Allegri's setting of Psalm 51. Introduced by Barry Rose, from a 1987 programme which includes Barry Rose talking to the Choir's director, Stephen Cleobury about how he trains his choristers (that will follow seperately). I have had to edit out one verse I'm afraid to make it fit on Youtube. I took out one where the cameras spent most time gazing at the stained glass windows. You can download this video here: www.sendspace.com

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Kings College Chapel Choir, 1987, performed the Faure Requiem. Here's the Sanctus.

faure requiem cathedral choir trebles cambridge boychoir petits chanteurs sangerknaben

This really gives a soloist a chance to shine (several chances actually, as if hitting that top C once wasn't heroic enough!) Allegri's incomparable Miserere Mei Deus (Psalm 51) being sung for an actual service in 1995. I also have a short bit of the choir being rehearsed for this if anyone's interested. I've also posted King's College Cambridge doing it just for the camera! It's superb. I think the silences are considerably longer, and that Salisbury truncated them to make the piece more suitable for the service. For the lyrics, see Psalm 51. Copyright King David. Virtually anonymous chroristers all over the country perform to this standard week in, week out, with little recognition, all in the course of a day's unpaid work, while untalented pop 'stars' make millions. Funny old world!

cathedral choir salisbury misere mei deus sangerknaben petits chanteurs knabenchor gloria in kingston libera

Angel Voices sing this Abba hit as only they can! From an early 90s broadcast, I think this may be a Notyobs exclusive as I can't find it anywhere else! I'm sure you'll soon tell me if I'm wrong.

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Definitely not yobs!

cubs scout promise

Tremendous performance by the Westminster Abbey Choir here, singing I Know that My Redeemer Liveth live in front of an audience of billions at the sad occasion of the funeral of Princess Diana. I have edited out parts where the commentator talks over the music. A huge state occasion, under so much pressure, they sing beautifully, perfectly in tune, perfectly in time, perfect diction and articulation. You can hear clearly every word of the profound Biblical message.

westminster abbey choir cathedral trebles

From the 1988 Children in Need (not, apparently, 1987 as I originally thought.)

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Kings College Chapel Choir Cambridge, 1987, performs Faure's Requiem. Here's the Pieu Jesu and Agnus Dei.

faure requiem cathedral choir trebles cambridge boychoir petits chanteurs sangerknaben

This was a special live service hastily arranged, I think, at the start of the first Gulf War. Here are the wonderful words of Psalm 100 set to the tune Old 100th. The choir sing verse 3 alone, and there's a good descant on the last verse and thunderous organ. Lots more of this to come. It was presented by the Rev Dr Colin Morris, who actually managed to sound like a Reverend in the C of E with a faith in God.

westminster abbey choir cathedral trebles old 100th 9/11

Filmed in 1998, here Michael Junior sings Stille Nacht and then, with his mentor, Helmut Lotti, Panis Angelicus. He receives a very warm standing ovation. Broadcast on German TV in 2001.

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From Princess Diana's funeral, the choir and congregation of Westminster Abbey singing "I Vow to Thee My Country". The commentator said it was chosen by Prince William because he knew it to be one of his mother's favourite hymns from school

vow to thee my country westminster abbey cathedral choir trebles knabenchor princess diana

Here's the first ten minutes of a documentary from 1994 about Ernest Lough of the Temple Church Choir and his celebrated 1920s recording of Hear My Prayer/Oh for the Wings of a Dove. We hear from Ernest, his son (who made the film for Channel Four) Dudley Moore, Richard Attenborough and others...

ernest lough wings dove hear prayer dudley moore richard attenborough boy choir treble

Couldn't resist uploading this. A collaboration between the incomparabale: Beethoven, Robert Prizeman and his renowned Libera boys choir and Windows Media Player! If you enjoy this, imagine it in perfect hifi stereo coming off the CD. Beethoven's 7th symphony, 2nd movement allegretto - arranged for voices!

sacris solemnis beethoven 7th symphony allegretto libera petits chanteurs sangerknaben boy trebles ludwig

Sorry for the editing glitch at the beginning, must re-upload! Choir and congregation sing this classic. Men and boys of the choir do a verse on their own, then all join in for the last verse with a soaring descant from the trebles.

westminster abbey choir cathedral trebles oh god our help ages past sangerknaben

Sorry, this is off-topic for my channel, but I like this SO much I just had to upload it. Great tune, great words, superb arrangement, great camerwork. It's all, er, great! And I love the way one of the backing singers is.... chewing gum! What????!! (It's the one who looks as if he could be Ian Tilley's older brother!)

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Michael Junior sings Panis Angelicus and is then interviewed in German by the show's presenter. Amazingly, it turns out he's from Flanders in Belgium, (Brugge I believe) so his mother-tongue is Dutch. I always thought he was German!

Michael Junior Sangerknaben bruges boychoir boy singer chorister petits chanteurs panis angelicus

From Princess Diana's funeral in 1997. What makes this special is the unexpected descant on the last verse. Earl Spencer had just finished his amazing eulogy and I wasn't watching when Make Me a Channel came on, but had it on in the background.... then that descant broke into the last verse and I had to rush back to the TV!

cathedral choir westminster abbey make me channel sangerknaben petits chanteurs st francis assisi princess diana

Another special live service at the start of he 1st Gulf War, again presented by Colin Morris. The choir and congregation sing "Thy Hand Oh God Has Guided" with choir only for the second verse.

Liverpool RC cathedral choir thy hand oh God hath guided trebles petits chanteurs sangerknaben

Here's Angel Voices (now known as Libera) with I Have a Dream, again, this time in Stereo and with Christopher Timothy's reading. Well.... I uploaded it in stereo, though to be honest, it doesn't sound stereo to me coming back from Youtube :-(

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Westminster Abbey choir and congregation sing Dear Lord and Father of Mankind. The trebles do a verse on their own.

westminster abbey choir cathedral trebles dear lord father mankind

From 1987. The incredibly modest Dr Barry Rose OBE, ex Guildford, St Paul's, Canterbury and St Albans Cathedrals interviews Stephen Cleobury of Kings College Chapel Cambridge on training trebles.

Barry Rose Stephen Cleobury trebles boy choir sangerknaben knabenchor petits chanteurs

Here is an extract from an utterly superb programme made by Sir John Betjeman in 1974 about Norfolk's churches (videoed on transmission in 1987.) A couple of great extracts of small church choirs. At the end you'll see some trebles singing a wonderfully complex descant to the last verse of "Ye Holy Angels Bright".

betjeman choral choir trebles norfolk church cathedral

I know this is on Youtube already, but I think this is slightly better quality and it's got Gloria Hunniford's interview with him afterwards

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Final part, includes interview with the great Sir David Willcox, writer of all those wonderful organ arrangements and descants we hear to so many hymns, especially at Christmas. I had to chop out a couple of minutes of Sir Richard Attenborough talking about how he used Oh for the Wings of a Dove in one of his films.

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All My Hope on God is Founded, from Westminter Abbey, choir and conregation with thunderous organ.

westminster abbey choir cathedral trebles all hope god founded

Had to upload this rendition of what I believe is Sir David Willcox's matchless descant to the 3rd verse of Oh Come All Ye Faithful. Norwich Cathedral Choir, probably Chrismas 1987. I've given you the last verse too, the organ thunders and trumpets come in and actually, for once, manage to enhance the music. The cathedral nearly takes off. If the music in heaven's like this, I'll happily spend eternity there!

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The choirs of Westminster (and the Chapel Royal) sing Brahms's "How Lovely are Thy Dwellings Fair" at the Queen Mother's funeral. (Strange, because I've never heard it called or sung as anything else in the past other than "How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place") Anyway... it's utterly sublime!

westminster abbey choir cathedral trebles petits chanteurs sangerknaben queen mothers funeral how lovely dwelling place

A rousing hymn to end the special Boys Brigade service from the Methodist Central Hall in London, 1991. Excellent.

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Here's a bit of a slightly older Michael "Junior" Verschuere singing in Italian, with an interview afterwards... and a martial arts demo! Download in better quality here: www.sendspace.com

michael Junior Sangerknaben bruges boychoir boy singer chorister petits chanteurs panis angelicus

Part 3. Some amazing coincidences; Ernest Lough ends up as a fireman in the war, but has to watch powerless as the Temple Chapel burns. He also appears in a government information film and sings with one of his sons for the Queen's Coronation.

lough George Thalben-Ball dudley moore boy choir treble st pauls queens coronation london blitz pinewood studios

.. aus der Kirche St Marien zu Belzig. This is platinum material. As formal as it gets! I will never, ever know how they can find so many boys willing and able to put in the work to learn to sing what at that age MUST seem incredibly dull music to such a very, very high standard. Just amazing. More of this to come! The other thing I can't understand is how such a blue chip choir can be singing to such a sparse crowd. What a waste of seats.

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From 1995, "My Kind of People" was a show where Michael Barrymore would turn up in shopping centres and invite allcomers to perform on stage. It was a fanastic series while it lasted and I can't understand why it couldn't carry on with another presenter. The one pity is that some of the really awful acts were given far more time than some of the excellent ones. Here's four really good ones featuring youngsters from one edition.

youth music my kind of people talent singing irish ill be there dance

Not real, but from a scene in The Choir, but not a bad representation of how it's really done.

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Part 2 of the 1994 documentary on Ernest Lough, the world's first world-famous choirboy.

ernest lough wings dove hear prayer dudley moore richard attenborough boy choir treble

www.yorkholidaylodges.co.uk Now here's a real treat for you. A very dramatic rendition of this carol which has everything. Thunderous organ, solos, soaring descant.... and the cameras stay with the singers!

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The Queen Mother's funeral. Westminster Abbey Choir and Chapel Royal choristers sing a long amen after the benediction, then buglers play the Last Post.

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This was a documentary about Kingston parish church buying a new organ in the mid to late 1980s and the hard work that went into raising the funds. I've put together just the bits involving the choir, the whole programme is fascinating to anyone interested in church organ music and church choirs. What fans of Libera ought to find interesting is the scenes of the choir training sessions as this shows how these stunning results are achieved usually by one dedicated musician, a piano and some time and determination. This church is not far from Norbury where St Philip's is based, so it's likely that you're looking at something very similar to the genesis of Libera.

cathedral choir sangerknaben petits chanteurs knabenchor kingston libera

www.yorkholidaylodges.co.uk The one lots of people sing as "Good Christian Men Rejoice". Sung unaccompanied with some nice work by individuals in one verse.

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Sung by a primary school choir, accompanied by a harp. Have done a serach on Welsh Bridges, I think they must be standing by Thomas Telford's suspension bridge across the Menai Straits in Anglesey. Comments require my approval, so please only submit once, I'll approve them asap.

welsh national anthem children singing harp

In 1989, Jim fixed it for a 10 year old to sing with St Paul's Cathedral Choir. They do Once in Royal David's City and Away in a Manger. There's quite a difference between the wannabe and the real thing!

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The Boys Brigade, Methodist Central Hall London 1991, sing The Servant King

boys brigade choir sangerknaben knabenchor petits chanteurs servant king

From German TV in 2000. Includes a Gloria, Still Still Still, a hymn tune I recognise but the name escapes me right now (I'll look it up) and finishes with Stille Nacht and some bells.

Windsbacher Knabenchor christmas music german hymns madrigals petits chanteurs boy choir

Here's your favourite choir backing up Val Doonican about 1987 (Also Michala Petri). Mercifully, they get to sing half a verse on their own!! Another star follows them on and I've left a bit of him there so you can see some of the famous people the choir must have met!

St Phillip's libera angel voices sangerknaben knabenchor petits chanteurs val doonican howard keel

The Boys Brigade at the Central Methodist Hall London in 1991 sing this great favourite, with music by the BB's London Central Band

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He can sing and makes a superb job of the last note. Good voice somewhat wasted on an uninspiring typical folksy German song.

sangerknaben knabenchor petits chanteurs boy singer german

In the Bleak Mid Winter from Lichfield Cathedral in 1995. A beautiful carol. Unfortunately, the director chooses to go walkabouts with the cameras when the trebles sing.

sangerknaben knabenchor petits chanteurs boy singer lichfield cathedral bleak mid winter christmas carol

The Boys Brigade in 1991, from Methodist Central Hall London, singing Love Divine All Loves Excelling to the wonderful tune "Blaenwern".

boys brigade choir sangerknaben knabenchor petits chanteurs love divine all loves excelling

Lift Thine Eyes, Worcester Catheral Choir, 1992

cathedral choir worcester lift thine eyes sangerknaben petits chanteurs knabenchor

From Princess Diana's funeral, The King of Love My Shepherd Is to the tune Dominus Regit Me. Descant on the last verse.

cathedral choir westminster abbey the king of love shepherd sangerknaben petits chanteurs knabenchor st francis assisi

The Boys Brigade, Methodist Central Hall 1991. A hymn with wonderful words: "I am not ashamed to belong to Jesus, I am not afraid to stand my ground." Amen!

boys brigade choir sangerknaben knabenchor petits chanteurs not ashamed belong jesus