When I joined Universal, or Polygram as it was then, it had never had a label that was inexpensive yet maintained the standards of Decca and Deutsche Grammophon, and the wealth that these catalogues represent. There was a series called Belart, which was almost apologetic for being inexpensive, skimped on editorial detail and quality of remastering, and did not include the logos of our great catalogues. I felt that Universal/Polygram needed a label that was competitively priced while delving into its enormous catalogue to reissue recordings that were of a certain standard and had stood the test of time – with due attention to detail and without need for apology. This was also a time of labels releasing recordings under colourful nom-de-plumes. One that stands out was of piano music by Schumann played by a certain “Martha Bergerich”… For people who can’t tell their As from their Bs, perhaps.

Cyrus Meher-Homji. Photo courtesy of Universal Music Australia

Eloquence started off as a repertoire-focused label, but with credible recordings – Böhm’s Vienna Philharmonic Beethoven symphonies, the Monks of Silos singing Gregorian Chant (which became the label’s second-best seller), Mozart piano...