Rare BBC TV broadcast: rehearsal at Temple Church 1958 (George Thalben-Ball)
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- čas přidán 9. 04. 2016
- This previously-unseen footage of George Thalben-Ball rehearsing the Temple Church choir in 1958 may have been part of an hour-long programme called “Sunday Special”, which was broadcast on 29 June 1958 on BBC TV. The choir was filmed practising the “Jubilate” and Psalm 126.
The film was rescued from a skip when Broadcasting House was being refurbished and is the only known film footage of Thalben-Ball and the Temple Choir. It is astonishing to think that the BBC were so unmindful of the cultural heritage entrusted to their care that they simply threw it away. - Hudba
Mattbod: GT-B, "Doctor", was, indeed, a wonderful man. I sang in his Temple choir 50 years ago. When he congratulated us on good singing, it was wonderful: "Boys, that was RIPPING!". If things weren't so good, the worst he said was "Oh, you DOLTS!" - and the bottom dropped out of our worlds. It used to be said that he tuned the choir with his eyebrows: I think this was true. When he conducted he used only the smallest gestures and, in fact, things were mostly directed from the organ loft with the head chorister (a boy of maybe 15) on decani relaying the beat to the whole choir with a forefinger tapping on the music desk. Ah - it all seems a very long way away. We were certainly one of the best choirs in the country ... but I freely admit that of course we only sang one service a week, unlike hard-worked cathedral choristers singing many services each week.
Being a Temple chorister under GTB was a life-defining experience. I am so grateful to him.
Edward Davies I’m also a temple chorister and choir is as good as it was 50 years ago.
Was his speech always as formal as in this video?
You lucky little..........!!!
@@gnorn3607 People just spoke more formally in those days. Yes - I suppose I KNEW that Doctor spoke in a "posh", or grand, way (even for those days in the late 1960s) ... but I think I'd nowadays prefer to call it "old-fashioned" rather than "posh". We were all, as Temple choristers, pupils at City of London School which was, and is still, I really believe, a remarkable place where gifted young people, whatever their background - or spoken accent - will thrive.
@@BenEmberley Yes - aged 67 - I still consider it was a wonderful start. Just 4 years in that wonderful choir ... and it marked me for life.
Doctor was simply wonderful and an inspiration. Every second with him was pure gold.
I heard that G T-B was a lovely man. It is fascinating to watch this. I always remrmber the
late Carlo Curley refering to his organ lessons with him: "my dear Carlo don't show all your goods at once" or words to that effect.
Correct pronunciation - correct tone. Choirmasters - please listen to this. you will learn more in six minutes from this master than a lifetime of practice.
+Robert Glasby Listening to this gives an insight into why GTB had such an influence on upcoming choirmasters at the time. You're right: all modern-day choirmasters should be obliged to listen!
Jolly good!
Oh beautiful this was to hear AND see. I was transported back to 1963 and my arrival as a young treble at SMC. I remembered how scared I was at the extreme seriousness of the craft. The trebles sounded so good and George’s gentle ways showed themselves as he asked for soloists to demonstrate his points. I see why the Temple choir was considered so important in the development of church music outside of Coll. Reg.
Simply delightful! They don't make them like that any more...
+Graham Buik They certainly don't!
That's splendid. What a wonderful lesson condensed in 6 minutes. Here in Italy we never had choirs like that and this video is pure joy to watch.
Nostalgic 1950s pronunciation - 'eand', 'past-your'. Legendary GTB - ''That's a splendid trumpet!' (3'13)
+Habakkuk Absolutely!
What a treasure! This choir is phenomenal.
"Trumpet!" "Meditate!" "Dream!" They just *get* it.
As good as they are, none of the top British choirs _ring_ like this anymore.
It’s because they are not taught in head tone anymore. It’s a part of our musical culture which has been lost.
For all my personal complaints about the matter, I wonder how much the recording tools influenced the sound of that time.
I believe he defined this exquisite style.
The church, the organ and, the choirs are prime.
Priceless footage. I still have all my Grannies 78's from the 1920's also the HMV LP's from the late 50's. The Christmas one comes out every year!.
It's almost startling to see how old and large the boys are. A few of them are as tall as the choir men in the back row. Voices changed so much later back then, boys sang treble into the mid or even late teens, unheard of today. It's reflected in the sound. You couldn't get a men and boys choir to make that sound today with the boys being as young as they are. It's lost.
OldPost661: Yes, it is unusual today for a boy to still be a treble when he turns 14. Aled Jones was a full-tilt treble when he turned 16, but his voice started to change shortly thereafter.
It can't be genes. In the deepest country side, voices still break later. So much is lost today.
".....that important word beginning with t; t-u-n-e, more important than t-i-m-e, or t-o-n-e......" LOVE that! ^_^
Jolly Good!
I cannot believe this was almost thrown away! I am greatly enjoying it this evening.
This is amazing, excellent.
It is so interesting and insightful to hear.
G. T.-B. was the only man I ever saw wearing spats! 1978, Matins, followed by lunch at the Inner Temple. Sherry, white wine, red wine... gracious!
Lovely!
That must be Robin Lough at 9:50, none other that Ernest' s son. What a delightful, mature voice, and a treasure almost lost. Beat that, Brown!
9.50? There isn't one! It ends at 9.49.
Robin at 4:40
And the 'praise band'? I don't see Sir George calling on *them* for their 'contribution.'
(No sign of the banners, projector screen or drum kit, either.)
Just plain beautiful chanting voices
Wonderful. Simply superb recording.
I wonder what the seated treble is about? Illness perhaps?
And unconducted ! These days you have a man coming out and waving his arms about even in the hymns. A wonder what GTB would have thought of that.
Indeed, the waving of arms, although most of them today will stand to one side as a token of humility or somesuch. I am reminded of Boris Ord in the old Carols from Kings broadcast, simply tapping the time unobtrusively from the stalls alongside his choristers, with a "beater" opposite, a remarkably economical and efficient way of making music, similar to the way chamber music ensembles work.
Fabulous!
+RMLectronics East Yorks Glad you appreciated it. Certainly an inspired find by the conscientious person who rescued it from a BBC skip!
+Archive of Recorded Church Music I appreciate very much the upload. I was at Leeds Parish Church 1963 - 1971, Head Chorister 68 - 71. I would very much hope that my solo work is still available at the BBC but they've most probably relinquished older recordings to the skip! I have a BBC record dated 1967 which I would like to digitise & upload, as soon as I can get the software! We sang in Latin, German & French and I featured in Monteverdi's Laudate Dominum.
Apart from BBC Choral Evensongs, the Archive has a large collection of recordings from Leeds Parish Church, 10 various ones from your time there.. you must have been contemporary with Paul Dutton. If you download the Discography you can see all what we have from Leeds. Most interested in the BBC record that you have! Colin.
👍😌💫👍
Does anybody know the very first piece that the choir are singing, as the video starts?
'King of Glory, King of Peace' by Walford Davies
"that's a splendid trumpet" 😂
correction 4: 40, Robin Lough, who can also be heard here:
czcams.com/video/ThQRHBZgCR8/video.html
Which Jubilate is that? I recognise it but can't name it
What's the name of the church?
The Temple Church, as stated in the title.
That was a somewhat crisp answer, so I will elaborate and apologize for that person. Temple Church was established by the Knights Templar, and is in the center of the legal profession of London. It is an Anglican Church these days. Several Templars are buried there - including one of my great-grandfathers: fellow by the name of Pembroke. I have to travel from Texas to put flowers on his grave.
Diction!