From The Beatles to Brahms and Beyond
CRD Records has been dedicated to the production and distribution of classical recordings for over half a century.
In our 50 year history, we have turned every technological ‘disruption’ into an opportunity, leveraging advancements for the benefits of artists and their listeners.
As we head into our next 50 years, we plan to continue to do the same, building artists’ careers one release at a time and bringing the joy of classical music to audiences old and new in innovative ways.
A trade magazine comments on the rising star, Graham Pauncefort, remarking on his combined love of music and cricket.
CRD records the Concorde March with The LSO Symphony Orchestra. This was a piece commissioned from Robert Farnon to mark the maiden voyage of Concorde, the supersonic airliner.
The LP was released in 1975.
(Recording session. L-R: David Williamson (British Airways), Robert Farnon, Graham Pauncefort)
News hits of the birth of CRD records (alongside celebrations of other classical music greats...)
CRD delves into the work of Spanish composer, Enrique Grandos, with pianist Thomas Rajna.
CRD releases ‘Face the Music’ with Joseph Cooper.
CRD Records officially launches at Durrant's Hotel, London W1.
L-R: Simon Lawman (Artistic Director), Michael Stearn, Graham Pauncefort (Founding Director).
CRD releases first recording with The Chilingirian Quartet, spotlighting the little-known Spanish-Basque composer, Arriaga.
CRD records Vivaldi's Four Seasons with baroque specialist, Trevor Pinnock. This marks the first recording on period instruments.
A few years after they left school (St George's, Harpenden), Graham Pauncefort and Amelia Freedman OBE reconnect. CRD begins its relationship with The Nash ensemble, starting with a release of Hummel and Berwald.
CRD release their first recording with New College Choir, Oxford (Taverner & Tallis: The Western Wind Mass, Mater Christi, Votive Antiphons, Motes and Responds, CRD 3372). This marks the start of a long relationship with the Choir, amounting to over 30 recordings.
Our historic recording of the The Four Seasons Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8: Autumn - Allegro, performed by Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert, is picked up to set the scene for a reception Bond attends undercover.
CRD releases its first recording with The Choir of Keble College, Oxford and The Instruments of Time and Truth.
Son and daughter, Tom and Emma Pauncefort take over as Directors of CRD, focusing straight away on the release of Resurrexi! Easter in Vienna with Mozart and the Haydn brothers.
CRD received grant funding from The Studio, Bath Spa University's hub for innovation, research and enterprise for the creative industries, working with Elzware, a company with over 20 years experience of building and delivering conversational AI, on a pilot project to further the world of music discovery.
CRD establishes sister consultancy company, Pitch Perfect Music Solutions in collaboration with pianist and music educator, Tom Worley, with the aim of unlocking classical music for brands and media for the health of the classical ecosystem.
CRD looks ahead to 2025 and marking 50 years as an independent label with a suite of releases spotlighting some of the most exciting new talent pushing the boundaries of the classical genre, as well as artists with whom the label has enjoyed decades'-long recording relationships.
CRD commits to continue exploring partnerships in complementary verticals to bring classical music, both our catalogue and that of partner labels, to new audiences in an impactful way.
(NB: Image created at deepai.org with the following prompt: "What will classical music look like in the future? Create an image showing classical music's heritage and the influence of new technologies, such as AI.")
In 1965 CRD started out standing for 'Continental Record Distributors'. The letters, with their iconic reference to the vinyl record, was carried forward into CRD's chapter as a classical label, which gathered pace in 1975. Today, 'Classical ReDefined' reflects our commitment to bringing timeless classical music to modern audiences.