Richard Salter

"I have now been singing in Germany for over twenty years, but I have always mentioned in my biographical notes for programmes that I was a founder member of The King's Singers. It is usually the one sentence people actually read! To save face, after telling them I left to seek fame and fortune as an opera singer, at which they look sympathetic and embarrassed, I then tell them I would probably have been banished anyway as I don't think I took it seriously enough.

This levity was present during the pre-natal stages of the group. I remember all the group sitting with Mike Bremner of Decca, discussing what we might call ourselves if Decca should decide to record our efforts. Bremner suggested The King's Singers for serious music and The King's Swingers for the close harmony. A close call...

'They' wouldn't let me near any of the tricky rhythmical stuff except for an occasional 'Yeh' (usually too late). Things began to get seroious and I felt obliged to shave more carefully and clean my shoes before concerts. We began to move away from a kind of jam-session rehearsal into periods of real hard work, where interesting concepts like 'rhythm' and 'precision' and 'singing in tune' and 'blending' began to take over the soul of the group. I could already see the writing on the wall and began to look around for alternative sources of employment like doing Contemporary Music where one wouldn't need to sing in tune..."

...Richard Salter

Memories from the 25th Anniversary Program