An Easter Service from King's College

Looking through some of my choral LPs yesterday, I came across this recording of the Easter morning service made in 1957 by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. I decided to make a quick transfer for this post.

Similar to the Christmas recordings from King's, this includes both the spoken lessons and prayers and the appropriate music from the service.

The musical selections are largely from 16th and 17th century composers (Thomas Tomkins, Robert Stone and William Byrd) and from the 20th century composer Herbert Howells. The latter are from his Collegium Regale service, written for King's.

Boris Ord

Leading the choir was Dr. Boris Ord, who was the King's College Chapel organist from 1929 to 1957. This must have been one of his last recordings with the choir. Their 1956 disc of the Christmas Eve service and 1954 disc of Evensong can be found here. Ord died in 1961.

The "chapel" of course is a vast edifice, and a difficult place for recording. The music on this current disc was well handled by the Argo engineers, and even the spoken passages sound atmospheric yet also clear. This recording is in mono; I don't believe it ever was issued in stereo.

A.R. Vidler

Among those reading the lessons and prayers is the Rev. Dr. A.R. Vidler, Dean of King's College. He was a notable personality who was editor of the journal Theology and author of several books. As you will note above, he also advocated wearing a black shirt and white tie in preference to a clerical collar, which may bring to mind the men's garb in Guys and Dolls.

The download includes Jeremy Noble's review from The Gramophone. Very informative, but I must disagree with his characterization of Herbert Howells' music as "a little insipid." The Collegium Regale is a favorite of mine; you can hear another recording of the Te Deum in this post from Westminster Abbey.

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope spring has arrived in your vicinity. Please have a happy holiday!

The King's College Chapel in a later photograph. Stephen Cleobury (left center) leads the choir.

Evensong at King's College, Cambridge, 1956

The tradition of choral Evensong in Anglican churches reaches back to 1549 and the first Book of Common Prayer, by which time the Choir of King's College, Cambridge had been in existence for more than a century.

Fan vaulting in the chapel

This present recording of Evensong is of course much closer to our own day, having been taped in 1956, but it nonetheless is fully in line with traditions that date back centuries.

Both the choir and the vast King's College Chapel were initiated by King Henry VI. The Chapel is an astonishing edifice, topped by the world's largest fan vault. The effect of choral Evensong in this space is magnificent.

At the time of the recording, the choir was directed by Boris Ord, who had held the position since 1929, with time out for war service. There have been only three choir directors since him: Sir David Willcocks (1957-74), Sir Philip Ledger (1974-82) and Sir Stephen Cleobury (1982-present). Daniel Hyde will succeed to the post this fall.

Click to enlarge

I am virtually certain that this, the choir's second recording on Argo, is the first LP of Evensong from King's College. The first was a 1954 recording of the Christmas Eve program of lessons and carols, which appeared on this blog 10 years ago, and which I remastered and reuploaded a few days ago. Argo advertised both records in the December 1956 issue of Gramophone (at right).

Services of Evensong include readings from the Bible and the singing of psalms and the canticles Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. This LP draws upon the music of English composers ranging back to the 16th century (responses by William Smith) and the early 17th century (an introit by Adrian Batten). The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis are by Sir Charles Stanford and date from the late 19th or early 20th century. The anthem "My Beloved Spake" is by the 20th century composer Patrick Hadley, and a concluding voluntary was written by Francis Jackson, organist at York Minster at the time of the recording.

The choir consisted then and now of both boy choristers and young men, called choral scholars. At the time of the recording, the latter included the bass Christopher Keyte, later to become a well-known singer. He does not have a solo on the record, but does present one of the readings.

The LP sonics are true to the resonant sound of the vast chapel.

Boris Ord and choristers in King's College Chapel, 1956

Follow @BusterBig10Inch

A Festival of Lessons and Carols, 1954

King's College Chapel in Cambridge is one of the most beautiful places on earth and has one of the best known Christmas ceremonies, the festival of lessons and carols on Christmas Eve, which is broadcast all over the world. The Choir of King's College has made several commercial recordings of the ceremony; one of the first is this 1954 recording, conducted by its then-director, Boris Ord.

The Choir, composed of boys and choral scholars from the college, is justly as famous as its Chapel, which, despite its name, is a vast edifice.

Perhaps because I have been privileged to have attended choral evensong in the chapel, I find this record to be both treasurable and memorable. When the Choir and organist Hugh McLean launch into the hymn While Shepherds Watch, the effect is truly magnificent.

This transfer is from the US Westminster pressing of the Argo original. The sound reflects the beautiful King's College Chapel ambiance - except for several of the lessons, which sound more like they were recorded in the King's College Closet. Odd, but not enough to spoil the overall effect.

Happy holidays to all our friends!