The Master Singers
{{Short description|British vocal group}}
{{for|the opera by Richard Wagner|Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = The Master Singers
| image =
| caption =
| origin = Abingdon School, England
| genre = Anglican chant, novelty records
| years_active = 1963–67
| label = Parlophone Records
| website =
| current_members =
| past_members = John Horrex
George Pratt
Geoff Keating
Barry Montague
Mike Warrington
}}
The Master Singers were a British vocal group in the 1960s. Comprising four schoolmasters, they specialised in comedic recordings of mundane documents and announcements such as the radio weather forecast and the Highway Code, performed a cappella as Anglican chant. Two of their records, "Highway Code" and "Weather Forecast", both produced by George Martin, reached the UK singles chart in 1966.
History
The original setting of the Highway Code in Anglican chant was devised by John Horrex, a teacher at Abingdon School, in the late 1950s. He performed it with various friends at local church and school social events for several years. In 1963, to celebrate the school's tercentenary, Horrex with three other teachers – George Pratt, Geoff Keating and Barry Montague – made a private recording of the Highway Code in several different styles. A copy of the recording reached broadcaster and humourist Fritz Spiegl, who in turn passed it to the BBC where it was played on a radio show hosted by Winston Churchill, the grandson of the former prime minister.{{cite web|url=http://www.batesline.com/archives/2007/05/the-definitive.html|title=The definitive story of the Mastersingers, the Weather Forecast, and the Highway Code |last1=Bates|first1=Michael|last2=Keating|first2=Helen|publisher=BatesLine|accessdate=13 August 2013}}
The group were then contracted to record for Parlophone Records. They first appeared on record in late 1965 with Peter Sellers on his version of the Beatles' "Help!", which was released as the B-side of his version of "A Hard Day's Night", produced by George Martin.[http://www.45cat.com/record/r5393 "Help!" at 45cat.com]. Retrieved 13 August 2013 The group also recorded Christmas carols with Cliff Richard; although the recordings were not used, they were heard by another popular vocal group, The King's Singers, who then asked Pratt to arrange carols on their own recordings.
"The Highway Code", arranged by Horrex and Keating and produced by George Martin, was released in April 1966, and rose to No. 25 on the UK singles chart.{{cite book| first= Graham| last= Betts| year=2004| title= Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004| edition= 1st|publisher= Collins| location= London| isbn= 0-00-717931-6| page=499}} The arrangement makes use of four Anglican chants, composed by W. H. Havergal, E. J. Hopkins, William Felton and J. T. Harris.{{Cite web|title=Out of the question|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2007/9-november/features/features/out-of-the-question|access-date=2021-04-28|website=www.churchtimes.co.uk}}{{Cite web|last=Meehan|first=Brien|date=2011|title=The Highway Code (Anglican Chant as recorded by The Master Singers, 1966)|url=http://www.batesline.com/archives/2012/11/03/Highway%20Code%20Anglican%20Chant.pdf}}
They followed it up with "Telephone Directory", and then "Weather Forecast", which reached no. 50, although they encountered copyright difficulties with "Telephone Directory" as the General Post Office claimed copyright on the names and telephone numbers and prohibited the group from using the directory's contents.Gilmore, Eddy. "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19661010&id=chAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GZsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5356,1479666 Phone Directory Singers Get Word: Wrong Number]". Tuscaloosa News 1966-10-09, 48. They also recorded two songs for a Keele University charity record, The Master Singers And Shirley Kent Sing For Charec 67,[http://www.brumbeat.net/kent.htm Shirley Kent at Brumbeat.net]. Retrieved 13 August 2013 and released an EP comprising two of their singles.[http://www.45cat.com/record/gep8962 The Master Singers at 45cat.com]. Retrieved 13 August 2013
The group also made several television appearances. Montague left the group to move to Australia, and was replaced by Mike Warrington from Cheadle Hulme School. As the original members each left Abingdon School, and their teaching careers took them to different parts of the country – Horrex to Glasgow, Pratt to Keele, and Keating to Cheadle Hulme – the group split up.
Later life
John Horrex joined the staff at The Glasgow Academy as Head of the Physics Department in January 1965, where he was also much involved in many Academy stage productions – as writer, producer, actor and technical adviser. Some 16 years later he moved to become Head of Physics at St Edmund’s School, Canterbury. He died on 18 March 2013.[http://www.thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2013.html#sthash.Qr3OBmUI.XkUsFbFb.dpbs John Horrex at Dead Rock Stars Club]. Retrieved 13 August 2013
Geoff Keating became Director of Music at Millfield School, where he stayed for 17 years, and also taught at Sherborne School for three years before retiring to Scotland. He was conductor of the Solway Sinfonia from 1997 until 2018.[https://solwaysinfonia.org.uk/the-orchestra/ 'The Orchestra', Solway Sinfonia]
Barry Montague joined the staff of Brisbane Grammar School to teach English. He established The Grammar Singers a combined choir with the Girls' Grammar School and initiated a Service of Lessons and Carols at St John's Cathedral as well as performances of major works such as Bach St John Passion, Faure Requiem, Haydn Nelson Mass and Elgar's The Music Makers. The renowned organist Christopher Wrench accompanied the choir for many years. He retired in 2001 and lives near Brisbane in the Bayside suburb of Newport.
George Pratt (1935-2017) became Director of Music at Keele University from 1964 to 1985, where he installed an innovative organ in the new University Chapel in 1965.Peter Dickinson. [https://peterdickinson.info/keele.php Keele University Music Department, 1974-84] He was instrumental in the founding of the influential Lindsay String Quartet and secured a Leverhulme Scholarship for them to begin their careers as artists in residence at Keele. He was later Professor of Music at Huddersfield University[http://mhm.hud.ac.uk/calma/george.html George Pratt at University of Huddersfield] and the author of The Dynamics of Harmony (Open University 1984). He retired to Exeter, where he died in 2017.[http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thetimes-uk/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=185294942 Obituary, George Malcolm Pratt, The Times, 5 May 2017]
Mike Warrington became a head teacher in Oldham before retiring.
References
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Category:British comedy musical groups
Category:Musical groups established in 1963
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1967
Category:1963 establishments in the United Kingdom