Sir Philip Ledger CBE

[ostuni]

A very nice tribute in Chris Gillett's blog

[Tony Halstead]

Philip Ledger as a conductor/ harpsichord director/ accompanist could be very kind to young soloists ( and not so young soloists - me included,) but he simply couldn't abide arrogance or ignorant 'puffery'. When faced with it, he could - and would -deliver a deadpan, glacially cutting 'put-down':

I will always remember on an ECO 'musical cruise' in the Caribbean, that he was harpsichord-directing a Vivaldi Violin concerto whose soloist was an up-and-coming young Israeli-American virtuoso.
When it came to a bit of a falling-out over the question of 'upper-note trills' the young violinist stopped playing and said 'I don't do upper-note trills'!
"Why not?" asked Sir Philip.
'Because I don't like them' retorted the soloist...
Quick as a flash came Sir Philip's next deadly cool response:
" who is your teacher?"

[Keraulophone]

There is some felicitous organ obbligato playing by Philip Ledger in the famous Janet Baker recording of Bach's Cantata Vergnügte Ruh' - final aria Mir ekelt mehr zu leben (with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields / Neville Marriner / L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1966). A treasurable classic.

[Wolsey]

I understand that while the 1980 recording* of the Duruflé Requiem featured John Butt as the organist, the Pie Jesu movement, featuring Janet Baker with Tim Hugh (cello), was recorded many weeks earlier - with Philip Ledger himself playing the organ part.

*(digitally remastered and reissued in 2007 - EMI Great Recordings of the Century)

[Nick Armstrong]

I understand that while the 1980 recording* of the Duruflé Requiem featured John Butt as the organist, the Pie Jesu movement, featuring Janet Baker with Tim Hugh (cello), was recorded many weeks earlier - with Philip Ledger himself playing the organ part.

*(digitally remastered and reissued in 2007 - EMI Great Recordings of the Century)

Correct. Actually that's the aspect of the recording I like least. It's the ethereal choral/organ music that's unforgettable.

[ArpSchnitger]

It's the ethereal choral/organ music that's unforgettable.

I have to agree, and say that this version of the Duruflé is the one on my Desert Island playlist. Ledger's recordings and broadcasts with King's were a key part of my choral self-education as a teenage convert to the church music scene. In the last couple of days, I've also listened again to a few Ledger recordings such as Advent Procession (rather precious sound, but still very memorable), and the Tye 'Euge Bone' mass and Tallis 'Puer natus est nobis'- still benchmark recordings, I would hazard.
Maybe what I didn't appreciate at the time was the extent of the discography. I don't know how many separate LP releases Ledger made with King's between 1974 and 1982, but there seem to be an awful lot. Yes, David Willcocks set the trend, but how many choral foundations now would be able to sustain such a rate of recordings? Very few, if any I'd suggest- only the Oxbridge colleges would get the time in their yearly cycle, and perhaps now the focus has changed anyway.
Am planning to include at least the 'Sussex Carol' in our Carol Repertoire this year as a tribute...

[Y Mab Afradlon]

I’d be interested in knowing people’s opinion about his collaboration with David Munrow in recording what I remember at the time as being a ground breaking version of the Monteverdi Vespers. I still enjoy listening to it occasionally although we have become more accustomed to the performances of John Eliot Gardiner, Andrew Parrott et al.
I hope the BBC choose to dedicate one of the half term or summer Choral Evensong slots to an archive service. There were several excellent services around the late 1980’s – one in particular where the canticles were Howells Coll. Reg with Charles Daniels as the solo tenor. Another sizzler was a broadcast around Trinity Sunday with Leighton Second service and a stunning performance of Palestrina’s Vidi turbam magnam. Let's hope.

[Gabriel Jackson]

I hope the BBC choose to dedicate one of the half term or summer Choral Evensong slots to an archive service. There were several excellent services around the late 1980’s – one in particular where the canticles were Howells Coll. Reg with Charles Daniels as the solo tenor. Another sizzler was a broadcast around Trinity Sunday with Leighton Second service and a stunning performance of Palestrina’s Vidi turbam magnam. Let's hope.

You don't mean the late 1980s, do you? Philip Ledger and Charles Daniels were long gone from King's by then...

[Y Mab Afradlon]

late 70's and eraly 80's Gabriel. I stand corrected.

[Wolsey]

News has been received that in the same week as Sir Philip Ledger's death was announced, his assistant and successor at Chelmsford Cathedral, John Jordan, died suddenly on Friday night.