Edison phonograph cylinders (1888): Handel - Israel in Egypt

On Friday 29th June 1888, from 2pm, a performance of Handel’s oratorio Israel in Egypt was captured on a number of wax cylinder recordings. This performance was part of the trienniel Handel Festivals mounted in the UK. They were recorded from the press gallery in Crystal Palace by Edison-representative Colonel Gouraud, as a way to test and show off Edison’s phonograph. Three of these cylinders still survive. The conductor was Sir August Manns, conducting an orchestra of some 500 musicians and a choir of