SIR: Kathleen Ferrier, Joan Hammond, Isabelle Bailey, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth were exceptionally classy singers by all accounts. Leigh's (Puccini trained) perfect tenor Tom Burke and "the Emerald Isle's delight" Joseph Locke were other great stars as was the legendary Paul Robeson.
Another ace was undoubtedly the Maori, Inia te Wiata who sang a selection from the 1916-21 London theatre musical Chu Chin Chow.
One particularly fine Robeson number was Old Man River, which isn't seemingly much sung today except perhaps in classical circles.
One wonders whether any of the above stars ever sang in Bolton? Most of these legends sang at the Wigan Queens Hall! Most were stars in my schooldays 1940-1952.
Gracie Fields and George Formby were celebrities too. Formby and Fields could hold their own in any type of exhalted company. George Formby sang with the lively Deep River Boys in his last televised performance.
Mr Kenneth Lucas
Park Road, Hindley
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article