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  Wandsworth School Boys' Choir    (est. 1954) Classical Choir of Men and Boys 
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Russell (Brian) Burgess (1931-79) was appointed Director of Music in 1954 at this south London comprehensive school and formed a choir of about 240 boys which gave its first public concert in 1965. The choir's choral forces range from the Full Choir, through the Semichorus with 60 voices, down to the Consort of only 20. The tenor and bass parts are sung by older pupils whose voices have changes, reinforced by a few staff and Old Boys of the School.

The choir sang at London concerts and at the Holland Festival and the Aldeburgh Festival, as well as making broadcsts and gramophone recordings. The Choir has won itself an enviable reputation in the musical world by its numerous performances with leading orchestras both in England and in the Netherlands, where, in 1967, they were engaged to sing Britten's "War Requiem" under Bernard Haitink with the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam for the Holland Festival.

It is with the music of Benjamin Britten that the choir has become closely associated, and it has sung many times at the Royal Festival Hall with the New Philharmonia, the London Symphony and the London Philharmonic Orchestras, under such conductors as Solti, Kartesz, Haitin, Frübeck de Burgos, Colin Davis, Giulini and Britten himeslf. The choir have performed the Berlioz "Te Deum" in St. Paul's Cathedral as part of the City of London Festival and at the new Maltings Concert Hall in Snape.

Burgess died at the age of 48 in August 1979. The choir was disbanded in 1985.
Related Sites
Old Wandsworthians
Wandsworth School Recordings
Wimbledon Guardian
Read about the rise and fall of Wandsworth School

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Featured Recordings Compact | Full
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - English Choral Music
English Choral Music (Virtuoso STEREO TPLS 13020, LP) 1968
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir   Mark Emney   Shaun Islip   Barry O'Shea   Peter Rowe  
Conducted by Russell Burgess; Geoffrey Shaw, baritone. Recorded in Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Street, London, and the magnificent Walker instrument, rebuilt in 1967 was played by Timothy Farrell, sub-organist of Westminster Abbey.
  1.   I was glad when they said unto me [C. H. H. Parry] (L)  
  2.   Missa Brevis [Benjamin Britten] (L)   soloists: Mark Emney, Barry O'Shea & Shaun Islip, trebles
  3.   Hymn to St. Peter [Benjamin Britten] (L)   soloists: Mark Emney & Peter Rowe, trebles
  4.   God is gone up [Gerald Finzi] (L)  
  5.   Virgin's cradle hymn [E. D. Rubbra] (L)  
  6.   What cheer? [Walton] (L)  
  7.   Fantasia on Christmas carols [R. Vaughan Williams]  
  8.   Te Deum in G [R. Vaughan Williams] (L)  
no cover
Heavens Are Telling ( , 78 RPM) December 1957
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
78 rpm recording made 19/12/57. Side one is 'The Heavens Are Telling' and side two has'The Boar's Head' and 'A Virgin Most Pure'.
  Side A -   The Heavens Are Telling  
  Side B -   'The Boar's Head' and 'A Virgin Most Pure'  
Other Recordings Compact | Full
no cover
Britten Conducts Britten, Vol 3 (London Decca , CD) May 2006
Featuring Stephen Alexander   Darien Angadi   Stephen Daniels   Emanuel School Boys Chorus   Mark Emney   Robin Fairhurst   Daymond Hares   David Hemmings   Michael Ingram   Barnaby Jago   Colin Morris   David Pinto   Graham Preston   Adrian Thompson   Lyn Vaughan   Wandsworth School Boys' Choir   John Wojciechowski  
10 CD set.
Available at   CD Universe
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Berlioz: Requiem & Te Deum
Berlioz: Requiem & Te Deum (Philips 4646892 , CD) May 2001
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
Available at   Amazon UK
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Britten: War Requiem
Britten: War Requiem (BBC Legends / IMG BBCL 4046-2, CD) 2000
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
Benjamin Britten (1913-76): War Requiem (op. 66, 1962; wds from Missa pro defunctis (in Latin) & the poems of the First World War English poet Wilfred Owen (1893-1918), ed. Blunden (1931)). Recording in stereo of a broadcast public performance at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 6 April 1969 with Stefania Woytowicz (sop.), Peter Pears (ten.), Hans Wilbrink (bar.), Wandsworth School Boys' Choir, Melos Ensemble under Britten, New Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus, cond. Carlo Maria Giulini. Review in "Gramophone" (Jan. 2001) considered that this performance had not been bettered on record, the Wandsworth Choir were unsurpassed & Pears even greater than on the Decca recording.
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Puccini: Tosca
Puccini: Tosca (RCA 139503, CD) January 1997
Featuring David Pearl   Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
Price/Domingo/Milnes. David Pearl as A Shepherd Boy sings on track 17 "Io de' sospiri".
Recorded Aug 1972. Originally issued on LP in 1973.
Available at   Amazon UK
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Bach: St John Passion
Bach: St John Passion (London 4438592, CD) March 1995
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
Conducted by Benjamin Britten.
Available at   Amazon UK
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Britten: The Little Sweep
Britten: The Little Sweep (London 436 393-2 , CD) July 1993
Featuring Robin Fairhurst   David Hemmings   Michael Ingram   Lyn Vaughan   Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
A recording made in 1955 by Alleyn's School Choir / English Opera Group Orchestra with David Hemmings (as Sam), Jennifer Vyvyan, Nancy Evans, April Cantelo, Trevor Anthony, Sir Peter Pears, Michael Ingram [Michael Crawford] (as Gay Brook), Marilyn Baker, Robin Fairhurst (as Jonny Crome), Lyn Vaughan, Gabrielle Soskin, Conducted by Benjamin Britten
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Puccini: Tosca
Puccini: Tosca (Decca 414036, CD) April 1988
Featuring Walter Baratti   Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
Artists: Freni/Pavarotti/Milnes. Recorded June 1978
Baratti sings on track 13 "Io de' sospiri".
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Luciano Pavarotti - O Holy Night
Luciano Pavarotti - O Holy Night (London 414 044-2, LP) 1976
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
A popular recording by Luciano of christmas carols backed by the Wandsworth School Boys Choir.
  1.   wandsworth Pavarotti  
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Luciano Pavarotti Sings Sacred Music
Luciano Pavarotti Sings Sacred Music (Decca SXL 6781 , LP) 1976
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
Director: Russell Burgess
  1.   Agnus Dei  
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Britten: Noye's Fludde / The Golden Vanity
Britten: Noye's Fludde / The Golden Vanity (London 436 397, CD) October 1969
Featuring Stephen Alexander   Darien Angadi   Mark Emney   Barnaby Jago   Terry Lovell   David Pinto   Adrian Thompson   Wandsworth School Boys' Choir   John Wojciechowski  
This recording of Noye's Fludde was made during a performance in Orford Church in 1961, as part of the fourteenth Aldeburgh Festival. A Vaudeville for boys and piano after the old English ballad Recorded at St John's, Smith Square. Mark Emney, Captain; John Wojciechowski, Bosun; Barnaby Jago, Cabin-boy Turkish Galilee; Adrian Thompson, Captain; Terry Lovell, Bosun. David Pinto (treb) Sem; Darien Angadi (treb) Ham; Stephen Alexander (treb) Jaffett;

The Golden Vanity. Mark Emney (treb) Captain; John Wojciechowski (treb) Bosun; Barnaby Jago (treb) Cabin-boy; Adrian Thompson (treb) Captain; Terry Lovell (treb) Bosun; Benjamin Britten (pf); Wandsworth Boys' Choir / Russell Burgess.
  1.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : Lord Jesus, think on me  
  2.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : I God, that all this worlde hath wroughte  
  3.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : Have done, you men and wemen all   Angadi, Pinto, Alexander (boy sopranos)
  4.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : Now in the name of God I will begyne   Angadi, Pinto, Alexander (boy sopranos)
  5.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : Noye, Noye, take thou thy company   Angadi, Pinto, Alexander (boy sopranos)
  6.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : Wiffe, come in! why standes thou their?   Angadi, Pinto, Alexander (boy sopranos)
  7.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : Ha! Children, me thinkes my botte removes   Angadi, Pinto, Alexander (boy sopranos)
  8.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : Now forty dayes are fullie gone  
  9.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : Noye, take thy wife anone   Angadi, Pinto, Alexander (boy sopranos)
10.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : Noye, heare I behette thee a heste  
11.   Noye's Fludde, Op.59 : The spacious firmament on high   Angadi, Pinto, Alexander (boy sopranos)
12.   The Golden Vanity, Op.78 : There was a ship came from the North Country  
13.   The Golden Vanity, Op.78 : Then up spake the cabin-boy  
14.   The Golden Vanity, Op.78 : Casting his clothes off, he dived into the sea  
15.   The Golden Vanity, Op.78 : They laid him on the deck  
Britten's Music for Children
Available at   MusicaBona Available on CD
Available at   Musical Heritage Society Available on CD
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Britten: Noye's Fludde
Britten: Noye's Fludde (London 425 161, CD) 1961
Featuring Darien Angadi   Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
Stephen Alexander, David Pinto, Darien Angadi with the Wandsworth Boys Choir
no cover
Britten: Billy Budd (Decca 417428-2, CD)
Featuring James Newby   Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
3 CD set. Benjamin Britten - piano; Peter Pears - tenor; James Newby - treble; Boys from Wandsworth School.
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Britten: Owen Wingrave
Britten: Owen Wingrave (London 4332002, CD)
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
This was Benjamin Britten's only opera for television and was one of his later works. It is based on Henry James's short story about a man who comes from a soldiering family but who rebels against it and becomes a pacifist. It is about his struggle against his arrogant and hateful relatives.
Available at   Amazon UK
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Mendelssohn: Elijah
Mendelssohn: Elijah (EMI CDFB 68601, CD)
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir   Simon Woolf  
With the Wandsworth School Boys' Chorus and female sopranos.
Available at   Amazon UK
Available at   Tower Records
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Puccini: La Boheme
Puccini: La Boheme (RCA 139 496, CD)
Featuring Placido Domingo III   Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
Solti/Blegen/Caballe/Castel/Domingo/Wandsworth School Boys' Choir
Recorded 1974.
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir - Schumann: Scenes from Goethe's Faust
Schumann: Scenes from Goethe's Faust (London , CD)
Featuring Wandsworth School Boys' Choir  
Reissue
Available at   Amazon UK
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