Ernest Lough
Encyclopedia
Ernest Arthur Lough was an English boy soprano
who sang the famous solo O for the Wings of a Dove from Mendelssohn
's Hear My Prayer
for the Gramophone Company
(later HMV
and then EMI
) in 1927. The record became HMV's biggest seller for 1927, and made the piece, the choir and the soloist world famous. The original master recording wore out and a second version had to be recorded to replace it in 1928. In 1962, it became EMI's first million-selling classical record, earning it "gold disc" status.
. His father was the cashier at a lace merchant. He was a treble
in local church choir, at St Peter's, Forest Gate. He auditioned at Southwark Cathedral
, but joined the choir of the Temple Church
in London in 1924, which was under the direction of organist and choirmaster George Thalben-Ball
(later Sir George Thalben-Ball) who had just succeeded Sir Henry Walford Davies
. As a chorister of the Temple Church, Lough had a choral scholarship to the nearby City of London School
.
brought its new mobile recording unit to the Temple Church where the choir recorded Mendelssohn
's Hear My Prayer
, in which the famous solo O for the Wings of a Dove was sung by Ernest Lough, then aged 15. It is said that Lough had to stand on two large books in order to be near enough to the microphone.
HMV issued its record, C1329, in June 1927. It was an instant hit and became HMV's biggest seller for 1927. It made the piece, the choir and the soloist world famous. Crowds of people packed the congregation to hear Lough sing at Sunday services, and his singing on the recording was considered so beautiful that a legend grew up that he had died after singing the last note. The original master recording wore out and a second version had to be recorded to replace it in 1928, and a third recording was made later. This recording continued to sell throughout the twentieth century and by 1962 it was EMI
's first million-selling classical record, earning it "gold disc" status. It is still available on CD and has now sold over 6 million copies. It was described in The Record Guide (1951) as "one of the outstanding best-sellers of gramophone history".
Ernest Lough's voice broke in 1928, after he had made a number of other recordings, although none of them achieved the iconic status of O for the Wings of a Dove. He continued to sing in his spare time as a baritone (and was one of the "gentlemen" or adult members of the Temple choir).
He made little money from the recording. A 5% royalty was paid to the Inner Temple
, with half of that shared by Thalben-Ball and 24 members of the choir.
.
Lough served in the fire service during the Second World War, and was present whem the Temple Church burned down in 1942. He appeared as a fire control operator in a wartime propaganda film about the fire service in London titled Fires Were Started
, which was filmed using actual firefighters rather than professional actors.
After the war, he worked at the advertising agency Mather and Crowther (later Ogilvy and Mather).
He died at Watford General Hospital, aged 88, survived by his wife and three sons. His obituary appeared in The Times and The Guardian on 24 February 2000 and there is a commemorative plaque to him in the Temple Church
.
Boy soprano
A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
who sang the famous solo O for the Wings of a Dove from Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
's Hear My Prayer
Hear My Prayer
Hear My Prayer is a Christian anthem for soprano solo, chorus and organ or orchestra composed by Felix Mendelssohn in Germany in 1844. The first performance took place in Crosby Hall, London, on 8 January 1845. The accompanist on that occasion was organist, composer and teacher Ann Mounsey...
for the Gramophone Company
Gramophone Company
The Gramophone Company, based in the United Kingdom, was one of the early recording companies, and was the parent organization for the famous "His Master's Voice" label...
(later HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
and then EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) in 1927. The record became HMV's biggest seller for 1927, and made the piece, the choir and the soloist world famous. The original master recording wore out and a second version had to be recorded to replace it in 1928. In 1962, it became EMI's first million-selling classical record, earning it "gold disc" status.
Early life
Lough was born in Forest GateForest Gate
Forest Gate is a residential area in the London Borough of Newham, 7 miles northeast of Charing Cross. It is bordered by Manor Park to the east and and to the west lies Stratford town centre. The northern half of the busy Green Street runs through it.-History:...
. His father was the cashier at a lace merchant. He was a treble
Treble
Treble is used in several contexts:Music:*Treble , tones of high frequency or range, the counterpart of bass *Treble clef, a symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes...
in local church choir, at St Peter's, Forest Gate. He auditioned at Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge....
, but joined the choir of the Temple Church
Temple Church
The Temple Church is a late-12th-century church in London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built for and by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. In modern times, two Inns of Court both use the church. It is famous for its effigy tombs and for being a round church...
in London in 1924, which was under the direction of organist and choirmaster George Thalben-Ball
George Thalben-Ball
Sir George Thomas Thalben-Ball CBE was an organist and composer who, though originally from Australia, spent most of his life in Britain....
(later Sir George Thalben-Ball) who had just succeeded Sir Henry Walford Davies
Henry Walford Davies
Sir Henry Walford Davies KCVO OBE was a British composer, who held the title Master of the King's Musick from 1934 until 1941.-Early life and education:...
. As a chorister of the Temple Church, Lough had a choral scholarship to the nearby City of London School
City of London School
The City of London School is a boys' independent day school on the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, England. It is the brother school of the City of London School for Girls and the co-educational City of London Freemen's School...
.
Recording
Lord Justice Eldon Bankes suggested that the Temple choir should make a record, and on 15 March 1927, the Gramophone CompanyGramophone Company
The Gramophone Company, based in the United Kingdom, was one of the early recording companies, and was the parent organization for the famous "His Master's Voice" label...
brought its new mobile recording unit to the Temple Church where the choir recorded Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
's Hear My Prayer
Hear My Prayer
Hear My Prayer is a Christian anthem for soprano solo, chorus and organ or orchestra composed by Felix Mendelssohn in Germany in 1844. The first performance took place in Crosby Hall, London, on 8 January 1845. The accompanist on that occasion was organist, composer and teacher Ann Mounsey...
, in which the famous solo O for the Wings of a Dove was sung by Ernest Lough, then aged 15. It is said that Lough had to stand on two large books in order to be near enough to the microphone.
HMV issued its record, C1329, in June 1927. It was an instant hit and became HMV's biggest seller for 1927. It made the piece, the choir and the soloist world famous. Crowds of people packed the congregation to hear Lough sing at Sunday services, and his singing on the recording was considered so beautiful that a legend grew up that he had died after singing the last note. The original master recording wore out and a second version had to be recorded to replace it in 1928, and a third recording was made later. This recording continued to sell throughout the twentieth century and by 1962 it was EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's first million-selling classical record, earning it "gold disc" status. It is still available on CD and has now sold over 6 million copies. It was described in The Record Guide (1951) as "one of the outstanding best-sellers of gramophone history".
Ernest Lough's voice broke in 1928, after he had made a number of other recordings, although none of them achieved the iconic status of O for the Wings of a Dove. He continued to sing in his spare time as a baritone (and was one of the "gentlemen" or adult members of the Temple choir).
He made little money from the recording. A 5% royalty was paid to the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, with half of that shared by Thalben-Ball and 24 members of the choir.
Later life
After he left school, Lough worked in the advertising department at HMV, where Ethel Winnifred Charlton was his superior. They were married in June 1938, and had three sons. Two became choristers at the Temple Church choir and one at the Chapel RoyalChapel Royal
A Chapel Royal is a body of priests and singers who serve the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they are called upon to do so.-Austria:...
.
Lough served in the fire service during the Second World War, and was present whem the Temple Church burned down in 1942. He appeared as a fire control operator in a wartime propaganda film about the fire service in London titled Fires Were Started
Fires Were Started
Fires Were Started is a British film written and directed by Humphrey Jennings, filmed in documentary style showing the lives of firefighters through the Blitz in World War II...
, which was filmed using actual firefighters rather than professional actors.
After the war, he worked at the advertising agency Mather and Crowther (later Ogilvy and Mather).
He died at Watford General Hospital, aged 88, survived by his wife and three sons. His obituary appeared in The Times and The Guardian on 24 February 2000 and there is a commemorative plaque to him in the Temple Church
Temple Church
The Temple Church is a late-12th-century church in London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built for and by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. In modern times, two Inns of Court both use the church. It is famous for its effigy tombs and for being a round church...
.
External links
- The First Famous Choirboy (1994 documentary film), followed by parts two, three and four
- Ernest Lough at the Boy Choir & Soloist Directory - Extensive discography
- Ernest Lough's entry on the Boy Soprano pages - plays a 5 minute recording of Ernest Lough singing when opened.
- His obituary in the Independent
- The Boy Choir and Soloist Directory
- Six digitally restored recordings of Ernest Lough