Samuel Coleridge Taylor - Hiawatha's Wedding Feast

Walter Glynne, tenor
Royal Choral Society and Orchestra
Dr Malcolm Sargent, conductor

"Scenes from the Song of Hiawatha" received their first complete performance by the Royal Choral Society, conducted by Coleridge-Taylor himself, in 1900.

In 1924 the choir presented the first of a series of fully staged versions of the trilogy, "Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast", "The Death of Minnehaha" and "Hiawatha’s Departure", performed by more than 1,000 ‘braves’ and ‘squaws’ in extended seasons each June until 1939.

Audiences travelled in costume from the London suburbs and further afield, fired an enthusiasm for Coleridge Taylor’s melodies and the spectacular Albert Hall productions, which included a vast painted backdrop, waterfalls, wigwams, and peace-pipes.

The Royal Choral Society's staged performances ran for two weeks, starting 9th June. They featured fourteen soloists who alternated performances, including Walter Glynne.

Recorded in 1930.

Original transfers by CHARM, Kings College London.
Restoration by myself.