendelssohn's "Hear My Prayer," with treble (boy soprano) Ernest Lough as soloist.

The Christmas Carols LP

George Thalben-Ball

The LP of carols, dating from 1959, provides a good example of the lovely acoustic of Temple Church. The album opens with the thunderous sound of Thalben-Ball intoning "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" on the church's 1924 Harrison & Harrison organ. The choir entrance is distant (it is apparently a processional), drawing nearer as the carol proceeds.

The opening carol is followed by one of the two spoken passages, Robert Herrick's "What Sweeter Music," presented by the self-assured Richard Brown, presumably one of the choristers.

Among his selections for the balance of this generous program, Thalben-Ball included four arrangements by his predecessor Walford Davies, along with his own arrangement of "The First Nowell" and his setting of "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," which concludes the LP.

Robin Lough

The treble soloist for the performance of "Three Kings" was Robin Lough, the son of Ernest Lough, who was featured on the 1927 recording mentioned above and discussed below. Ernest often performed with the choir in later years as a bass-baritone, and is in the ensemble for the 1959 recording. Robin later became a film and television producer and director (at least I think it is the same Robin Lough).

The Temple Choir was not as refined as the contemporary Choir of King's College, Cambridge, nor are the arrangements as elaborate. For example, there is no descant in "O Come, All Ye Faithful," possibly because the boys could not manage it. Even so, this is a well-chosen, well-presented and atmospheric program.

Singles from Temple Church

I've added three related singles from Temple Church to round out the program. From 1931, there is a selection of four carols, with the excellent treble Dennis Barthel the soloist on "Lullay My Liking." Also included are Thalben-Ball's "There Is No Rose of Such Virtue" and his arrangement of a "Christmas Lullaby."

Thalben-Ball made many recordings as an organist. The second single, dating from 1951, couples his own "Elegy" with the "Introduction and Variations on an Ancient Polish Noël," written by his fellow organist Alexandre Guilmant.

EP reissue of "Hear My Prayer"

The final single is not strictly a Christmas item - it is the recording of "Hear My Prayer (O for the Wings of a Dove)" by treble Ernest Lough and the Temple Church Choir, dating from 1927. This is the record whose initial and enduring popularity is said to have made the choir famous.

"Hear My Prayer" comes from a transfer found on the UK's CHARM site. The first two singles are remasters from lossless transfer found on Internet Archive.

The download includes the original HMV LP cover (my transfer was from the US Angel equivalent), an EP cover, two ads, a High Fidelity review, plus the 78 labels and the EP cover shown above. The sound is generally very good, although "Hear My Prayer" is a little dim.