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

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