Davison Choir Archives

Original recordings of the Davison Jr. High School choirs, 1972-1984 - the John F. Abitz era. As director, John F. Abitz recorded nearly every concert on his 1971 Revox A77 reel-to-reel tape recorder using two microphones to create a wide stereo listening experience. The tapes were stored for over 40 years. In 2024 they were transferred to digital. The video accompanying these recordings is of the actual tape machine during the transfer to digital. This could be the last time these tapes will ever be played, as many were literally disintegrating as they passed under the playhead. Some recordings required digital restoration while others sounded pristine on their own. In all there were over 70 tape reels and more than 105 hours of audio which have been condensed down to what you will find here in these Davison Choir Archives.