One of those case where a label doesn't seem to have had a name as such and I've had to use the artist's name as an identifier; though the use of a 'BBC' prefix for one of its records suggests that the use isn't unjustified in this case. The Berkshire Boy Choristers appear to have been responsible for six privately pressed EPs between 1969 and 1975. The first four came in the form of two double packs: they were 'Singing At St. Severin, Paris' (No number, 1969), featuring 'An Easter Sequence' by Kenneth Leighton; and 'Singing In Antwerp And Ghent Cathedrals' (BBC-001 /002; 1971), which contained songs from Britten's 'Missa Brevis' and other religious items. The fifth EP,' Songs Of The Berkshiremen' (SFI-202; 1974), offered a selection of local folk songs; while the sixth, 'Evening Mass For Low Sunday, Holy Year 1975' (SF-206; 1975) returned to the religious theme. The last two were made through custom recording firm Sound For Industry (q.v.), and their catalogue / matrix numbers were taken from that company's main series.
Thanks to the existence of a similarly-named choir from America, the Berkshire Boy Choir, there's some confusion online about which of them made these recordings: Andrew Burn's sleeve notes to a Naxos Records recording of the Kenneth Leighton piece refer to it as having been commissioned by the 'Berkshire Boy Choristers' from the United States for the performance at St. Severin, while a press release for September / October 1973 from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg refers to a forthcoming concert of works by William Byrd to be performed by the Berkshire Boy Choristers "d'Angleterre". To complicate matters further there was also a Berkshire Boys' Choir, set up in 1988 by Gillian Dibden. Happily Malcom White, a member of the Berkshire Boy Choristers from Finchampstead in 1969, has mailed to say that under the leadership of Major Brian Shone it was they who gave the St. Severin concert as as well as a number of others in mainland Europe. The group consisted of boys selected from the choirs of the churches of St. Paul (Wokingham), St. James (Finchampstead) and All Saints (Ascot), along with Old Windor Parish Church. Thanks to Malcolm, and to Henry29 of the 45Cat site for the use of his scan here.
Copyright 2018 Robert Lyons.