Sponsored by
Caruso rescued from vinyl oblivion
IT spans more than half a century – but for the past two decades a stunning record collection at a country house in Yorkshire has gathered dust, the voices on the discs silent and unappreciated.
Some of the world's most celebrated performers are represented, and their era-defining music might have remained unplayed for many more years had it not been for the sharp eye of a recording enthusiast.
Jim Pattison was on a day out with his wife Joyce at English Heritage-owned Brodsworth Hall, near Doncaster, when he spotted an early record stuffed into a magazine rack in one of the display rooms.
Mr Pattison, 77, who has been interested in recordings since he was a boy, described how he made his amazing discovery when a volunteer at the 19th century mansion looked at the label.
"I told the volunteer I was desperate to know what was on the record, but she told me that she couldn't cross the rope and go and have a look because it was against the rules," he said.
"I said we would cover for her and eventually I persuaded her to just go and have a quick look. When she came back and told me what it was I couldn't believe it was just stuck there."
Mr Pattison's find was a rare, early recording of a quartet from Puccini's La Boheme, sung by world-famous tenor Enrico Caruso and early opera stars Geraldine Farrar, Gina Viafora and Antonio Scotti.
The disc dates back to 1908 and Mr Pattison, a former publicist for chemical giant ICI, said it was priceless. He added: "I told the volunteer that the record shouldn't be in the magazine rack.
"She told me to write to the curator, so I went home and wrote a letter and I was then invited to come back and go through the collection and catalogue every record in the hall.
"There were records here that I had only ever read about in books and magazines. Before the gramophone, you had to make your own entertainment. But technology meant that people could hear the world's greatest artists in their own home."
In all, 98 records were found at Brodsworth, some of which Mr Pattison described as "real gems". He has travelled to the hall from his home in Glossop, Derbyshire, several times to work on the collection.
Mr and Mrs Pattison have made recordings of 22 of the discs, including the Puccini track and others which show the breadth of the collection built up by the hall's owners over more than 50 years.
A special exhibition has now been put together to showcase their work, including several of the more valuable records and an interactive "jukebox" which allows visitors to play the music.
Brodsworth Hall was built and owned by Charles Thelluson and it is thought he would have bought some of the classical recordings, which would have been played on a huge Monarch gramophone.
Mrs Pattison said her husband was thrilled to have been given the opportunity to work on the collection, and described classical music in particular as his "lifelong passion".
She added: "We brought all the equipment over from home to make the recordings. Jim's got all the gear. He is well-known in our area as someone who records music."
Brodsworth's curator Caroline Carr Whitworth said: "The thanks for this exhibition really must go to Jim. Without his help, none of this would have been achieved."
Email to a friend
Print this page- Three-inch blanket of snow heading our way today
- Barnsley’s Keith Hill invokes Fawlty Towers over link with Leeds job
- Alan Shearer in list of favourites for Leeds and England jobs: Latest odds
- McCormack feels United search can be narrowed down
- Redfearn throws down gauntlet as queue builds at Elland Road
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -9 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
