RECORDS
Independent label: One of those case where a label doesn't seem to have had a name as such and I've had to use the artist's name as an identifier; though the use of a 'BBC' prefix for one of its records suggests that the use isn't unjustified in this case. The Berkshire Boy Choristers appear to have been responsible for six privately pressed EPs between 1969 and 1975. The first four came in the form of two double packs: they were 'Singing At St. Severin, Paris' (No number, c.1969), featuring 'An Easter Sequence' by Kenneth Leighton; and 'Singing In Antwerp And Ghent Cathedrals' (BBC-001 /002; 1971), which contained songs from Britten's 'Missa Brevis' and other religious items. The fifth EP,' Songs Of The Berkshiremen' (SFI-202; 1974), offered a selection of local folk songs; while the fourth, 'Evening Mass For Low Sunday, Holy Year 1975' (SF-206; 1975) returned to the religious theme. The last two were made through custom recording firm Sound For Industry (q.v.), and their catalogue / matrix numbers were taken from that company's main series. Thanks to the existence of a similarly-named choir from America, the Berkshire Boy Choir, there's some confusion online about which of them made these recordings: Andrew Burn's sleeve notes to a Naxos Records recording of the Kenneth Leighton piece refer to it as having been commissioned by the 'Berkshire Boy Choristers' from the United States for the performance at St. Severin, while a press release for September / October 1973 from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg refers to a forthcoming concert of works by William Byrd to be performed by the Berkshire Boy Choristers "d'Angleterre". However, as a charity called the Berkshire Boy Choristers Association was set up in Britain in 1974 I think we can be certain that the Choristers on at least some of those EPs were from the UK and that their records qualify as UK releases. To complicate matters further there was also a Berkshire Boys' Choir, set up in 1988 by Gillian Dibden. Thanks to Henry29 of the 45cat site for the use of his scan here. Thanks to Robert Lyons For The Info
| 71 | Berkshire Boy Choristers | Singing In Antwerp And Ghent Cathedrals | BERKSHIRE BOY CHORISTERS | BBC LP 01 / BBC LP 02 |
