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9 TREBLES Featured Boy Sopranos | All Trebles | Boy Altos | Soloist Recordings | Chorister of the Year | 78 RPM | Pop Singles

  Kenneth Purves   [John Kenneth Purves]    (b. 1 December 1911) Boy Soprano Soloist 
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Kenneth Purves Born at New Longton, near Preston, Lancashire, son of a master tailor who sang as a bass in local choirs. His mother was a soprano soloist. Kenneth sang in concerts and for the radio. He died in August 1986.
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The Better Land

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Featured Recordings Compact | Full
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Liddle: How lovely are Thy dwellings / Mendelssohn: I waited for the Lord (Hymn of Praise) (Broadcast 280 (8-inch), 78 RPM) October 1928
Featuring Kenneth Purves  
A: How lovely are Thy dwellings (sacred song, 1908, wds after Psalm 84, Samuel Liddle (1867-1951))
B: I waited for the Lord (from last movement of Symphony No. 2, Hymn of Praise [Lobgesang: Symphonia Cantata] in B flat, op. 52, by Mendelssohn (1809-47); wds after Psalm 40: vv. 1 & 4: Engl. version by Joseph Alfred Novello (1810-96), 1841)
"Boy Chorister" with organ accomp. by Martin Akerman; Mendelssohn piece also with Master James Dugan & Eton College Choir [although CD booklet has eight professional adult voices]. The Eton College Chronicle for 1928 shows that Akerman was music master there, but neither Purves nor Dugan were collegers. Dugan was probably James Albert Dugan, born 17 July 1915 at 16 Sunbury Road, Eton, who died 25 May 1994 at Slough. (BJP)
The Liddle song is on Amphion CD The Better Land vol. 3.
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Handel: Angels, ever bright and fair / Attwood: Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire (Broadcast 224 (8-inch), 78 RPM) May 1928
Featuring Kenneth Purves  
A: Angels, ever bright and fair (G.F. Handel (1685-1759) from oratorio Theodora, 1750)
B:Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire (Hymn for Whitsuntide: wds John Cosin (1594-1672), Bishop of Durham, in his "Collection of Private Devotions" (1627), based on the Latin hymn Veni, creator spiritus (possibly by Rabanus Maurus [776-856], but earliest MS 10th century) - music Thomas Attwood (1765-1838), 1831)
"Boy Chorister" with choir & organ accomp. by Martin Akerman.
The Handel aria is now on Amphion CD The Better Land vol. 3.
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Mendelssohn: Hear my Prayer . . . O for the Wings of a Dove (Broadcast 247, 78 RPM) 1928
Featuring Kenneth Purves  
A & B: Hear my Prayer (Mendelssohn's anthem (1844) with wds by William Bartholomew (1793-1867) based on Psalm 55: vv. 1-8)
Recorded March 1928 at the Stoll Theatre, London, with organ accomp. by Herbert Griffith.
The second part (O for the Wings of a Dove) is included on Amphion CD The Better Land vol. 5.
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Mendelssohn: Hear Ye, Israel! (HMV Private Record , 78 RPM) November 1927
Featuring Kenneth Purves  
Hear Ye, Israel! (Mendelssohn (1809-47) from oratorio Elijah: please see under Ernest Lough for fuller details)
Recorded with piano accompaniment at Queen's Hall, Portland Place, London, in Nov. 1927.
Included on Amphion CD The Better Land vol. 3.
Other Recordings Compact | Full
Kenneth Purves - The Better Land Volume 5 - Great Boy Sopranos Recorded 1927-1957
The Better Land Volume 5 - Great Boy Sopranos Recorded 1927-1957 (Amphion PHI CD 189, CD) October 2003
Featuring The Better Land Series   Derek Barsham   John Bonner   Alan Bradbrook   Master John Brookman   Thomas Criddle   Master Leslie Day   Beverley Jones   Raymond Kinsey   Cyril Lewis   Ernest Lough   Michael Morley   Billy Neely   Robert Duncan Peel   Kenneth Purves   Robert Regent   Trevor Schofield  
* denotes recordings published for the first time
  1.   Rejoice Greatly (Messiah, Handel)   Master Raymond Kinsey
  2.   Mighty like a rose ( Nevin-Staton)   Master Michael Morley
  3.   If I can help somebody (Androzzo)   Master Michael Morley
  4.   Hark! Hark! the lark (Schubert)   Master Ernest Lough
  5.   There is a green hill far away (Mrs C.F. Alexander-Gounod)   Master John Bonner
  6.   On Wings of Song (England-Mendelssohn)   Master Thomas Criddle
  7.   Should he upbraid? (Shakespeare-Sir Henry Bishop)   Master John Bonner
  8.   Angels Serenade (La Seranata)   Master John Bonner
  9.   Birdsong at Eventide (Coates)   Master Michael Morley
10.   Y Deryn Pur -The Dove (arr. Somervell-Williams)   Master Cyril Lewis
11.   A song of long ago (D.Furber-A.E. Adams)   Master Trevor Schofield
12.   Nearer my God to Thee (Carey)   Master John Bookman
13.   A brown bird singing (Barrie-Haydn Wood)   Master Leslie Day
14.   Lullaby (Brahms)   Master Michael Morley
15.   O for the wings of a dove (Mendelssohn)   Master Kenneth Purves
16.   Father in Heaven* (Largo-Handel)   Master Robert Regent
17.   Hallelujah (Exsultate Jubilate-Mozart)   Master Billy Neely
18.   Abide with Me (Liddle)   Master Derek Barsham
19.   Angels Ever bright (Handel)   Master Robert Duncan Peel
20.   With Verdure Clad (The Creation-Haydn)   Master Raymond Kinsey
21.   Oh for a closer walk with God (Foster)   Master Raymond Kinsey
22.   Beekeeper's Introit * (arr. G. Dixon)   Master Alan Bradbrook (Private Recording 1957)
23.   A Song of Peace*   Master Beverley Jones
Email   Purchase from the producer, Stephen Beet You can order the Better Land CDs directly from producer Stephen Beet for £10.00 plus post and packing. £55 for the set of 6 CD's (which includes, as a special offer, Stephen R. Beet's book "The Better land - in search of the lost boy sopranos" E-mail for postage quotes: StephenRBeet@gmail.com PayPal address: beetstphn@aol.com Please make cheques payable to "Stephen Beet".
Kenneth Purves - The Better Land Volume 3 - Great Boy Sopranos Recorded 1927-1969
The Better Land Volume 3 - Great Boy Sopranos Recorded 1927-1969 (Amphion PHI CD 167, CD) 2000
Featuring The Better Land Series   Derek Barsham   Donald Collup   Robert Harris   Michael Morley   Billy Neely   Graham Payn   Kenneth Purves  
* denotes recordings published for the first time. This volume will shortly be deleted and replaced by the double CD volume The Better Land Volumes 3 & 4. Hurry to order now while stocks last.
  1.   Bless this House (H. Taylor-May H Brahe) (L)   Master Michael Morley
  2.   Beyond the Dawn (Sanderson-Weatherly)   Master Derek Barsham
  3.   Hear Ye Israel* (Mendelssohn) (L)   Master Kenneth Purves
  4.   The First Mercy (Blunt-Warlock) (L)   Master Billy Neely
  5.   Christopher Robin is saying his prayers* (A.A. Milne-H Fraser-Simpson) (L)   Master Billy Neely
  6.   On wings of Song (Mendelssohn-Elkin)   Master Derek Barsham
  7.   Somewhere a Voice is calling* (Newton & Tate)   Master Graham Payn
  8.   By that old armchair (Arale Dene)   Master Graham Payn
  9.   Angels ever bright (Handel) (L)   Master Kenneth Purves
10.   Children's Songs (Arensky) a) The Robin, b) A Fable, c) Sad little bird, d) Child & the butterfl   Master Billy Neely
11.   Hark Hark, the lark (Schubert) (L)   Master Michael Morley
12.   Hear my prayer/O for the wings of a dove (Mendelssohn- arr. Leslie Woodgate) (L)   Master Derek Barsham with the High Wycombe Orpheus Male Voice Choir
13.   The Lass with the delicate air (Michael Arne)   Master Michael Morley
14.   How Lovely are Thy Dwellings (Liddel)   Master Kenneth Purves
15.   Exultate Jubilate* (Mozart) (L)   Master Donald Collup
16.   Birdsong at Eventide (Barrie-Coates)   Master Robert Harris
17.   Nursery Scene, Boris Godounov (Moussorgsky)   Master Derek Barsham & Norman Lumsden, bass
Recorded 30 Apl. 1947 (AR11093 & 11094), with Gladys Palmer, contralto, Norman Lumsden, bass & London Symphony Orchestra cond. Stanford Robinson. Issued June 1947 on Decca K.1601. ["Better Land" the two parts separately in vols. 3 & 4]
18.   Father who hast made us brothers (Baron)   Master Derek Barsham
19.   Coventry Carol (Traditional, arr. Moore) (L)   Master Billy Neely
20.   The Holy City (Adams-Weatherly) (L)   Master Derek Barsham
Email   Available from the producer, StephenRBeet. See special offer. StephenRBeet@gmail.com
Books Compact | Full
Kenneth Purves - Better Land, The: In Search of the Lost Boy Sopranos
Better Land, The: In Search of the Lost Boy Sopranos (Rectory Press , Book) April 2005
Featuring The Better Land Series   Temple Church Choir   Clifford Adams   Derek Barsham   Denis Barthel   John Bonner   Richard Bonsall   Alan Bradbrook   Master John Brookman   Richard Brown   Master Gordon Carter   Master (Arthur) Iwan Davies   Master Leslie Day   Robin Fairhurst   Frederick (John) Firth   Michael Ginn   John Gwilym Griffith(s)   Robert Harris   Michael Hartnett   Aled Jones   Beverley Jones   Raymond Kinsey   Harold Langston   Ernest Lough   Robin Lough   Thomas Meddings   Brian Moody   Billy Neely   Graham Payn   Robert Duncan Peel   Kenneth Purves   The Choir of the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy   Steffani and his Silver Songsters   Thomas Tweedy   Denis Wright  
By Stephen Beet. Features much newly-discovered material, telling the often very human stories of the boys behind the voices, at the height of their singing careers and in their later lives. Copiously illustrated with many previously-unpublished photographs and manuscript samples, with a Foreword by Peter Purves.

As well as chapters on Iwan Davies, Derek Barsham, and Denis Wright, amongst others there are also chapters under the following headings: The Temple Boys, The Manchester Boys, The Music Hall Boys, The Fleeting Boys, and The Broadcast Boys.

This book is available directly from the author: Contact StephenRBeet@gmail.com Price £10 plus postage

This book is available for the cost of postage and packing only if the set of six The Better Land CD albums is ordered.
Email   Stephen Beet The book costs £10 plus postage. Cheque or PayPal.
This page last modified on Wednesday, June 08, 2011
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