[Shellac Single]: All Creatures Now Are Merry-Minded: Madrigal b/w Down In Yon Forest: Carol (Roycroft Living Tone No. 156)

The English Singers

Published by The Roycrofters / Wm. H. Wise & Co. New York - Sole Distributors, East Aurora, NY, 1928

About this Item

Original shellac 10" 78 rpm record. "All Creatures Now Are Merry-Minded" composed by John Bennet. "Down in Yon Forest" arranged by R. Vaughan Williams. Some rubbing and light scratches to both sides, still very good, lacking the case and sleeve. Originally issued as part of a 12 record set numbered 151 to 162 released by Roycroft along with the booklet, *Word Book of the English Singers' Music*, which provided information about each song. These are some of the first American recordings of what is now referred to as Early Music, which is largely meant to represent European music of the 15th and 16th centuries though it can be expanded to include some Baroque era music (but if you hit Bach you've gone too far). The English Singers first arrived in America in 1925 and caused a bit of a sensation as this old music was brand new to American audiences. Though their approach to Early Music would be criticized later due to advancements in our understanding of how the pieces are to be performed, their efforts and the fruit they've produced are one of the reasons we have Early Music as a concept today. Complete sets are hard to come by and no one set is fully complete as issued because there were at least four alternate "B-Sides" issued, No. 155, No. 156, No. 158, and No. 161. Combine this with the fact that Roycroft was a very small label that was only in operation for a few years and it's easy to understand why these records are so difficult to collect. This is evident in the handful of descriptions/holdings found in *OCLC* and *Discogs*, with only the website *78 Discography* having documented what appears to be a complete list of titles. Roycroft was founded by Elbert Hubbard in 1895 in East Auroa, New York and was part of the Arts and Crafts movement. Not just a business, Roycroft was a reformist community of artists and craftsmen whose work had a meaningful influence on American architecture and design. In addition to the workshops, the Roycroft Campus also housed a press where many books were published including Hubbard's own book, *Little Journeys* and partner publications such as *The Buffalo Magazine for Arts*. The record label was a very small part of the business and was only in operation from 1927 to 1930. The English Singers recordings may be the most well known of the Roycroft records. An uncommon and interesting piece of both American recording and Early Music history.

Seller Inventory # 527852

Bibliographic Details

• Title: [Shellac Single]: All Creatures Now Are Merry-Minded: Madrigal b/w Down In Yon Forest: Carol (Roycroft Living Tone No. 156)
• Publisher: The Roycrofters / Wm. H. Wise & Co. New York - Sole Distributors, East Aurora, NY
• Publication Date: 1928
• Binding: Unbound
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Americana
  • Music