News
We now have an extensive programme of London and Regional meetings throughout the year, including some on-line (via Zoom). Full details are given in the Diary pages.
Full details of the CLPGS Society Reception (in June), and the Malvern Weekend Conference (in October), are now available on the Events page.
For more information, and to donate, see: Nipper and His Master’s Voice – Huguenot Museum
We present a fabulous playlist of hits from 100 years ago, for your enjoyment.
1924 was the last year of commercial "acoustic" recordings, before electric recordings took the 78rpm disc market by storm. But what popular music were people listening to 100 years ago?
As there were no hits charts back then we have created a playlist using the Directory of Popular Music by Leslie Lowe, a veteran of the music publishing industry. His introduction tells us it is a comprehensive work of reference for popular music, listing around 9,000 songs and tunes originating in countries all over the world and which have proved their popularity over the years. The criteria for inclusion... is either by the amount of sheet music sold, the number of records sold or by consistent performances in films or on stage.
The book lists songs going back as far as 1813; and includes many non-British recordings. It was decided that for this playlist we would focus on British recordings, i.e. only those made in Britain. This means that some records are in fact by American artists who recorded them in the UK. Although the book also includes later recordings of some songs, we have confined our selection to contemporary issues, based on when the song first became popular. Thus some songs were actually published in 1923 (and took time to become well known), or in 1925 (after they had been recorded or released).
Whilst the playlist contains 28 recordings it is by no means exhaustive, as contemporary British recordings of some notable songs of 1924 are not known/ listed in the Directory. Nevertheless we hope you will enjoy this snapshot of British recording studios' output from the last months of the acoustic era.
With many thanks to member Theo Morgan for collating and curating the 1924 playlist.
As there were no hits charts back then we have created a playlist using the Directory of Popular Music by Leslie Lowe, a veteran of the music publishing industry. His introduction tells us it is a comprehensive work of reference for popular music, listing around 9,000 songs and tunes originating in countries all over the world and which have proved their popularity over the years. The criteria for inclusion... is either by the amount of sheet music sold, the number of records sold or by consistent performances in films or on stage.
The book lists songs going back as far as 1813; and includes many non-British recordings. It was decided that for this playlist we would focus on British recordings, i.e. only those made in Britain. This means that some records are in fact by American artists who recorded them in the UK. Although the book also includes later recordings of some songs, we have confined our selection to contemporary issues, based on when the song first became popular. Thus some songs were actually published in 1923 (and took time to become well known), or in 1925 (after they had been recorded or released).
Whilst the playlist contains 28 recordings it is by no means exhaustive, as contemporary British recordings of some notable songs of 1924 are not known/ listed in the Directory. Nevertheless we hope you will enjoy this snapshot of British recording studios' output from the last months of the acoustic era.
With many thanks to member Theo Morgan for collating and curating the 1924 playlist.
Warm Seasonal Greetings from Mr Edison,
and the bunch at Orange.
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In December 1924 - exactly one hundred years ago - Thomas Edison sent a special edition Diamond Disk to each of his Dealers around the USA. It contained Christmas greetings from Departmental managers at the Edison Orange NJ site; as well as from Edison himself, and his son Charles. Click here to listen to their messages. This rare disk was never offered for sale to the public. (With thanks to Howard Hope for drawing our attention to this gem.) |
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Phil Bennett
We were very sad to hear the news that long-standing member Phil died in early December. He was joint founder (with Eddie Dunn) of the much-missed West Midlands CLPGS group. He was also well known on the West Midlands Trad Jazz scene, running a very successful Jazz Club at The Giffard Arms, in Wolverhampton. His Funeral is likely to be in January; we await details.
Apply now for a CLPGS 2025 Richard Taylor Bursary Grant
The City of London Phonograph and Gramophone Society (CLPGS) is the oldest society of its kind devoted to recorded sound and early talking machines, founded in 1919 with Thomas Edison as Patron. It supports and encourages scholarship and publication by individuals in the field of sound recordings, early talking machines and audio preservation. The CLPGS Richard Taylor Bursary programme exists to fund eligible projects in this field, including discography, bibliography, historical studies of the sound recording industry and its products, company and record-label research, the history of talking machines, technological developments; and any other subject likely to increase the public's understanding and appreciation of the lasting importance of recorded sound. Bursary grants are primarily (but not exclusively) designed to encourage applications from individuals whose research forms part of an academic programme at the master's or doctoral level. They could, for instance, help fund independent research and publishing projects.
Both CLPGS members and non-members are eligible to apply for Bursary grants of at least £500. Grant funds can be used to underwrite clerical, travel, and editorial expenses. However, grants may not be used to purchase capital equipment or recordings; nor to create recordings (including field recordings); nor to perform operations on sound recordings; nor to reimburse applicants for work already performed; nor to support projects which form part of paid employment. In addition, grant recipients may submit documentation to reclaim reasonable extra expenses; any such expenses must be claimed within eighteen months of the grant award.
Grant recipients are required to provide regular status updates on their projects to CLPGS; and are encouraged to submit their results for publication in the CLPGS Journal “For the Record”. Recipients may also be invited to present their project outcomes at a CLPGS London meeting.
Applications for a CLPGS Richard Taylor Bursary should include:
Both CLPGS members and non-members are eligible to apply for Bursary grants of at least £500. Grant funds can be used to underwrite clerical, travel, and editorial expenses. However, grants may not be used to purchase capital equipment or recordings; nor to create recordings (including field recordings); nor to perform operations on sound recordings; nor to reimburse applicants for work already performed; nor to support projects which form part of paid employment. In addition, grant recipients may submit documentation to reclaim reasonable extra expenses; any such expenses must be claimed within eighteen months of the grant award.
Grant recipients are required to provide regular status updates on their projects to CLPGS; and are encouraged to submit their results for publication in the CLPGS Journal “For the Record”. Recipients may also be invited to present their project outcomes at a CLPGS London meeting.
Applications for a CLPGS Richard Taylor Bursary should include:
- A summary of your project (one page maximum), with samples of the work attached if possible.
- An outline budget for the project, highlighting the costs and expenses the Bursary will cover (one page maximum). Indicate any funds that have already been committed to the project; and any pending funding requests, giving their source(s) (e.g. foundation name and location), the amount sought, and the purpose.
- Your Curriculum Vitae (one page maximum).
- An indication of the prospects for publication, and/or other public presentation(s) of the project results.
The Ultimate Phonograph Cylinder Handbook: Reference Series No.6 - reissued
RS6 is in more or less continual evolution, and we are pleased to say the 2025 issue is now available. This is the tenth version of the database and book since its first launch in 2010.
Details of more than 78,000 cylinders are included, from more than 50 different manufacturers from around the world. Many previous gaps have now been filled in.
It is now in a handy single book format, and includes newly-discovered information. As always if readers have additional facts, or find errors, please contact Keith Harrison on [email protected], to ensure future editions are even more useful.
The new RS6 can be ordered from the Reference Series section of the Shop page.
RS6 is in more or less continual evolution, and we are pleased to say the 2025 issue is now available. This is the tenth version of the database and book since its first launch in 2010.
Details of more than 78,000 cylinders are included, from more than 50 different manufacturers from around the world. Many previous gaps have now been filled in.
It is now in a handy single book format, and includes newly-discovered information. As always if readers have additional facts, or find errors, please contact Keith Harrison on [email protected], to ensure future editions are even more useful.
The new RS6 can be ordered from the Reference Series section of the Shop page.
2024 Bursary Awards Announced
This is the seventh year in which we have run the Bursary grants scheme. During this time - which includes the Pandemic years - we have received no less than 17 applications, including four this year. After much deliberation the Board decided to make just one grant for 2024. This means we have now made 12 awards, totalling over £9,000, since the scheme started.
This year’s Bursary grant was to Mr. Trayce Arssow, based in North Macedonia. He has been awarded £1,000 to research Paul Voigt’s recording activities for Edison Bell across four countries in eastern Europe, his so-called “Quadrangular Record project”. Inter alia this will involve researching primary source material in Zagreb (the Edison Bell Penkala Company papers); and eventually the Paul Voigt Collection in Archives Canada. We wish him every success.
This year’s Bursary grant was to Mr. Trayce Arssow, based in North Macedonia. He has been awarded £1,000 to research Paul Voigt’s recording activities for Edison Bell across four countries in eastern Europe, his so-called “Quadrangular Record project”. Inter alia this will involve researching primary source material in Zagreb (the Edison Bell Penkala Company papers); and eventually the Paul Voigt Collection in Archives Canada. We wish him every success.
Paul Collenette
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We are very sad to report the death of long-time member Paul Collenette on 21 May 2024. Paul lived in Topsham, Devon. A long-standing member of CLPGS he was a huge enthusiast for all things Edison; and a very active participant in the West of England branch. A full Obituary and Tribute are in For the Record issue 91. |
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The Musical Museum at Brentford, West London:
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CLPGS has an excellent standing exhibition of over 40 gramophones, phonographs and related ephemera at the Musical Museum in Brentford, West London. From time to time some of the machines are demonstrated. The CLPGS exhibition has been expanded in the past couple of years, and is believed to be the largest display of talking machines now open to the public in the UK.
On 7th July 2024 CLPGS held an enjoyable Reception at the Musical Museum for members and guests. It is hoped a similar event will be held in 2025.
The Musical Museum was established 60 years ago, and urgently needs to raise funds to continue operating. Their long-term plans were overtaken by the Covid pandemic, which forced them to close completely for the first time. Although they are now receiving more visitors, and have more events than ever before, the pandemic took a deep toll on their financial health. The costs of running the building are also rising beyond all expectations.
Thus to mark their 60th Anniversary the Musical Museum launched a fund raising Appeal. You can make a difference by donating today. They need your help to survive – please click here to donate.
On 7th July 2024 CLPGS held an enjoyable Reception at the Musical Museum for members and guests. It is hoped a similar event will be held in 2025.
The Musical Museum was established 60 years ago, and urgently needs to raise funds to continue operating. Their long-term plans were overtaken by the Covid pandemic, which forced them to close completely for the first time. Although they are now receiving more visitors, and have more events than ever before, the pandemic took a deep toll on their financial health. The costs of running the building are also rising beyond all expectations.
Thus to mark their 60th Anniversary the Musical Museum launched a fund raising Appeal. You can make a difference by donating today. They need your help to survive – please click here to donate.
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CLPGS members can visit the Musical Museum at half price. Simply give your name at the ticket desk. It is well worth a visit! More details of the Museum, including opening times, events etc can be found on the Museum's website. |
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We are very sad to announce the deaths of two
long-standing CLPGS members. Simon Blumlein, one of our Patrons, died on 2nd January 2024 after a short illness. He gave a sparkling after-dinner speech in October 2023 in Malvern; there is an affectionate write-up of it in For the Record issue 88. He was the son of Alan Blumlein, who invented stereo recording (amongst many other things). |
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Robin Brightman passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in late December 2023. He was a regular visitor to our London meetings. Before Covid he played his original Stroh violin during experiments to make phonograph cylinder recordings at one such meeting. The photo shown is from that event.
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Reference Series book RS49 now publishedWe are pleased to announce that RS49 is now available. This well-illustrated book explores The Gramophone & Typewriter Ltd's pioneering acoustic recordings of the Messiah in 1906 (across 25 sides!), and includes two CDs of these and other early acoustic recordings of Handel's masterpiece. For more details/ to buy a copy click here, then scroll to the end of that page. It is a bargain at just £15 inc P&P (£16 for non-members). |
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HMV re-opens flagship Store at 363 Oxford Street, London W1
Although HMV has changed hands several times since EMI days, the brand re-opened their flagship shop in Nov 2023. See: HMV Oxford Street flagship store reopens four years after closing - BBC News
2023 Bursary Awards Announced
There were four strong applications for diverse projects, all of which were awarded 2023 Bursary Award Grants.
- Dr Aurea Dominguez (Basel, Switzerland), who is researching the key role that women played in the development of the recorded music industry from the 1890s to the 1930s, especially in Europe. Her project will inter alia look at contemporary Advertising, and the role of women as Consumers as well as Performers. She has been awarded £850 to prepare and present at three Conferences.
- Mr Jonathan Emeruwa (London), who received an Award in 2022, and is expanding his Ambientscape website (www.ambientscape.com) and related project. The aim is to preserve and restore culturally-diverse phonograph cylinder recordings, and make them and discographical information easily accessible online to researchers, enthusiasts and content creators. He has been awarded £610 for editorial and other costs.
- Dr Barbara Gentili (Cardiff), who is undertaking a historiography of Operatic singing. By studying and comparing early vocal recordings in the late 19th/ early 20th Century with contemporary vocal treatises she will explore the origins of the multifaceted ‘modernity’ of Italian operatic singing; and the broader cultural context in which it emerged. She has been awarded £750 towards publishing her book.
- Dr. Fatima Volkoviskii (Madrid, Spain) who plans to research singing (performance) practices in the early recording era, focusing on the highly popular Spanish mezzo-soprano Conchita Supervía (1895-1936), who made over 200 recordings; and to publish the results. She has been awarded £640 for travel expenses for a research visit to London.
Pete Clinch
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We are very sad to announce the untimely death of Committee member, indefatigable organiser of the N Wales branch, and long-standing member Pete Clinch. He died aged 64, on 30 Jan 2023 due to cancer. A full obituary is in For the Record issue no. 85.
Pete’s funeral was on Thurs 16th Feb at Bangor Crematorium, N. Wales. Donations may be made to the ALAW UNIT ENDOWMENT FUND, Bangor (which buys equipment for the cancer ward). |
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His Master's Voices
This excellent five-part BBC Radio series, first broadcast in 2015, is currently being repeated. It explores the history of the gramophone, from the earliest days of The Gramophone Company in 1898, through to the first superstar recordings.
Click here for full details.
Click here for full details.
New Selected Bibliography page
A list of important publications likely to be of interest to collectors, enthusiasts and/or researchers has been added to our Website as a new resource. Dozens of relevant publications are included. Although some are out of print, they may nevertheless be available in good Libraries, or purchased second hand. See under the Info Centre tab for the full list.
Florrie Forde: The World's Greatest Chorus Singer - Reference Series no. 48
Keith Harrison has been researching Florrie Forde for a number of years, and this superb book is the result. It contains details of Florrie's early life and career in Australia; her journey to London; and her long and successful working life in the UK. The text is fully supported by source details, to assist researchers in finding further detail.
The accompanying CD contains unusual samples of her recordings, with week by week details of most of her performances in Australia and the UK; a listing of all her known recordings; plus most of the pictures in the book - and much more!
To order your copy go to the Reference Series page.
The Shattered Podcast launches
With the very kind assistance of CLPGS, Lesser of 2 Weevils Productions are proud to present The Shattered Podcast. Partly funded through the Richard Taylor Bursary, Shattered is hosted by Nemo and Dr Phil Donan, and produced by Dr. Leslie McMurtry.
In the early 1900s the great and good at the Paris Opera buried an urn full of “living voices” - gramophone recordings of famous opera stars - to be disinterred after a century. When those urns were opened in the 2000s, mysterious cylinder recordings were also discovered. But who made them? And why?
Shattered launched in August 2022. You can listen via many podcast platforms, including: Keep up to date with all 13 episodes by bookmarking the Shattered website.
In the early 1900s the great and good at the Paris Opera buried an urn full of “living voices” - gramophone recordings of famous opera stars - to be disinterred after a century. When those urns were opened in the 2000s, mysterious cylinder recordings were also discovered. But who made them? And why?
Shattered launched in August 2022. You can listen via many podcast platforms, including: Keep up to date with all 13 episodes by bookmarking the Shattered website.
UPDATED & RE-ISSUED: "A Scottish Vernacular Discography 1888-1960": Reference Series No. 46
After having been out of print for some time, we have updated and re-issued the late Bill Dean-Myatt's magnificent discography of records of Scottish interest as our latest Reference Series book.
Priced at £16.00 for non-members (including free postage and packing worldwide) it consists of a 36-page colour booklet plus a CD ROM of record labels, and a searchable database of all the Scottish titles that Bill could discover. This includes many additional listings not detailed in his original book, as Bill kept working on the discography until his final illness in 2020.
For more information and to order on-line, please go to the Shop > Reference Series page.
After having been out of print for some time, we have updated and re-issued the late Bill Dean-Myatt's magnificent discography of records of Scottish interest as our latest Reference Series book.
Priced at £16.00 for non-members (including free postage and packing worldwide) it consists of a 36-page colour booklet plus a CD ROM of record labels, and a searchable database of all the Scottish titles that Bill could discover. This includes many additional listings not detailed in his original book, as Bill kept working on the discography until his final illness in 2020.
For more information and to order on-line, please go to the Shop > Reference Series page.
The CLPGS Forum
We have regretfully decided to suspend the CLPGS on-line discussion forum, as it has not achieved critical mass in terms of regular usage and postings. Instead there are other active discussion forums elsewhere about talking machines and records. Links to these can be found on our Web Links page.
We have regretfully decided to suspend the CLPGS on-line discussion forum, as it has not achieved critical mass in terms of regular usage and postings. Instead there are other active discussion forums elsewhere about talking machines and records. Links to these can be found on our Web Links page.
Bill Dean-Myatt 1933-2021
We have received the very sad news that Bill Dean-Myatt passed away aged 87 on Jan 7th, as a result of Covid 19. He had been admitted to hospital in the middle of December, was discharged on Christmas Eve, but re-admitted on Christmas Day. A full Obituary was in For the Record, issue 77 (Spring 2021).
We have received the very sad news that Bill Dean-Myatt passed away aged 87 on Jan 7th, as a result of Covid 19. He had been admitted to hospital in the middle of December, was discharged on Christmas Eve, but re-admitted on Christmas Day. A full Obituary was in For the Record, issue 77 (Spring 2021).
A Concert of Berliner 5” disc records has recently been added to this website. These rare records, which are around 130 years old, recently came to light along with the original Kämmer & Reinhardt gramophone supplied with them. The fourteen discs have been expertly transferred by Norman Field, and can be heard in Concert No. 7 in the Sound Library section. (17 April 2020)
A Plaque to commemorate Europe's first disc recording studio
unveiled at 31 Maiden Lane, London WC2, on 4th Dec 2019
Roger Taylor unveils the plaque
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Peter Adamson holds forth on Fred Gaisberg
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The new plaque in situ
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CLPGS President Christopher Proudfoot writes: in For the Record issue 56 (Winter 2015) Peter Adamson wrote about the Gramophone Company’s original 1898 recording studio in Maiden Lane, a narrow back street in the Covent Garden area of London, just north of The Strand. The main theme of his article was to dismiss the commonly repeated notion that the recording studio was in the basement; he showed beyond doubt that it was on the first floor, with large windows overlooking Maiden Lane.
Since Victorian times the building has been reconstructed internally, although the frontage survives, with some alterations at ground level. Because of the difference in level between the front of the original building (in Henrietta Street) and its back in Maiden Lane, the ‘ground floor’ is actually up a short flight of stairs from the door in Maiden Lane; it is now occupied by a Pizza restaurant, who also occupy the basement as a large function room, complete with bar.
I was passing this building last summer with some family members on our way to a wedding reception, and someone asked, when I pointed out No 31 and its historic significance, why there was no ‘Blue Plaque’ on it? I was able to reassure them that this was indeed under consideration, and not long after I learnt that it had progressed beyond the ‘consideration’ stage. James Hall, a journalist who had been writing a novel based on the early gramophone industry, had had the same idea and had succeeded in getting approval from Westminster City Council for a green plaque, and the necessary funding - not least from the EMI Archive Trust with the backing of the Universal Music Group.
On 4th December 2019, accordingly, an unveiling ceremony was held in that basement which had never held a studio, the plaque being subsequently attached to the wall outside. CLPGS was represented by several members including Tom Stephenson, who had himself begun investigating the possibility of a plaque before finding that James Hall had already done the groundwork. We contributed a display of four early Gramophones, each of which would have been assembled in the very same building, quite possibly in the basement, in 1898-1901. These made a good impression on other delegates present, from the recording industry and related Press.
The main event was introduced by Caryn Tomlinson, who Chairs the EMI Archive Trust; followed by an explanatory speech by James Hall (still struggling to remember that the original studio was ‘in this building’, not ‘in this basement’); the unveiling of the plaque by the drummer of Queen, Roger Taylor; and a talk by our own Peter Adamson on the early history of the Gramophone Company. He finished with the tale of Emma Calve’s reluctance to enter this unprepossessing premises to make recordings; an up-front cheque helped change her mind.
Since Victorian times the building has been reconstructed internally, although the frontage survives, with some alterations at ground level. Because of the difference in level between the front of the original building (in Henrietta Street) and its back in Maiden Lane, the ‘ground floor’ is actually up a short flight of stairs from the door in Maiden Lane; it is now occupied by a Pizza restaurant, who also occupy the basement as a large function room, complete with bar.
I was passing this building last summer with some family members on our way to a wedding reception, and someone asked, when I pointed out No 31 and its historic significance, why there was no ‘Blue Plaque’ on it? I was able to reassure them that this was indeed under consideration, and not long after I learnt that it had progressed beyond the ‘consideration’ stage. James Hall, a journalist who had been writing a novel based on the early gramophone industry, had had the same idea and had succeeded in getting approval from Westminster City Council for a green plaque, and the necessary funding - not least from the EMI Archive Trust with the backing of the Universal Music Group.
On 4th December 2019, accordingly, an unveiling ceremony was held in that basement which had never held a studio, the plaque being subsequently attached to the wall outside. CLPGS was represented by several members including Tom Stephenson, who had himself begun investigating the possibility of a plaque before finding that James Hall had already done the groundwork. We contributed a display of four early Gramophones, each of which would have been assembled in the very same building, quite possibly in the basement, in 1898-1901. These made a good impression on other delegates present, from the recording industry and related Press.
The main event was introduced by Caryn Tomlinson, who Chairs the EMI Archive Trust; followed by an explanatory speech by James Hall (still struggling to remember that the original studio was ‘in this building’, not ‘in this basement’); the unveiling of the plaque by the drummer of Queen, Roger Taylor; and a talk by our own Peter Adamson on the early history of the Gramophone Company. He finished with the tale of Emma Calve’s reluctance to enter this unprepossessing premises to make recordings; an up-front cheque helped change her mind.
Reference Series RS100: The First Century and More
RS100, an A5-sized book, is a retrospective of the progress of recorded sound from dawn of the industry to the present day, in the form of chapters produced by CLPGS members. It was produced to celebrate the centenary of the Society in October 2019, and tells the story of the machines and the music played on them. It also contains a history of the first 100 years of CLPGS.
Order and pay on-line at "Shop", "Reference Series" and scroll down to RS100.
Order and pay on-line at "Shop", "Reference Series" and scroll down to RS100.
"Masters Series" Centenary Cylinders
To commemorate the centenary of the Society two cylinders have been recorded and issued. These are two minute records, made exclusively for CLPGS by the Vulcan Phonograph Cylinder Record Co, in an indestructible resin formula which is unbreakable in normal use.
For more information, and to buy or hear these cylinders on YouTube, follow the links on this Website to "Shop" then "Centenary Cylinders".
- Duet for Two Cats - Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti (attrib. Gioacchino Rossini): 100-1
- Moses and the Children of Israel (George Frideric Handel): 100-2
For more information, and to buy or hear these cylinders on YouTube, follow the links on this Website to "Shop" then "Centenary Cylinders".
The Malvern Centenary – or The Centenary Malvern, 2019
The year 2019 has been celebrated by our Society as the centenary of our first meeting in London in 1919.
And while we have had a re-enactment of our first ever programme of Blue Amberols and a couple of other
London talks on the 1919 theme, it was the October conference at Malvern that we chose to be the centre
of our celebrations.
Brian Oakley pulled out every stop to make this a ‘Malvern’ to remember. The well-established pattern of
events was followed, but everything was a little bit special this time, starting with the venue. Previously,
we have used the ‘Shaw’ Suite at the Abbey hotel, a windowless room in which we were at times short of
space, but for the great occasion, we splashed out on the much larger Elgar Suite. Access to this part of the
building is awkward for the disabled, but that inconvenience apart, the Elgar suite made for a far superior
event, with room for all 120 guests at dinner on the Saturday night, and a separate space for the exhibition.
The Exhibition itself was a major event; in the past, the Society has put on displays with public viewing in
mind, but in practice attendance has mainly been from members and so this exhibition was unashamedly
focussed on unusual machines that collectors might never have seen before. It was only there for two
days, but it was undoubtedly the most impressive display of rare phonographs and gramophones that
anyone had ever seen.
On arrival, delegates were handed a Welcome Pack, in a smart cloth carrier bag emblazoned with the
CLPGS name. In addition to the programme for the weekend, this contained a copy of RS 100, a catalogue
of the exhibition and a specially marked Parker ballpoint pen. RS 100 is a Reference Series booklet,
numbered out of sequence for obvious reasons, containing articles on the history of sound recording and of
the Society itself. The Friday evening reception was attended by the Mayor of Malvern, and, as has become
traditional in recent years, the Frank Andrews Award was presented to an unsuspecting member. On this
occasion, keeping the subject of the award in the dark had been particularly tricky, as he was a Board
Member – Keith Harrison, the man behind that RS 100, in addition to many other achievements.
Saturday was marked by two complementary presentations on the early days of the Gramophone Company
and its search for recording material, with a team of three from the EMI Archive Trust reading passages
from Fred Gaisberg’s and Sinkler Darby’s diaries of trips to Russia, India and Europe at the beginning of the
20 th century, and Will Prentice of the British Library following this with an account of Fred Tyler and the
company’s central Asian branch based in what is now Tbilisi just before the Great War of 1914. On a lighter
note, Ray Sturdy then told us about Vesta Tilley, the music hall male impersonator who was born in
Worcester, just up the road from Malvern, and our member Norman Field, himself no mean jazz
clarinettist, described the beginnings of jazz in Britain in 1919.
Another centenary event has been the production of two brand new 2-minute phonograph cylinders, one
recalling the 1888 recording of mass choirs singing Handel’s Israel in Egypt in the Crystal Palace, the other a
piece of operatic comedy in the Two Cat’s Duet. These were introduced, and played, by Tim Wood-
Woolley, assisted by Simon Heighes, who had arranged the recordings in Oxford, and acted as accompanist.
The dinner on Saturday night was followed by a short speech from the President, with toasts to the
Society’s leaders over the past 100 years; the event organisers, led by Brian Oakley; and the Society. Peter
Adamson then gave an entertaining programme of unexpected sounds on records. Sunday saw the AGM
and open forum, after which David Giovannoni of the American Phonograph Society gave a short address,
as did Christiane Hofer from Austria, representing GHT and bringing us a ‘present’ in the form of access to
the GHT database.
The Auction had attracted 150 lots and was well attended, with some high prices achieved. After lunch we
were entertained by Hotsy Totsy, a superb all-female jazz group.
As some of us waved goodbye, others stayed on for the Sunday night, some playing records on the
Society’s own Expert Minor gramophone, and final farewells were on Monday morning, with a universal
feeling of ‘What a wonderful weekend, what a pity it had to end so soon!’
The year 2019 has been celebrated by our Society as the centenary of our first meeting in London in 1919.
And while we have had a re-enactment of our first ever programme of Blue Amberols and a couple of other
London talks on the 1919 theme, it was the October conference at Malvern that we chose to be the centre
of our celebrations.
Brian Oakley pulled out every stop to make this a ‘Malvern’ to remember. The well-established pattern of
events was followed, but everything was a little bit special this time, starting with the venue. Previously,
we have used the ‘Shaw’ Suite at the Abbey hotel, a windowless room in which we were at times short of
space, but for the great occasion, we splashed out on the much larger Elgar Suite. Access to this part of the
building is awkward for the disabled, but that inconvenience apart, the Elgar suite made for a far superior
event, with room for all 120 guests at dinner on the Saturday night, and a separate space for the exhibition.
The Exhibition itself was a major event; in the past, the Society has put on displays with public viewing in
mind, but in practice attendance has mainly been from members and so this exhibition was unashamedly
focussed on unusual machines that collectors might never have seen before. It was only there for two
days, but it was undoubtedly the most impressive display of rare phonographs and gramophones that
anyone had ever seen.
On arrival, delegates were handed a Welcome Pack, in a smart cloth carrier bag emblazoned with the
CLPGS name. In addition to the programme for the weekend, this contained a copy of RS 100, a catalogue
of the exhibition and a specially marked Parker ballpoint pen. RS 100 is a Reference Series booklet,
numbered out of sequence for obvious reasons, containing articles on the history of sound recording and of
the Society itself. The Friday evening reception was attended by the Mayor of Malvern, and, as has become
traditional in recent years, the Frank Andrews Award was presented to an unsuspecting member. On this
occasion, keeping the subject of the award in the dark had been particularly tricky, as he was a Board
Member – Keith Harrison, the man behind that RS 100, in addition to many other achievements.
Saturday was marked by two complementary presentations on the early days of the Gramophone Company
and its search for recording material, with a team of three from the EMI Archive Trust reading passages
from Fred Gaisberg’s and Sinkler Darby’s diaries of trips to Russia, India and Europe at the beginning of the
20 th century, and Will Prentice of the British Library following this with an account of Fred Tyler and the
company’s central Asian branch based in what is now Tbilisi just before the Great War of 1914. On a lighter
note, Ray Sturdy then told us about Vesta Tilley, the music hall male impersonator who was born in
Worcester, just up the road from Malvern, and our member Norman Field, himself no mean jazz
clarinettist, described the beginnings of jazz in Britain in 1919.
Another centenary event has been the production of two brand new 2-minute phonograph cylinders, one
recalling the 1888 recording of mass choirs singing Handel’s Israel in Egypt in the Crystal Palace, the other a
piece of operatic comedy in the Two Cat’s Duet. These were introduced, and played, by Tim Wood-
Woolley, assisted by Simon Heighes, who had arranged the recordings in Oxford, and acted as accompanist.
The dinner on Saturday night was followed by a short speech from the President, with toasts to the
Society’s leaders over the past 100 years; the event organisers, led by Brian Oakley; and the Society. Peter
Adamson then gave an entertaining programme of unexpected sounds on records. Sunday saw the AGM
and open forum, after which David Giovannoni of the American Phonograph Society gave a short address,
as did Christiane Hofer from Austria, representing GHT and bringing us a ‘present’ in the form of access to
the GHT database.
The Auction had attracted 150 lots and was well attended, with some high prices achieved. After lunch we
were entertained by Hotsy Totsy, a superb all-female jazz group.
As some of us waved goodbye, others stayed on for the Sunday night, some playing records on the
Society’s own Expert Minor gramophone, and final farewells were on Monday morning, with a universal
feeling of ‘What a wonderful weekend, what a pity it had to end so soon!’
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The 2019 Bursary Awards
The second year of Bursary Awards were approved in summer 2019 by the Board of the City of London Phonograph and Gramophone Society. The Board made two Awards from a broad field of applicants.
The first award went to Dr. Ferenc Szabó, a Musicologist based in Budapest, to fund research into the Hungarian activities of The Gramophone Company. This project will be undertaken both in Budapest and at the Hayes EMI archive. Given that this is an international project, and is expected to unearth fresh information for publication, he was awarded a grant of £1,000.
The second award went to Dr. Leslie McMurtry, a Lecturer in Radio Studies at the University of Salford in the UK. She sought support for a planned 9-episode podcast involving discoveries on early phonograph recordings. It is felt this will reach new audiences and expand horizons. She has been awarded £500.
The Bursary programme is now an established and successful annual programme.
The first award went to Dr. Ferenc Szabó, a Musicologist based in Budapest, to fund research into the Hungarian activities of The Gramophone Company. This project will be undertaken both in Budapest and at the Hayes EMI archive. Given that this is an international project, and is expected to unearth fresh information for publication, he was awarded a grant of £1,000.
The second award went to Dr. Leslie McMurtry, a Lecturer in Radio Studies at the University of Salford in the UK. She sought support for a planned 9-episode podcast involving discoveries on early phonograph recordings. It is felt this will reach new audiences and expand horizons. She has been awarded £500.
The Bursary programme is now an established and successful annual programme.
Top award for Society publication
"Vocalion Records" by the late Frank Andrews has been awarded a Certificate of Merit in the 2018 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence. The award was made in the category of Best Historical Research in Record Labels or General Recording Topics. Frank died in June 2015 at the age of 94.
The Association's awards will be presented at a ceremony on May 11th, 2019, during ARSC’s annual conference in Portland, Oregon USA. Additional information about the conference and the ARSC Awards for Excellence can be found at www.arsc-audio.org
In 2012 Frank received the ARSC award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research for his Beka Record Discography, produced with Bill Dean-Myatt and published by the Society as RS11 in the popular Reference Series. The Vocalion booklet - available as RS42 - has been updated with new information, together with articles by Tim Wood-Woolley and Keith Harrison.
Begun in 1991, the ARSC Awards are given to authors of books, articles or recording liner notes to recognise those publishing the very best work today in recorded sound research. In giving these awards, ARSC recognises the contributions of these individuals and aims to encourage others to emulate their high standards and to promote readership of their work. Two awards are presented annually in each category, for best history and best discography, and several others are acknowledged with Certificates of Merit. Awards are presented to both the authors and publishers of winning publications.
Winners are chosen by a committee consisting of three elected judges representing specific fields of study, two judges-at-large, the review editor of the ARSC Journal and the President or past President of ARSC.
The Association's awards will be presented at a ceremony on May 11th, 2019, during ARSC’s annual conference in Portland, Oregon USA. Additional information about the conference and the ARSC Awards for Excellence can be found at www.arsc-audio.org
In 2012 Frank received the ARSC award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research for his Beka Record Discography, produced with Bill Dean-Myatt and published by the Society as RS11 in the popular Reference Series. The Vocalion booklet - available as RS42 - has been updated with new information, together with articles by Tim Wood-Woolley and Keith Harrison.
Begun in 1991, the ARSC Awards are given to authors of books, articles or recording liner notes to recognise those publishing the very best work today in recorded sound research. In giving these awards, ARSC recognises the contributions of these individuals and aims to encourage others to emulate their high standards and to promote readership of their work. Two awards are presented annually in each category, for best history and best discography, and several others are acknowledged with Certificates of Merit. Awards are presented to both the authors and publishers of winning publications.
Winners are chosen by a committee consisting of three elected judges representing specific fields of study, two judges-at-large, the review editor of the ARSC Journal and the President or past President of ARSC.
The 2018 Bursary Awards
The first Richard Taylor Bursary awards were approved by the board of the City of London Phonograph and Gramophone Society in the summer of 2018. The board made two awards, which reflected both the breadth and interest the applicants showed towards audio history.
The first award went to Malcolm McMillan, a professional musician and long-standing member of the CLPGS. He was looking for financial support to develop his idea for a website he characterised as “A discopaedia of wind music on wax”. His detailed proposal looked viable and was very much within the discographic publishing remit the Society has endeavoured to pursue over the past thirty-five or so years.
The second award was made to Dr Inja Stanovic of Huddersfield University. She was looking for funding to help cover the cost of a flight to Russia in order to undertake research on the Julius Block cylinder recordings held at Pushkin House, St Petersburg. The research she wishes to undertake is ground-breaking and, by making the award, the board indicated that this was a project it is eager to support.
The first award went to Malcolm McMillan, a professional musician and long-standing member of the CLPGS. He was looking for financial support to develop his idea for a website he characterised as “A discopaedia of wind music on wax”. His detailed proposal looked viable and was very much within the discographic publishing remit the Society has endeavoured to pursue over the past thirty-five or so years.
The second award was made to Dr Inja Stanovic of Huddersfield University. She was looking for funding to help cover the cost of a flight to Russia in order to undertake research on the Julius Block cylinder recordings held at Pushkin House, St Petersburg. The research she wishes to undertake is ground-breaking and, by making the award, the board indicated that this was a project it is eager to support.
The Society's new Chairman - Richard Scott (Oct 2017)
Those members who attended the Society’s Annual Meeting at Malvern in 2017 will know that Keith Harrison resigned as Chairman due to personal circumstances reducing the time he could devote to the position. I was subsequently elected at the meeting of the Board of Directors to succeed him and I am very pleased to accept the position. I will use every endeavour to justify the confidence shown in me and as Tim Wood-Woolley was also elected Vice Chairman at the meeting, you can be sure that I will be kept to the straight and narrow!
It is exactly 50 years since I first joined the Society as an ignorant youth surprised to find that there was an organisation for people who shared my new found enthusiasm for ‘old’ records and the machines that played them. Little did I realise that my chance encounter with West Midlands members Dennis Norton and John Dales would lead to the position I now have the honour to hold.
I am very fortunate to have made many firm friends through my membership, from whom I am constantly learning new and fascinating information about our hobby. The CLPGS is not only a respected learned body in its field, but it is also an enjoyable social forum for its members, new and established, and it is important that we strive to encourage both aspects. In the case of the latter, you will find participation in your local group functions very rewarding and the Directors will assist anyone wishing to establish a new group as well as helping existing groups with initiatives where we can.
This website continues to attract new members to the Society and we have just added a Blog feature. Please select the FORUM button on the Home Page and try it out as we hope that you will find it a helpful feature. An active blog will also help to increase our visibility as we endeavour to accelerate our growth in the important period leading up to our Centenary in 2019. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or on 07880 740508 with any queries, comments or ideas you may have at any time.
Richard Scott
It is exactly 50 years since I first joined the Society as an ignorant youth surprised to find that there was an organisation for people who shared my new found enthusiasm for ‘old’ records and the machines that played them. Little did I realise that my chance encounter with West Midlands members Dennis Norton and John Dales would lead to the position I now have the honour to hold.
I am very fortunate to have made many firm friends through my membership, from whom I am constantly learning new and fascinating information about our hobby. The CLPGS is not only a respected learned body in its field, but it is also an enjoyable social forum for its members, new and established, and it is important that we strive to encourage both aspects. In the case of the latter, you will find participation in your local group functions very rewarding and the Directors will assist anyone wishing to establish a new group as well as helping existing groups with initiatives where we can.
This website continues to attract new members to the Society and we have just added a Blog feature. Please select the FORUM button on the Home Page and try it out as we hope that you will find it a helpful feature. An active blog will also help to increase our visibility as we endeavour to accelerate our growth in the important period leading up to our Centenary in 2019. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or on 07880 740508 with any queries, comments or ideas you may have at any time.
Richard Scott
