A chance discovery has uncovered, what is believed to be the earliest live
recording of a Cathedral choir. The recording of the Rochester Cathedral choir
was rediscovered by Michael Curling, a member of the City of London
Phonograph and Gramophone Society. It was recorded nearly 100 years ago in
1926 and was played at a special Choral Evensong on Sunday 19th May at
Rochester Cathedral.

In 1926, Columbia Records sent technicians down to Rochester Cathedral.
Electronic microphones were set up so they could record the Cathedral Choir.
This recording was transferred, live, by telephone lines to the Columbia Studio
in Westminster. These were then cut into a 12 inch, 80 revs per minute, shellac
record. Although some earlier recordings of cathedral choirs were made, these
were recorded in Columbia Studios in front of large sound horn. This recording
is believed to be the earliest recording of a Cathedral Choir singing in their own
Cathedral. The recording was made in the Cathedral on the 1st November 1926
and it was issued commercially by Columbia Records in February 1927

When Michael Curling found the record he contacted Jeremy Lloyd, Assistant
Director of Music at Rochester Cathedral. The Archivist of the Rochester
Cathedral Old Choristers Association, James Strike, visited Michael Curling who
kindly gifted the historic and fragile record to the Cathedral.

The recording features the Magnificat in B flat by Charles Stanford on one
side and the Old Hundredth hymn, All People that on earth do dwell on the
other. The Cathedral choir was conducted by Charles Hylton-Steward, Director
of Music from 1916-1930. Remarkably, the Organist in the recording is Percy
Whitlock, the famous 20th Century composer. He had been a Chorister at the
Cathedral from 1911-1918 and then was Assistant Organist from 1920-1930.

Adrian Bawtree, Director of Music at Rochester Cathedral said:

“We are delighted to be sharing this historic recording with you all. To hear the choir in such good heart back in 1926 and to hear the famous Percy Whitlock at the organ is just simply fantastic. We will do our best to continue to sing with the Spirit when we combine with our Old Chorister’s at Evensong on the 19th May.”

To preserve this record for future posterity, Alistair Taylor, owner of a specialist
record shop in Rochester High Street has transferred the old shellac recording
to a CD so it could be played over the Cathedral sound system at a special
Evensong on Sunday 19th May. This will be the first time in nearly a century the
voices of those old choristers will fill the Cathedral once more.