A group of schoolboys who sang on Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem recording in 1963 were brought back together thanks to an advertisement in a local newspaper by Decca Records calling for surviving members to come forward. The Requiem recording sold 200,000 copies in just five months, winning Britten two Grammy Awards. The choir from London’s Highgate School was never given any credit for the recording, but a successful search by Decca Records resulted in 15 members reuniting in Soho.
During the reunion, the choir listened to a newly remastered version of their War Requiem recording, reviving memories of the grueling experience of recording Britten’s masterpiece. One member recalled their feeling of relief once the recording was over, while another remembered the first day of recording being a washout due to Galina Vishnevskaya throwing a hissy fit because she was placed in a balcony next to the choirboys.
The War Requiem was created to mark the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral in 1962 after the original 14th Century building was destroyed in a bombing raid in World War Two. Britten combined the traditional Latin text of the Requiem Mass with the anti-war poetry of soldier Wilfred Owen. The work was a critically acclaimed success, quickly being declared a masterpiece.
Decca Records recently reissued its recording of War Requiem, retaining the original recordings from 1963 by baking and digitizing the master tapes. In addition to this, during the remastering process, the label discovered the recordings of the original rehearsals, where Britten himself conducted the choir. The young choristers were advised “Don’t make it sound nice. It’s horrid, it’s modern music.” This style of instruction became a theme during the reuniting of the choir.
The boys in the choir went on to achieve success in different fields, including music, architecture, engineering, and running a charity for those in the dairy industry. Reuniting after 60 years was an emotional experience for the schoolboys, who, despite the overwhelming nature of the event, recalled “the emotions, the excitement, and the fun” of recording with Britten
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
