Audio Recordings

In 1896, Radley College choir was recorded on wax cylinders to be played on a phonograph. In 1923, the first cinema performance in the Old Gym showed four films, including Radley's own film of the dedication of the memorial for the First world War. Sadly neither has survived. 

Amateur film-making flourished at the school in the 1930s, particularly by the Boat Club who filmed themselves for training purposes. The Centenary of the school in 1947, with the visit by Princess Elizabeth and the pageant 'Radley Retrospect' was recorded on vinyl records. The 1950s saw a flowering of the Film Society and of audio recordings of chapel services by the BBC. Radley Film and Video Unit have produced films since the late 1980s and now live-stream most school activities. The Radleian Society maintains its own Youtube Channels.

All of these combine to create an oral history and a film- and sound-scape of the school which is presented here as the historic material becomes available in digital format.