The first concert ever filmed in colour?

That’s the claim being made for the first DVD release of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult at Canterbury Cathedral on March 29, 1968.

The soloists were Janet Baker, Peter Pears and John Shirley-Quirk; the orchestra was the London Philharmonic, with its choir. Vernon Handley was the assistant conductor and the Canterbury organ was out of order. The BBC organist Charlie Spinks was set up in a parish church two miles away with a closed-ciruit television link.

According to the publicity material (quoting Sir Adrian’s memoirs), the director Brian Large commandeered eight of the nine colour television cameras known to be in the UK at that time.

The performance was broadcast on Easter Sunday, 1968.

Does anyone have memories of the film session?

Recognise themselves in the orchestra and chorus?

Or know of an earlier colour-filmed concert?

See also: How to be a lazy conductor.