MUSEUM OF VOICES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1927, Page 20

MUSEUM OF VOICES

VALUABLE COLLECTION OF

RECORDS.

_ The new catalogue of a well-known British firm of gramophone record makers throws a vivid light on English _ musical .life during the first genoration of gramophone history (says London ''Public Opinion")- Among the thousands of records listed are some of such recent, date that they record Christmas carol singing in Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal, and there are others again which give an encore to songs actually sung during the early days of the, century. There is the echo of Patti singing "The Last Rose of Summer," "Home, Sweet Home, "and other old-time melodies With which she delighted our parents in the .'•seventies and .'eighties. The voice of Caruso, recorded in his prime is preserved in about 50 items. In this strange • museum of sound-reproduction ara many famouß actors of the pastSir Beerbohm Tree, again mesmerising Trilby.; Lewis Waller, as Henry V. at Harfluer; Maurice Farkoa, and others The humour of Dan Leuo is also caught," and a listener in 1927 can understand why 1897 laughed. Ono example is that funny little sketch where Dan v went"to visit a hunting friend. The humour may be a trifle old-fash-' joned, but it is precious historically: 'I met him at the station, and he sad, 'Halloa, old fellow, you're just in time for the meet.' So I looked at him, and I said, 'Meat!' I said, 'What, have you opened a butcher's shop?' He says, 'Butcher's? Not' he says, 'You're all right; go up to the house and have some hunt breakfast.' So I thought, 'Of course. .There we art! The meat's up at the .house with the breakfast, and very likely he's had a meat tea a.ndmade> breakfast of it!'" Greig and Saint-Saens. can be heard playing their compositions on the piano: Sir Ernest Shaekleton tells of his dash to the South Pole; Lord Eoberts talks (in 1913) of "National Service," and Wtfodrow Wilson, delivers a speech on "Democratic Principles." From the point 6t view of reproduction the old historical records may not be comparable with those made by the new electrical method of recording, but they are very -wonderful and of absorbing interest —and we are loft wishing that the invention had-been put forward three etnturies to give us «first nights'* et EKrahtftun flramg, *