GLASGOW ORPHEUS CHOIR: Belmont

[@funglemike]

i sang in a choir - and the glasgow orpheus was the sound you wanted to attain - ah stunning

[@helenglave4492]

So beautiful it made me weep. As kids we used to call them the 'Awfiest' choir for a laugh. How little we knew! Of course we'd never heard them sing. Used as a christening hymn but also much requested for funerals.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

I'm not surprised that you are proud of your great-great Uncle, Sir Hugh Roberton. He must have been a wonderful man and a brilliant conductor of the Glasgow Orpheus Choir.

[@greenforkhandle]

An old family favourite, much loved by my mother, and it means so much to hear it here, beautiful words, melody and arrangement

[@moyann46]

I grew up listening to old recordings of this wonderful choir. Now in Canada I often spend cold Sunday mornings basking in there soaring voices

[@jrakg]

Thank you duettists! An earlier recording of this piece has the choir humming the tune finally. - John Austin, Australia

[@kenbamber3785]

Let Glasgow Flourish, by the Preaching of The Word. My long lost home, still my guide

[@sumpnspeshul]

This was played at my dads funeral as it was his favourite piece of music

[@ScotsjohnSE]

Dear Duettists, thanks for your uploads clicks and pops just add to atmosphere! Please add more of the Choir; their sound was always quite beautiful! Can't understand irrational remarks by Lindacoull I am aware that there is no accounting for taste those remarks are out of order in the case of the Orpheus Yes I am biased I was born, raised and educated in Glasgow, now I live in Denver, Colorado USA. Your delightful uploads bring back many sweet, sweet memories! Cut punctuation to fit sorry

[@saviour20]

Beautiful hymn - sung to perfection - every word clear as a bell - no music required at all

[@roddykay5816]

Singing Belmont is just about my earliest memory of Langside Old Parish from the early-mid 50s and always as a christening hymn. I´m not sure I have forgiven the Kirk for excluding it from the hymnary in the late 60s - allegedly for being meaningless/ not reflecting the concrete reality of the place. I still find the poetic metaphor powerful in its purity, innocence and strength of its message.

[@mauricebear6238]

The best unaccompanied choir of its time and perhaps even of our time. There rendition of All in an April evening still brings a tear to my eye. Thanks for posting this.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

Thank you for your kind comment. I was born in Glasgow and this hymn takes me back to childhood days when we often sang it in Church.

[@DavidPowellAU]

Thanks for your effort. At this moment, this is the one pointer I have to the sound of this choir. I am playing for a forthcoming funeral, and the music of Glasgow Orpheus Choir conducted by Sir Hugh Roberton was suggested as a favourite of the deceased. Although, like jimpyayr, I heard this in my youth at baptisms, it may well, like mussygirl1's recount, go well on this day: "... in childhood, manhood, age, and death ...".

[@hamefurgid]

I know, but the Glasgow Phoenix choir grew out of the ashes of this great choir. I was a member of Glasgow youth choir under the leadership of the much loved and now dearly departed Agnes Hoey. I still sing in an adult choir near Stirling.

[@margaretgrant8626]

This hymn seems to have been a favourite of many relatives, several of whom are now gone to be with the "spirit beneath the hill." And what better than to have the hymn sung by this wonderful choir, led by its equally wonderful and talented conductor, combining into their beautiful and other-worldly sound.

[@awnok]

When I was young and went to church, the first thing I looked at was the Hymn list for the day. I'm better, now. I recognise the beauty of music without the sentiment. :-)

[@johnc485]

My feelings are :- The Greatest Choir of our Time. Wonderful Thanks

[@morphyesque]

Yes I too have a childhood memory of this beautiful hymn.As a 6 year old boy at Pinner Road Primary School, Middlesex in 1952, I can still remember it as a 70 year old.As I was still learning to read and with an imperfect memory I thought the first line of the first verse was sung as "By cool Salome's shady rill, how sweet the breath beneath"; but I always remembered the beautiful melody.Perhaps it was the way the elder children sang it.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

@49allypally Thank you for your wonderful comment about the Glasgow Orpheus Choir. I'm only sorry I don't have many more of their wonderful recordings to upload.

[@Solomonre0]

Sir Hugh Roberton is my Great-Great- Uncle. There are probably much closer connections in lineage, but I still feel proud to claim it!

[@dttrinity]

Wonderful Wonderful choir. My Aunt sang in it for many years. Even without today's technology it sounds amazing.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

Thank you for your comment. I'm afraid my only recording is an early LP probably dating from 1950 or thereabouts, consisting of about eight tracks. When I have a moment I'll upload some more of these to KZbin.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

@mandalin00 Thank you for your lovely comment. I am so glad you enjoyed this recording, which brings back memories to so many people.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

Thanks for your comment. I mean to upload more of the choir's recordings when I have a moment.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

Thank you for your comment. I'll try to post another recording as soon as possible.

[@ajrfizz]

My Grandmothers favorite ... and how wonderful they are.

[@karenthacker2877]

And my dear grandmothers too. Died this day in 1979. Always loved by me and still an influence.

[@MusicPredominates]

@49allypally : Hi there. As a child I used to cry 'cos in listening to these folk, I realised that they had all passed on !

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

I have several more recordings of the choir and will post them gradually. I wonder whether anyone has the choir's recording of "All in the April Evening" with music by their conductor, Hugh Roberton?

[@soundman449]

This is just beautiful ... it was my Fathers' favourite, and I shed a wee tear listening to it. Do you have any more (or any from the Phoenix Choir)?

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

@pinkflorentina99 What a wonderful discovery. You must be very proud of your illustrious ancestor. There is a photograph of the choir on the LP cover and I used it in the video, but unfortunately it is not particularly clear.

[@craptoo]

This was always sung at christenings in Findochty kirk when I was a boy.

[@kathleenlowrie9923]

Bill Taylor g

[@targetglen]

I have a CD of the great choir , astonishing for the studied illiteracy of the programme note writer, who gets not one apostrophe right. It is as great an achievement as the singing.There are 20 recordings, including"All in the April Evening". Published by Moidart Music Group Limited on MOICD 007.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

Thank you for your kind comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

[@mdbmdbmvc]

Lovely job - my video isn't as good as yours! Enjoyed the presentation!

[@bryantudor]

An amazing choir. Everything they sing is so precise and perfect. Does anyone have other pieces by the Glasgow Orpheus Choir to post?

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

@soundman449 Thank you for your lovely comment. I do have a few more recordings by this wonderful choir but unfortunately my "movie maker" is not working, so I cannot post them here!

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

It would be lovely if you could post another recording of the choir.

[@notyobs]

Beautiful.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

@DavidDonSco It would be interesting to find names of all the members of this wonderful choir. Several others have mentioned names of their relatives who sang in it. I am very fond of "All in an April Evening".

[@peadarly]

I had my first with my late wife in the Olympia theatre in Dublin,perhaps someone might recall the date.It was a Sunday afternoon.The world was full of joy

[@weegerri1sm]

I have an album by this choir. That's why I looked it up... It's a 10" record, 33RPM. A total of 9 tracks. Crimond is my favourite track on it. I'll try to post a clip up when I have time.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

I shall look out for the CD despite the shoddy programme notes, if only to hear the choir singing "All in the April Evening".

[@Lisnageeragh]

@49allypally My father was a great fan also ...I remember hearing them on the wireless ..perhaps in the 1950s.

[@MusicPredominates]

@soundman449 : Yes. As a child I used to listen to this and the other record knowing that the singers may have passed on. Now my father has passed on !

[@maycoats4901]

Y

[@maycoats4901]

Wonderful hymn, perfectly sung.

[@johnkirkfieldbank]

wonderfull

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

I have made this video public once again. Comments will be added only after approval.

[@barefootrecycler]

a truly great choir,where can you get recordings??

[@MusicPredominates]

Do you know where I can get a set of the two. Mine were stolen by somewhere.

[@kenbamber3785]

In honour of my father, Henry Archibald Bamber.

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

@torphinsdave Thank you for your message. I would certainly like to upload more recordings of the choir, but I have limited download/upload, so perhaps if you send me one recording a month I could do this gradually otherwise I'll lose access to the internet. Please send me a message at my Ziegler-Booth blogspot and I'll contact you by e-mail about it. You'll find a link to my website on my duettist channel.

[@peadarly]

So sorry omitted the word date in previous communication.......

[@georgebur]

Beautiful hymn and I like the voices - but it is surely SOOOOO SLOOWWWWWWW!!! Lets get on with it. This hymn needs more lilt and flow - in this performance it is hard to detect a pulse!

[@margaretgrant8626]

The timing, intensity, emphasis, diction, tonality, musicality - all are as nearly perrfect as is humanly possible - so, George, and everyone else, just sit back and enjoy it.

[@johnkirkfieldbank]

we in this modern age can sing the same

[@Cruithneach]

@georgebur Oh dear...

[@johnkirkfieldbank]

so sorry the choir no longer exists

[@Ziegler-boothBlogspot]

@pinkflorentina99 I found the photo on my hard drive. If you send me an email at [e-mail] I'll send it to you.