Celebrating the 90th birthday of a bestseller

'O for the Wings of a Dove' from Mendelssohn’s Hear my Prayer was recorded in 1927 by a 15-year old Ernest Lough and Temple Church Choir, director George Thalben Ball, at the Temple Church. The recording became one of HMV’s most successful releases and later won a gold disc for selling over a million copies. It is still regarded as one of the most outstanding best-sellers in gramophone history (and is of course still available).

To celebrate the 90th birthday of the recording, a new recording of the work has been made by Temple Church Choir featuring the young treble, Ebube Chiana with Roger Sayer at the organ. There is a charming video which includes archive footage, interviews with Naxos’ David Blake and Temple Master Robin Griffith-Jones, who introduce the recording’s history, plus a complete performance by Ebube Chiana.

Hear My Prayer - The Choir of Temple Church, London from Ian Glatt on Vimeo.