London's Westminster Abbey has existed for nearly a millennium, and its choir school for about half that period. This present record has only been around for 66 years, but is historic in its own right.
Information on these matters is hard to find - for me at least - but this is probably the first LP recorded by the choir, although it had made occasional records going back to the 1920s.
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| William McKie |
The selection of carols, mainly familiar, was led by Dr. (later Sir) William McKie, Organist and Master of the Choristers at the Abbey from 1941 to his 1963 retirement. McKie and his choristers had gained notice for the music he programmed for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth in 1947. The accompanist here is Dr. Osborne Peasgood, the abbey's Sub-Organist beginning in 1924. The soloists are not identified, although the bass may be Hervey Alan, who was one of the Lay Vicars there at one time.
The performances on this 10-inch LP are excellent. The vintage recordings, made in the Abbey, are good, although they do not fully convey the structure's vast acoustic, nor the power of its Harrison & Harrison organ.
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| Choristers assembling before the 1947 royal wedding |
