collection of patriotic documents that included Declaration of Independence, the Constitution
and the Gettysburg Address. The Foundation eventually recorded the rest of the Bible, pieced
together from the narrating sessions of many readers. As reported by the “New York Times” in
1950, clergymen were originally used as readers at first, but they were not always comfortable
facing the microphone, and the project was eventually completed by several actors and a radio
announcer in 1944.
Then, again per the “Times” in 1950, in 1946, the Foundation began its most ambitious
undertaking: a full recording of the King James Version of the Bible, read—performed—by
only one voice. It was an unprecedented endeavor, never before attempted. The recording of the
unabridged text would take four years to complete. The final product would extend to over 160
long-playing records that, if played from beginning to end, would run over 80 hours in duration.
Obviously, the recording of such an austere volume required an austere narrator and the
Foundation already had one in Broadway and radio actor Alexander Scourby, one of the readers
of their first recorded Bible.
Born in 1913 in Brooklyn, Scourby abandoned an earlier interest in writing in order to pursue a
career on the stage. After apprenticing with Eva La Gallienne at her Civic Repertory Theatre,
Scourby made his Broadway debut in a 1936 production of “Hamlet,” opposite Leslie Howard.
His later Broadway credits included “King Henry IV” (1939), “Crime and Punishment” (1947),
“Detective Story” (1949), “Saint Joan” (1951), and “A Month in the Country” (1956).
Along with his stage work, Scourby’s resonating voice, which has been described as “precise,
mellifluous,” made him a natural for radio work and he participated in his first broadcasts also in
1936. The following year, on the recommendation of his “Hamlet” cast mate Wesley Addy,
Scourby auditioned to be a reader for the American Foundation for the Blind. He was quickly
cast in the Foundation’s audio production of “Antony and Cleopatra.”
Scourby would be affiliated with the Foundation for the next 40 years. And though he would
eventually narrate more than 500 different titles for them (including “War & Peace” and “A
Farewell to Arms”), his most famous, and certainly most enduring, work would be his rendition
of the King James Bible.
In retrospect, Scourby seems like the perfect vocal choice for this demanding undertaking. His
voice is warm and approachable, yet still commanding and authoritative, similar in tone and
timbre to such other renowned radio and voice artists as Orson Welles and William Conrad.
Hearing Scourby’s masterful approach, one quickly understands why he often found himself cast,
across all media, as various authority figures, from doctors to kings. (Once, on radio, he even
played Superman’s Kryptonian father.)
Equally impressive is Scourby’s treatment of the material. He is respectful and reserved.
His performance eschews over-the-top fire-and-brimstone theatrics in favor of a delivery that is
dramatic yet restrained and, therefore, sustained. His relatively low-key delivery no doubt
created a recording that, while fully conveying the powerful themes and story of the Bible,
nevertheless proved approachable, endearing and understandable to a wide variety of listeners.
Once Scourby’s work was done, the Foundation made the recordings available to its constituents
where, despite the work’s Wagnerian size, they found many early, eager takers for their “Living
Bible.” Thanks to Congress’ earlier decree, the King James records could be sent, in parcels, for
free, to the blind and vision-impaired across the nation.
Not to be forgotten or diminished today is the impact the Scourby recordings had on their
audiences. Now not only could listeners hear the full word of God but, thanks to its recitation by