Gimell Records was established in 1980 by Peter Phillips and Steve Smith, specifically to record the work of the British vocal ensemble the Tallis Scholars. As of June 2024 its catalogue numbers 60 original albums and 15 compilation albums. The label "performed a pioneering role in the re-appraising of unaccompanied sacred choral music of the 15th and 16th centuries." According to Hyperion Records, Gimell was the first "single-artist label", preceding other similar labels by several years. It was also the first independent record label to receive the Gramophone Record of the Year award, achieving this feat in 1987 with a recording of Josquin des Prez.
Name The label was named after the technique “gymel”, a corruption of the Latin word “gimellus”, meaning a twin, which was found in Tudor manuscripts where a part is twinned with another part. Phillips explained, "You have to understand that in those days the music wasn't written in score; it was written in parts, so you'd only see your part. If you were singing your part and you saw the word ‘gimell’ it had to be decided in rehearsal that some of you singing that part would have to look elsewhere on the page, or even pick up another book and find your part."
History Steve Smith, a music and sound recording student on the Tonmeister course at the University of Surrey, met Peter Phillips, a student at St John's College, Oxford, when Smith recorded The Tallis Scholars as part of a student project at the Chapel of Merton College, Oxford in 1976. After graduation, and unable to find a suitable recording contract for a Tallis Scholars' album – Phillips had unsuccessfully approached Deutsche Grammophon, Philips and EMI – Phillips and Smith set up their own company, Gimell Records. Of this Phillips said, "Not only were the big labels not interested in us – which I can understand because we were very new at the time – but also it was clear that they had no interest in the repertory that we wanted to do." The choir's first LP was recorded at Merton College in March 1980. They would continue to record there until 1987, returning in 2005.
In mid-1996, Philips Classics, part of Polygram Classics, acquired a majority share of Gimell Records. This was just before Philips Classics was "subsequently swallowed up by industry giant, Universal". Tallis Scholars' recordings were temporarily removed from the catalogue, but Phillips and Smith regained control and re-established Gimell in 2000. Its first new issue after this hiatus was in 2000, Missa si bona suscepimus by Cristóbal de Morales.
Recording technology Gimell's founding coincided with the rise of the compact disc and Phillips and Smith "recognised early on how the clarity of the digital sound could benefit Renaissance choral music." In 1984 Gimell was the first label to place a commercial order with a British CD manufacturer.
Gimell re-launched its website in 2007. It was only the second website globally to sell high resolution downloads. The following year the site was the first to sell FLAC surround sound downloads. In 2017 Gimell announced it would stop selling CDs and downloads from its website, which resulted in an immediate spike in sales, exceeding sales for the entire previous year.
In 2013 the group's 2007 recording of Allegri's Miserere was one of the first albums to be released on Pure Audio Blu-Ray. In 2022 Smith re-mastered the same recording with Spatial audio for Dolby Atmos.
Fifty Shades of Grey In 2012 E. L. James published her best-selling novel Fifty Shades of Grey which referenced Thomas Tallis's 40-part motet Spem in alium. As a direct result, sales of Gimell's 1985 album Spem in Alium "outsold even the tenor Luciano Pavarotti", putting it at number one in the British UK Classical Charts. The subsequent release of Fifty Shades of Grey: The Classical Album by EMI later in the year saw Gimell at the top of the charts once more. James was quoted as saying "I am delighted to have introduced so many of my readers to this amazing 16th century piece of music... the recording from the Tallis Scholars is particularly special.”
Awards
| 1987 | Recording of the Year for Josquin's Missa Pange lingua and Missa La sol fa re mi | Gramophone Awards
| rowspan="2"|1989 | Diapason d'Or de l'Année for Lassus's Missa Osculetur me | rowspan="2"|Diapason d'Or
| Diapason d'Or de l'Année for Josquin's L'homme armé masses
| 1991 | Early Music Award for Palestrina's Missa Assumpta est Maria and Missa Sicut lilium | rowspan="3"|Gramophone Awards
| rowspan="2"|1994 | Early Music Award for Rore's Missa Praeter rerum seriem
| Classic FM People's Choice Award for Rore's Missa Praeter rerum seriem
| 2001 | Best Small Ensemble Performance for Morales's Missa Si bona suscepimus | Grammy Awards
| 2005 | Early Music Award for music from the Eton Choirbook by John Browne | Gramophone Awards
| 2009 | Best Small Ensemble Performance for Josquin's Missa Malheur me bat and Missa Fortuna desperata | rowspan="2"|Grammy Awards
| 2010 | Best Small Ensemble Performance for Victoria's Lamentations of Jeremiah
| 2012 | Diapason d'Or de l'Année for Josquin's Missa De beata virgine and Missa Ave maris stella | Diapason d'Or
| rowspan="2"|2021 | Record of the Year for Josquin's Missa Hercules Dux Ferrarie, Missa D'ung aultre amer, and Missa Faysant regretz | BBC Music Magazine
| Early Music Award for Josquin's Missa Hercules Dux Ferrarie, Missa D'ung aultre amer, and Missa Faysant regretz | Gramophone Classical Music Awards
Discography 1980s Year Composer/s Title / Works Detail 1980 Allegri / Palestrina / Mundy Miserere / Missa Papae Marcelli / Vox parts caeliestis #1 HMV Classical Chart, February 1981 1981 Palestrina Missa Benedicta es/ Motet1982 Tavener, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Bortniansky and anon Russian Orthodox Music Gibbons, Byrd, Weelkes, Morley, Tomkins, etc. English Madrigals 1983 Palestrina, Lhéritier, Victoria and de Silva Missa Nigra sum / Motets1984 John Taverner Missa Gloria tibi Trinitas/ Leroy Kyrie/ Dum transisset I Tavener Ikon of Light/ Funeral Ikos/ The Lamb1985 Tallis Spem in alium and other Latin-texted works Byrd The Three Masses1986 Christmas Carols and Motets Palestrina Missa Brevis/ Missa Nasce la gioja mia Tallis The Complete English Anthems Josquin de Pres Missa Pange Lingua/ Missa La sol fa re mi Gramophone Magazine Record of the Year, 19871987 Gesualdo Tenebrae responsories for Holy Saturday/ Four Marian Motets Clemens Missa Pastores quidnam vidistis/ Motets Victoria / Lobo Requiem/ Versa Est in Luctum Byrd The Great Service/ Anthems 1988 Sarum Chant: Missa in Gallicantu Cornysh Stabat Mater, Magnificat, Salve regina and other motets and secular songs 1989John Sheppard Media Vita Josquin de Pres L'homme armé Masses Diapason d'Or de l'Année Lassus Missa Osculetur me/ Motets Palestrina Missa Assumpta est Maria/ Missa Sicut lilum Gramophone magazine Early Music Award, 1991
1990s Year Composer/s Title / Works Detail1990 Music featured on the South Bank Show 1-disc reissue to accompany the programme Cardoso Requiem/ Magnificat/ Motets Victoria Tenebrae Responsories 1991 Isaac Missa de Apostolis/ Motets Thomas Tomkins The Great Service/ Anthems 1992 Antoine Brumel Missa Et ecce terrae motus (The Earthquake Mass)/ Lamentations/ Magnificat Duarte Lobo Requiem/ Missa Vox clamantis Tallis Lamentations of Jeremiah / Motets and Antiphons 1993 Byrd William Byrd 2-disc reissue to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the composer's birth Taverner, Tye and Sheppard The Western Wind Masses 1994 Palestrina The Palestrina 400 Collection 4-disc reissue to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the composer's death Cipriano de Rore Missa Praeter rerum seriem/ Motets Gramophone Early Music Award, 1994Gramophone/Classic FM People's Choice Award, 1994 Zlatá Harmonie Award, Brno, 1995 Allegri, Palestrina Live in Rome: Allegri and Palestrina Winner, Cannes Classical Awards at MIDEM, 19951995 Taverner John Taverner 1-disc reissue to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the composer's death White Lamentations/ Magnificat/ Motets 1996 Jacob Obrecht Missa Maria Zart1997 A Tudor Collection 2-disc reissue Johannes Ockeghem Missa Au travail suis/ Missa De plus en plus and their chansons Alonso Lobo Missa Maria Magdalene/ Motets The Yearning Spirit: Voices of Contemplation 1-disc reissue1998 Ferrabosco, Tallis, White, Brumel, Palestrina Lamenta: Lamentations Tallis Scholars 25th Anniversary 2-disc reissue Josquin, Obrecht, Taverner, Byrd, Tallis, Mundy Tallis Scholars Live in Oxford Tallis Missa Puer natus (The Christmas Mass)/ Magnificat/ Motets 1999 The Best of the Renaissance 2-disc reissue
2000s Year Composer/s Title / Works Detail 2000 Morales Missa Si bona suscipimus/ Motet Nominated for a Grammy, 20022001 Allegri Miserere Reissue of the 1980 release John Tavener Ikon of Light/ Funeral Ikos/ The Lamb Reissue of the 1984 release Nicolas Gombert Magnificats 1-4/ chant antiphons 2002 Nicholas Gombert Magnificats 5-8/ chant antiphons Tallis The Complete English Anthems Reissue of the 1986 release Tallis Lamentations of Jeremiah Reissue of the 1992 release2003 Christmas with the Tallis Scholars 2-disc reissue The Essential Tallis Scholars 2-disc reissue2004 Palestrina The Tallis Scholars sing Palestrina 2-disc reissue Tallis The Tallis Scholars sing Thomas Tallis 2-disc reissue2005 Allegri Miserere 25th Anniversary Edition of the 1980 release John Browne Music from the Eton Choirbook Gramophone Early Music Award, 2005 Palestrina Tallis Scholars sing Palestrina 2-disc reissue Victoria/ D. Lobo/ Cardoso Requiem 2-disc reissue2006 Guerrero Missa Surge Propera/ Motets Palestrina Missa Benedicta es 25th Anniversary Edition of the 1981 release Byrd Playing Elizabeth's Tune: Byrd's Mass for Four Voices/ Motets Renaissance Giants 2-disc reissue Josquin de Pres The Tallis Scholars sing Josquin 2-disc reissue2007 Allegri / Palestrina Miserere / Missa Papae Marcelli and Motets New recordings English Madrigals 25th Anniversary Edition of the 1982 release Byrd The Tallis Scholars sing William Byrd 2-disc reissue2008 Josquin de Pres Missa Sine nomine/ Missa Ad fugam The Tallis Scholars sing Tudor Church Music - Volume One 2-disc reissue The Tallis Scholars sing Tudor Church Music - Volume Two 2-disc reissue2009 Flemish Masters 2-disc reissue Josquin de Pres Missa Malheur me bat/ Missa Fortuna desperata Diapason d'Or, 2010Nominated for a Grammy, 2009
2010s Year Composer/s Title / Works Detail2010 Sacred Music in the Renaissance, Vol. 1 4-disc reissue to celebrate Gimell's 30th anniversary Sacred Music in the Renaissance, Vol. 2 4-disc reissue to celebrate Gimell's 30th anniversary Sacred Music in the Renaissance, Vol. 3 4-disc reissue to celebrate Gimell's 30th anniversary Victoria Lamentations of Jeremiah Nominated for a Grammy, 20102011 Josquin de Pres Missa De beata virgine and Missa Ave maris stella Diapason d'Or de l'Année, 2012 The Victoria Collection 3-disc reissue to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the composer's death 2012 Mouton Missa Dictes moy toutes voz pensées/ Motets 2013 Allegri / Palestrina Miserere / Missa Papae Marcelli Pure Audio Blu-ray release of the 2007 disc Whitacre Sainte-Chapelle Single track download, not available on CD Taverner Missa Gloria tibi Trinitas/ Magnificats Winner, 51st Japan Record Academy Early Music Award, 2013#1 for several weeks, UK Specialist Classical Chart, 2013 Renaissance Radio 2-disc reissue of selected tracks 2014 Tavener Ikon of Light/ Funeral Ikos/ The Lamb Reissue of the 1984 release to commemorate the death of the composer2015 Arvo Pärt Tintinnabuli MusicWeb International Recording of the Year Perfect Polyphony 2-disc reissue of selected tracks John Taverner Missa Corona spinea/ Dum transisset Sabbatum I and II 2016 Josquin de Pres Missa Di dadi/ Missa Une mousse de Biscaye Josquin de Pres Missa Gaudeamus/ Missa L'ami Baudichon 2019 Josquin / Bauldeweyn / Brumel Missa Mater Patris/ Missa Da pacem/ Mater Patris
2020s