Ralph Vaughan Williams was commissioned to write 'Serenade to Music' in 1938 to celebrate the 50th anniversary as a conductor of Sir Henry Wood, founder of the Proms. It was written for sixteen named singers who had worked over the years with both Henry Wood and Vaughan Williams. They gave the first performance, and Wood conducted them in a recording a few days later.
Albion Records is releasing an album (ALBCD059 Serenade to Music) exploring each of the sixteen singers through other 78 rom recordings that they made. This video briefly previews a selection of them.
This is the first time that such a project has been undertaken, and about half of the 18 tracks on the album have been restored and digitised for the first time. The restoration was undertaken by Peter Reynolds of Reynolds mastering.
Of course that original, 1938, recording of Serenade to Music is included.
Why 18 tracks, rather than 17, making one for each singer, plus the Serenade? One singer, [Sir] Keith Faulkner, would have been one of the sixteen had he not been out of the country and unable to take part. We have included a track for him, reflecting his importance.
All the 78 rpm discs used in the album have been taken from the collections of Stephen Connock and the late David Michell.
5 сен 2024
