Beulah quoted

"If you have not yet made their acquaintance, Beulah regularly bring us reissues of historical recordings, from 78s to 1960s stereo, in  transfers as good as any that I have heard, removing as much surface noise as is feasible –practically all in the case of LPs, and even for most 78s –without impairing the tonal  quality." Brian Wilson at Music Web International

"The Beulah record label has always been one of the most idiosyncratic, and therefore perhaps most interesting, of reissue marques. While the basic character of Beulah remains the same as in its Compact Disc days, the range of its present catalogue, driven now by the ease of downloading, has been extended in remarkable fashion. Browsing the Beulah catalogue is now rather like being in a 78rpm record shop: there are plenty of recordings of short pieces available to whet your appetite for either repertoire or artist, while at the same time there are numerous full length works available if you wish to consolidate your collection with, for instance, major symphonies. All of Beulah's transfers, as might be expected of a distinguished reissue label, are of very high quality." David Patmore writing in Classical Recordings Quarterly

"Beulah releases are  available  from  other  suppliers  but  Qobuz  offer  them  in  lossless  sound  for  the  same  price  that others charge for mp3 –in some casesthat’sless than full bit-rate mp3." Brian Wilson at Music Web International 

New for November

Many music lovers miss the sound from vinyl pressings. Many others have yet to discover how great the sound can be. Most of our albums are mastered from vinyl LP pressings and earlier recordings (generally before 1953) from 78 rpm discs. It is our ability to recreate, in the digital age, the sound from the disc era that many of our customers find most enjoyable.

Unlike modern digital recordings tracks in our albums do contain some distortion, and the occasional surface noises, but for many listeners these "defects" are soon forgotten.

Our albums are available from many download and streaming sites.

We highly recommend downloading from where you can download or stream in high quality, for the same price as iTunes medium quality.

New albums

The Music of Richard Stanbrook

Beulah is proud to release the first album of music by Richard Stanbrook.

Richard Stanbrook was born in Newbury, Berkshire in 1954. Upon leaving school he enlisted in the Army and served with the Royal Corps of Transport Staff Band. In October 1977, he transferred to the Royal Military Academy Band Corps, Sandhurst and was its music arranger until July 1981. Stylistically, Stanbrook does not belong to any school of ‘ism’ and eschews modernity for its own sake.

Richard writes:-

Sinfonietta No. 2 for Orchestra.
This was composed during 2016 was planned to have been a light, even frivolous work took on a far more serious mood following that year's European Union membership referendum.

Nocturne for Violoncello and Strings.
Originally for Heckelphone, the Nocturne was composed in Autumn 2016 and is more a "song of the night" rather than "things that go bump in the night."

Thorncombe Beacon for 2 Horns and Strings.
Although overshadowed by its loftier neighbour, "Golden Cap," the view from Thorncombe Beacon (on the "Jurassic Coast" in West Dorset), sweeping Lyme Bay in its entirety - from Portland Bill to Start Point - is one of the finest seascapes in Britain.This piece was composed in 2013.

Three Pastorales for Orchestra.
These do not relate to any specific locations. Listeners may say they evoke their favourite landscapes but, of course, personal choices vary.

Fragment for Wind.
The remains of an orchestral piece written in 1986. Short and, maybe, sweet?

Pilsdon Pen for Oboe and Strings.
At 909 feet. Pilsdon Pen is the second highest hill in Dorset, with wide, airy views encompassing four counties. Composed in 2013.

Concertino for Oboe and Strings. Written during 2018, this, in the composer's words, "is my farewell to the England I once knew and revered."

Read Brian Wilson's review at Music Web International in which he writes "On the basis of the Beulah album, do I want to hear more? Given that Stanbrook describes himself as not belonging to any school of ‘ism’ and eschewing modernism for its own sake, I could almost have answered that in the affirmative before hearing a note of music, and the experience proved most rewarding.

"All concerned, composer, performers, and recording engineers deserve credit, as does Beulah for bringing it all to us. I hope that the experiment will be successful and that we have not heard the last of this enterprising partnership, which has brought us some very worthwhile first recordings."

Listen to extracts from Richard Stanbrook's album.

What The Critics Say

"Beecham conducts Brahms is another reissue on which Beulah restore elements of the Beecham legacy. Though he was not best known for his Brahms, this reissue, containing the Violin Concerto, with Isaac Stern and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1951 and Symphony No.2, again with the RPO in stereo in 1958/59, is well worth considering."

"Klemperer’s rather craggier approach would be my classic recording from the early stereo era (Beulah 2PD98, with Tragic Overture – from Qobuz). Or there’s Pierre Monteux, with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1959, coupled with his classic 1958 recording of Elgar’s Enigma Variations with the LSO (Beulah 1PDR39: Recording of the Month – review : download from Qobuz).

"Ultimately, Beecham makes the music a little too idiosyncratic, but the reissue is worth having just for the energetic end of the finale and for those little touches, here and elsewhere, where the conductor’s fingerprints are much in evidence. The RPO play out of their skin, as they always did for him, even though his rehearsal technique seems to have been minimal, at least on the basis of the recording that was made of it, where he spends most of the time joking.

"The Violin Concerto, though recorded by EMI, was released in 1955 on Philips ABL3023, and was briefly available from Sony with the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Download the Beulah from Qobuz in lossless format for £7.99 – the same price that others charge for mp3.

"The very slow approach to the first movement means that it’s never going to be my favourite – once you hear Heifetz, a slow tempo here just will not do – but I know that many will warmly welcome its return. In fact, I must admit that I was won over much more than I expected to be; if anyone is going to drag me away from Heifetz and Reiner, Stern and Beecham could do it.

"Beecham conducts Brahms doesn’t represent him at his very best, though his many fans will want to add this to their collection. But do remember to save your pennies for another Beulah reissue: Beecham conducts French Music."

Brian Wilson at Music Web International

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