ALL MATERIAL ON THIS SITE IS MY COPYRIGHT. DO NOT COPY IT FOR ANY PURPOSE WHATSOEVER WITHOUT OBTAINING MY PERMISSION! Webster Booth (tenor - 1902-1984) and Anne Ziegler (soprano - 1910-2003) were best known in Britain as duettists on the Variety circuit from 1940 to 1955. During that time they rose rapidly to fame and were frequently heard and seen on radio, records, television, film and stage. Besides this Variety Act, Webster Booth was one of the foremost tenors of his generation and continued to sing in numerous oratorios throughout his career on the Variety circuit. The Webster Booth-Anne Ziegler Yahoo group is for those who remember them from the days of their success in the UK and South Africa, and for others discovering them for the first time. In the group there is a discussion forum and access to rare recordings and photographs featuring them as duettists and soloists.
Paddy Prior (middle row left), Webster Booth (seated next to her)
Webster Booth married his second wife, Dorothy Annie Alice Prior (stage name Paddy Prior) on 10 October 1932 at the Fulham Registry Office. He had married Winifred Keey there eight years earlier but had divorced her in 1931 after she deserted him and their small son, Keith, several years before.
Paddy Prior, was born in 1905, the daughter of Fulham ironmonger, Hubert and his wife, Annie Prior. Paddy began her professional stage career while still a teenager. She was a talented soubrette, comedienne and dancer, and possessed a pleasant mezzo soprano voice into the bargain.
In 1924, at the age of nineteen, Paddy spent nearly a year as a member of the travelling Rogues concert party from April to January 1925. In various reviews Paddy was praised for her comedy talent and her speciality dancing with comedian Fred Roper. They were appearing at Leas Pavilion, Folkestone in January 1925, but by the 5 February Paddy had left the Rogues to join the Gamblers and Their Tipster concert party at the same venue. This party also toured extensively, so before she was twenty-one, Paddy had seen much of the country and gained valuable professional experience into the bargain.
In November 1925 Paddy appeared at the Taunton Lyceum in Little Miss Muffet as Dolly Dimple. The pantomime toured various towns until early 1926. By April Paddy was out of work and obliged to put an advertisement in The Stage as follows:
8 April 1926 PADDY PRIOR, SOUBRETTE AND DANCER
VACANT: First class offers for CP, Revue, and Musical Comedy.
PA 37 Arundel Mansions, Fulham SW6
By July Paddy was working again, this time with Leslie Fuller’s Whitby Pedlars, and a review pointed out that, “Paddy Prior is a charming and dainty soubrette, who uses her mezzo voice effectively.”
The pattern of Paddy’s stage career was set: concert party, after-dinner entertainment, pantomime and musical comedy. Towards the end of the twenties she was also on television at Daventry, first in De Courville’s Hour in 1929, then in the early thirties in Philip Ridgeway’s series entitled TheRidgeway Parade, which included Janet Lind, Dorothy Dampier and Hermione Gingold in the cast.
Like Webster she was a member of the Concert Artistes’ Association, and it was there that she first heard Webster sing. In an interview with W.S. Meadmore in Gramophone in November 1935, Webster described his meeting with Paddy. He was singing One Alone from The Desert Song when his attention was drawn to her seated in the audience, obviously enjoying his singing. They were introduced after the concert and married in October 1932.
The following year they worked together in Murray Ashford and Wilby Lunn’s Piccadilly Revels for the summer season at the Floral Hall, Scarborough, and in 1934 they were members of Powis Pinder’s Sunshine concert party at the Sunshine Theatre, Shanklin. Arthur Askey and Bernard Lee were also in this company.
At the end of 1934 Webster was chosen to play Faust in the film, The Faust Fantasy and Anne Ziegler was chosen to play Marguerite. Filming began in December and, according to Anne and Webster’s joint autobiography Duet, they fell in love. Paddy’s marriage to Webster was about to end before it had properly begun.
Webster and Paddy continued to work together for several years after his meeting with Anne. Their last joint appearance was on 30 April 1936 when they performed at the City Musical Union’s 84th Annual Dinner at the Holborn Restaurant. At the end of May they were guests at the wedding of their friends, Violet Stevens and Bryan Courage.
But in July 1937 Anne and Webster sailed for New York, where Anne had been engaged to play in the musical, Virginiaat the Center Theater. She had changed her name to Anne Booth for this production, after being advised that Americans disliked German-sounding names at that time, and also anticipating her eventual marriage to Webster. Webster returned to Southampton onboard the MV Georgic and gave his address as 74 Lauderdale Mansions, Maida Vale (Anne's flat), although he was still listed in the telephone directory as living in Crescent Court, Golders Green, where he and Paddy had spent their married life.
From the beginning of 1938 Anne and Webster began taking engagements together, while Paddy filed for divorce on 29 March 1938 “on the grounds of his adultery in April 1937, with Miss Irene Eastwood, otherwise Miss Anne Zeigler (sic), singer…”
In September 1938 Anne was featured on the cover of Radio Pictorial sporting an opulent diamond solitaire engagement ring and on 7 October 1938 the absolute decree was granted to Paddy Prior against Webster Booth. After the divorce Paddy moved to 14 Muswell Hill Road, sharing her new home with a young Welsh singer, Bettie Bucknelle, who had made her debut on radio in Band Waggon, which starred Arthur Askey and Rupert Murdoch.
Anne and Webster were married on 5 November 1938 and went on to even greater success as romantic duettists on the variety stage during the war.
The Folkestone Bouquets. Paddy Prior, middle row (extreme right)
Paddy continued with her theatrical career and when war broke out she joined ENSA. She returned to England in 1946 after entertaining British forces in the Middle East, and, in 1947 did a summer season with the Oval Entertainers, Margate, where a reviewer described her as “a gay young lady with a sparkling sense of humour as fresh as Margate’s famous sea breezes.”.
On 22 April 1948 she and Bettie Bucknelle sailed for Australia, where they intended to make a new life. Paddy's brother had settled there some time earlier. It must have been upsetting for Paddy to see Webster and Anne as established stars while, despite her considerable talent, she had not made a big name for herself.
Later that year Anne and Webster made an extensive concert tour of New Zealand and Australia. They heard that Paddy and Bettie had booked seats in the front row for one of their concerts. Webster feared that they might be planning an unpleasant demonstration against them at this concert. He was asked whether he could recommend Paddy as understudy to Cicely Courtneidge in the play, Under the Counter, which meant she would have to leave for New Zealand to rehearse the understudy role. He had no hesitation in making this recommendation, so Paddy was not able to attend the concert as she had to go to New Zealand right away.
There is a record of Bettie Bucknelle singing in a number of broadcasts, including broadcasts with the famous band leader Jay Wilbur, but I could not find out anything about Paddy’s Australian theatrical career. If anyone can give me any further information about her I would be very glad if they could contact me. Shortly after Anne and Webster returned to the UK from South Africa in 1978, a letter arrived for Webster from Paddy who was still living in Australia. She said he would be welcome to visit her if he ever decided to go out there.
I have attempted to compile a discography of the solo and duet recordings of Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, including recordings made with other singers. This discography is probably not complete so I would be glad to hear from anyone who might be able to add to it. I have found most of the HMV recordings, but there are probably some Decca recordings made after HMV cancelled their record contracts n 1951, which I have not managed to trace.
I have also included a few of the broadcasts, but only the ones where recordings exist today in the National Sound Archive or in my own collection.
Most of the following recordings are solo recordings by Webster Booth. I have marked duets with Anne Ziegler, Anne Ziegler’s solos, and recordings which do not acknowledge Webster (such as the HMV Light Opera Company and those marked “with vocal refrain) with the following markers:
*Duets
#Anne Ziegler solos
+With vocal refrain
Records made with other companies are listed first, followed by HMV B recordings and HMV C recordings.I was unable to trace all the record numbers in the HMV B series and have listed these at the end of the B list.
Brunswick/Rex
+SA1573A/B Sweethearts; WoodenShoes/Sweethearts/
Herbert/Smith, Carlo Santana (Harry Bidgood) accordion orchestra,
+SA1588-A/B One day when we were young; Tales from the Vienna woods/The Great Waltz/Strauss, Unnamed soprano, Carlo Santana (Harry Bidgood) accordion orchestra
DX691West End Nights: Gay Deceivers: You are me, Serenade; Stop Press!/You and the Night and the Music; Easter Parade, with WB, Muriel Barron, Marjorie Stedeford, chorus, conducted by Debroy Somers, July 1935
*DX824Porgy and Bess Selection/Gershwin/Carroll Gibbons/1938
DX832Snow White and the Seven Dwarfsmedley/Morey with Nora Savage, WB, Orchestra of Merry Men, directed by George Scott-Wood and vocal quartet Part 1: I’m wishing, One song, With a smile and a song. Part 2: Whistle While you Work, Heigh-ho, Dwarfs’ Yodel song, Some Day my Prince will Come, 1938
Decca
NB: There may be other Decca recordings. I only managed to find two from 1952.
Decca K628Rosemarie Vocal Selection/Friml/ Victor Conway, Anne Welch, WB 12 December 1930
Decca K644Goodnight Vienna Vocal Selection/George Posford/WB with Olive Groves, May 1932
Decca F9921Sanctuary of the heart/Ketelby; He bought my heart at Calvary/Hamblen with choir of St Stephen’s Church Dulwich, Fela Sowande (organ)1952
Greenwood; Faery Song/The Immortal Hour/ Boughton/ John T Cockerill (harp) 18 July 1939
B8968Macushla/MacMurrough; I’ll walk beside you/Alan Murray, Clifford Greenwood, August 1939, OEA8028/9
*B8982A Paradise for two/The Maid of the mountains/Tate; If You Were the Only Girl in the World/The Bing Boys are Here/Ayer, Clifford Greenwood, 19 October 1939 OEA8119/20,
B8990 Agnus Dei/Bizet; Ave Maria/Bach-Gounod, chorus, Herbert Dawson, London PO, Wynn Reeves, November 1939
*B8996Wanting you/The New Moon/Romberg;I'll See You Again/ Bitter Sweet/Coward, Clifford Greenwood, October 1941
B9009 Ay, ay, ay/ Freire;Ideale /Tosti/Braithwaite, October 1939
B9022Bless this house/Brahe; Danny Boy/Weatherly/ Herbert Dawson, 1939
B9030When you wish upon a star/Pinocchio/ Harline; Rosita/Kennedy/Carr, 1939
B9031Indian Summer; A Kiss in the Dark/The Great Victor Herbert/Herbert,Ronnie Munro,April 1939/ January 1940 OEA8484/5
B9040Lavender Lass; Love is my song/Murray, Charles Prentice,May 1940
*B9051 Lover, come back to me/The New Moon/Romberg; Ah, sweet mystery of life/Naughty Marietta/ Herbert, Walter Goehr?/Jock Prentice? 7-8 May 1940
Serenade/Student Prince/Romberg, Walter Goehr, November 1939,23 May 1940, OEA8191/2
*B9060 Deep In My Heart, Dear/The Student PrinceRomberg; Fold your wings/Glamorous Night/ Novello, Clifford Greenwood, 8 May 1940
*B9065 Only a rose/Vagabond King/ Friml; You, just you/Wild Violets/Stolz, 7-8 May 1940, OEA 8597/8
B9069Ah, fill the cup/ Ah, Moon of my delight/In a Persian Garden/Lehmann,August 1940
*B9070 Love’s old sweet song/Molloy; Second Minuet/Besley, Ronnie Munro, 7-8 May/October 1940, OEA 8610
B9071Morning; Sylvia/Speaks, Gerald Moore, September 1940
*B9120Our Greatest successes Medley 1The Student Prince/Bitter SweetMedley/Until/Love's Old Sweet Song/I Hear You Calling Me/Two Little Words OEA8979, 1940
#B9122Joy of life/Ivanovici; Tales from the Vienna Woods/Strauss February 1941
B9123Rose of Tralee/Glover; Phil, the Fluter’s Ball/French, Gerald Moore December 1940, OEA 9071/3
B9164 Mountains o’ Mourne/French; A Ballynure Ballad/arr Hughes +Trottin’ to the Fair/Stanford, Gerald Moore, 1941
B9167England, Mother England/E C Booth; There's a land, a dear land/Frances Allitsen, Gerald Moore, 1941
B9173Love, could I only tell thee/The Geisha/Richard Capel; I hear you calling me/Marshall, Gerald Moore,February 1941,
*B9177 Love’s garden of roses/Wood; Will you remember?/May time/ Romberg, Warwick Braithwaite 10 June1941/August 1941,
B9193Passing by/Purcell;Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes/Trad-Jonson, GeraldMoore, 6 June 1941 OEA9322/3
B9201 When Big Ben Chimes/Kennedy Russell; The Lord's Prayer/Malotte, Gerald Moore, 9 May 1941
*B9202 The Flower; The Golden Song/Lilac Time/Schubert,Clutsam,Warwick Braithwaite, 10 June 1941
B9205Song of Songs/Moya; Trees/Harbach, Gerald Moore, May 1941
*B9226When we are married/The Belle of New York/Kerker; The Keys Of Heaven/Broadwood, September 1941, OEA9533/4
#B9241Invitation to the Waltz/Weber; Waltz song/Tom Jones/ Edward German, 1941
#B9243 Slumber song/Schumann/arr Carroll; Song in the night/Mortimer/Loughborough,Charles Forwood
B9244Star of My Soul/The Geisha/Jones; To Mary/White, Philip Green, 20 September 1941/June 1942
*B9247Tristesse: So deep is the night/Chopin; My Paradise/ Parr-Davies/Gangway, Debroy Somers, 20 December 1941, OEA9628
B9255One alone/Desert Song/Romberg; Song of the Vagabonds/Vagabond King/Friml, Debroy Somers, 20December 1941, OEA9567/8
B9999 Drinking song/The Rose of Persia/ Sullivan; Where haven lies/A princess in Kensington/German, Mark Lubbbock, 11 July 1950
B10027 I leave my heart in an English garden/Dear Miss Phoebe/Harry Parr-Davies; I bless the day/di Jongh, Mark Lubbock, 20 December 1950,
B10035 May the good Lord bless and keep you/Willson;No More/Yradier/Sidney Torch, 1951
B10092At the end of the day; Where’er you go/O’Keefe,Eric Robinson, 18 May 1951
HMV – B numbers unknown
Irving Berlin Waltz Medley/New Mayfair Orchestra/Ray Noble Because I love you, All Alone, Always, What’ll I do? The Song is Ended, You Forgot to Remember, Bb21098-2/2109922 December 1930
*Love me tonight; Tomorrow/Vagabond King/Friml, Debroy Somers 5 January 1943, OEA9587/8
*Blue Smoke/Ruru Karaitiana/ (other side unknown) I think this was recorded in New Zealand during the 1948 concert tour.
*The Gates of Paradise; Someday my heart will awake/King’s Rhapsody/ Novello, Mark Lubbock, 1950
*Lift up your hearts/Simpson/Morian; Such lovely things/North, Mark Lubbock, 1951
The Night was made for love/The Cat and the Fiddle/ KernI cannot trace a number for this - possibly from a broadcast?
HMV C 12” recordings
C1846 Chappell Ballads/Jack Hylton/ /Herbert Dawson (organ) WB (with vocal refrain) Side 1 Song of the Bow, Slave Song, Maire, my girl (WB), Queen of my heart, Homing, Love’s Coronation/Side 2 Intro, Long ago in Alcala, Where my caravan has rested, Love’s garden of roses (WB), A May morning, She is far from the land, Chorus Gentlemen, recorded 31 January 1930 – 7 February 1930
C2106 Merrie England Vocal Gems/German Side 2 When Cupid first this old world trod, The English Rose (WB), Robin Hood’s Wedding, (WB) With a hey, Robin (WB), Light Opera Company with WB
C2260 Chu Chin ChowVocal Gems/Asche/Norton, Light Opera Company, including Stuart Robertson, WB 17 March 1931
C2800Co-optimists Medley/Gideon/Olive Groves, Effie Atherton, WB, Stuart Robertson, George Scott Wood, 1 October 1935
C2814Neapolitan Nights, Light Opera Company with WB
C2827Memories of Tosti/La Scala Singers
C2867This year of Theatreland with Janet Lind and chorus 2EA4081/2, 1936
C2890Home and Beauty/Cochrane’s Coronation Review, with Janet Lind, Magda Neeld, WB Side 1 Sing something in the morning WB, A nice cup of tea JL, Twilight Sonata Side 2 Play it again, Love me a little today WB, No more MN, Sing, Royal Harp WB,1937
C2903 Theatreland at Coronation Time, with Garda Hall, Stuart Robertson, Sam Costa, WB, Side 1 Song of the Vagabonds (SR and chorus), Music in May (GH), At the Balalaika (WB), Sing something in the morning (GH and chorus) Side 2 The night is young, and you’re so beautiful (GH&WB), I’ve got a thing about you (SC) If the world were mine (WB) Swing along (SR and chorus), 1937
C2961Songs that have sold a million, with Foster Richardson, Dorothy Clarke, WB, December 1937
C3030La Bohème/Your tiny hand is frozen/Puccini/Carmen/Flower Song/Bizet,Liverpool PO, Warwick Braithwaite, 12 September 1938
C3050Songs that have sold a million (2)/Dorothy Clarke, Foster Richardson, WB, 1938
C3051Beneath her window/Serenade medley conducted by Walter Goehr/Herbert DawsonSide 1 Serenade/Drigo, Serenata/ToselliWB Serenade/Heykens Marie, Marie/Di CapuaWB;Side 2 Serenade/Schubert, Serenata/ Moszkowski Serenade in the Night/Bixio (WB)1938
C3053La Bohème/Lovely maid in the moonlight/Puccini, with Joan Cross;Il Trovatore/Miserere/Verdi, with Joan Cross, Collingwood, Sadlers Wells, Abbey Road, London, 3 November 1938
C3095Elijah/Ye people, rend your hearts/If with all your hearts;Then shall the righteous shine forth Mendelssohn Liverpool PO, Warwick Braithwaite, Kingsway Hall,28 February, 1939,
C3086Rigoletto/Fairest Daughter of the Graces/Verdi, Quartet with Noel Eadie, Edith Coates, Arnold Matters;Faust/Then leave her/Gounod, with Norman Walker, Joan Cross, Collingwood, Sadlers Wells opera chorus and London PO, Abbey Road, London, 3 March 1939
C3087Messiah/Comfort ye; Ev’ry Valley/Handel, LPO, Warwick Braithwaite, 28 February 1939,
C3116Serenade/Schubert, Gerald Moore; If youhad but known/Denza, Ernest Lush, Jean Pougnet (violin), 1939
C3124 Excelsior, Balfe; Watchman, what of the night?/Sargeant, WB with Dennis Noble, male chorus and orchestra, Ronnie Munro, No. 1 Studio, Abbey Road, London, 19 October 1939
C3128 Mikado Vocal gems Sullivan (part 1 & 2) Light Opera Company,with Anne Ziegler, Nancy Evans, Dennis Noble, George Baker; chorus & orchestra conducted by Isadore Godfrey at Kingsway Hall, London, 27 October 1939
C3130Largo/Ombra Mai Fu/O friendly tree/Serse,Handel, LPO, Wyn Reeves; Lost chord/Sullivan, Herbert Dawson (organ), Kingsway Hall, 28 October 1939, December 1939
C3143Carmen Vocal Gems/Bizet (parts 1&2) with Dennis Noble, Noel Eadie, Nancy Evans, Sadlers Wells Orchestra & chorus conducted by Warwick Braithwaite, Kingsway Hall 21 December 1939
C3151 Gondoliers Vocal gems/ Sullivan (part 1&2) Light Opera Company with Anne Ziegler Nancy Evans, Dennis Noble, George Baker; chorus and orchestra conducted by Isadore Godfrey, Kingsway Hall, London, 27 October 1939
C3171She is far from the land/Lambert,Gerald Moore;Snowy-breasted pearl/arr Robinson, Charles Prentice,1940
C3196 The Holy City; The Star of Bethlehem/Adams, 1941
C3372Don Giovanni/Mine be her burden;Speak for me to my ladyMozart, Liverpool PO, Sir Malcolm Sargent, 21 October, 1943,
C3378Madam Butterfly /Ah, love me a little/Puccini, Duet (both sides) with Joan Hammond, Liverpool PO, conducted by Dr Malcolm Sargent/Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, 21 October 1943
C3379I Pagliacci/On with the motley/Leoncavallo, Basil Cameron;Aida/What if ‘tis I am chosen,Heavenly Aida/Verdi Liverpool PO, Sir Malcolm Sargent, 21 October 1943
C3398The Barber of Seville/‘Tis the spring of all invention; Fifteen my number is/Rossini, with Dennis Noble, with Liverpool PO conducted by Basil Cameron, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, 21 December 1943
C3402Magic Flute/Oh loveliness beyond compare, Liverpool PO, Sargent, 21 October, 1943; Il Seraglio/ Constanze, Constanze/Mozart,Liverpool PO, Basic Cameron, 20 December 1943,
C3407 Hiawatha’s wedding feast/Onaway, awake Beloved/Coleridge-Taylor; Esmeralda/OVision entrancing/Goring Thomas, Liverpool PO, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, 4 July 1944,
C3414Jephtha/Deeper, and deeper still; Waft her angels through the skies/Handel, Liverpool PO, Malcolm Sargent, 4 July 1944
C3418Morgen/R Strauss;Come into the garden, Maud/Balfe, Ernest Lush, Alfredo Campoli (violin), January 1945
C3430Messiah/Thy rebuke hath broken his heart /Behold and see; He was cut off out of the land/But thou dids’t not leave his soul in hell/Handel, City of Birmingham Orchestra, George Weldon, 22 May 1945
C3521 Ivor Novello medley, with WB, Helen Hill, Olive Groves, Peter Graves, Harry Acres, 15 October 1946
C3522 Ivor Novello medley(2) with WB, Helen Hill, Olive Groves, Peter Graves, Harry Acres, 15 October 1946
C3571Creation/And God created man/In Native Worth Haydn;Samson/O loss of sight/Total Eclipse/Handel, Stanford Robinson, Kingsway Hall, 7 February 1947
#C3635 Noel Coward medley (1) with AZ, Joyce Grenfell, Graham Payn, Harry Acres 11 March 1947
#C3636 Noel Coward medley 2 with AZ, Joyce Grenfell, Graham Payn, Harry Acres11 March 1947
C3796Acis and Galatea/Love in her eyes sits playing, Love sounds the alarm/ Handel, Warwick Braithwaite, 8 March 1948,
C3844 God be in my head/Walford Davies;The Long day closes/
Sullivan, Tommy Handley Memorial Choir:Midgley, Booth, Herbert \ Hancock\James, \ Allin, Dykes, Widdop, Jones, Jones, Parry; Noble,
Llewellyn; Frederick, February 1949
HMV C 3844 2EA_13584-
C3939Judas Maccabeus/My arms against the Gorgios/Sound an alarm, Braithwaite;Samson/Why does the God of Israel sleep?/Handel,Stanford Robinson December 1949
Elijah/Excerpts/Mendelssohn, Knysna choral society, Dudley Holmes, Ena van der Vyver, WB singing baritone part. Private recording at concert. Knysna1968
Messiah/Thy rebuke hath broken his heart/Behold and See, piano accompaniment, private recording at concert. Knysna 1968
It is the merry month of May/Merrie England, Ena van der Vyver, WB, Private recording at Knysna concert, late 1960s.
LONG PLAYING RECORDS
The Creation/Haydn Monica Hunter, WB, Walter Heinen, St Anne’s College (chorus mistress: Mildred Augustyn), Michaelhouse, Pietermaritzburg Philharmonic orchestra (augmented), conducted by Ronald Charles, sleeve notes: Ronald Charles, City Hall, Pietermaritzburg, 19 September 1964, Recording engineers: Ah Hofmeyr, L E De Klerk, Recordings Unlimited, P’maritzburg.
Elijah/Mendelssohn Monica Hunter, Joyce Scotcher, Webster Booth, Wilfred Hutchings, Choral societies of St Anne’s (chorus mistress Mildred Augustyn) & Michaelhouse, John Harper (organ), conducted by Barry Smith, sleeve notes: John Morehen,Pietermaritzburg City Hall, 21 September 1963, Gallotone GALP101
The Golden Age of Ballads and Parlour Songs,
Miscellaneous singers, including Webster Booth, Parted, Tosti, George Melachrino OEA10928-1 B9472 20 March 1946, Sleeve notes: Lyndon Jenkins, EMI1987 GX2554
The Golden Age of Webster Booth,
Roses of Picardy, Vienna, city of my dreams, Drink to me only, Sweethearts, On Wings of Song, Nirvana, The Faery Song (The Immortal Hour), A Perfect Day, Serenade (The Student Prince), Passing by, Everywhere I go, Come into the garden, Maud, Song of the Vagabonds, Eleanore, I leave my heart in an English garden, At the end of the day, Sleeve notes: Hugh Palmer, 78s transferred by Peter Brown, EMI GX2547
Famous British Tenors
Miscellaneous singers, including Webster Booth, O Vision Entrancing (Esmeralda), Goring Thomas, Royal Liverpool PO, Malcolm Sargent, July 1944 Sleeve notes: Grenville Eves, 1970 EMI HQM 1228
Patience/The Gondoliers,
Gilbert and Sullivan, Gondoliers (Abridged version) Recorded under the direction of Rupert D’Oyly Carte, Dr Malcolm Sargent. (b) From the sunny Spanish shore;G Baker, E Ackland, A Moxon, W Booth, In enterprise of martial kind-G Baker, A Moxon, N Walker, W Booth, b I stole the prince-S Granville, A Moxon, N. Walker, W Booth, G Baker B3867, Sleeve notes: John Freestone, Transferred from 78s by Keith Hardwick, EMI SHB7 4
Irving Berlin Centenary Celebration, The Great British Dance Bands, including Webster Booth, Irving Berlin Waltz medley, Ray Noble, New Mayfair orchestra, 22 December 1930 EMI 1988 SH512
Webster Booth, I bless the day, The Faery Song, Snowy breasted pearl, TempleBells, O vision entrancing, A bird sang in the rain, Take a pair of sparkling eyes, Star of my soul, When Big Ben chimes, Onaway! Awake beloved, Greensleeves, Come into the garden, Maud, If you are there, Love is my song, Where haven lies, Always From collection of Scott Sheldon, 1972, Canada, Rococo 5272
Webster Booth: Arias by Handel, Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and popular songs
Grove so beautiful & stately/Shadows so sweet (Serse), Deeper and deeper still/Waft her, angels, through the skies (Jephtha), Where’er you walk (Semele), Mine be her burden, Speak for me to my lady (Don Giovanni), Ye people rend your hearts, If with all your hearts,(Elijah), What if ‘tis I am chosen/Heavenly Aida (Aida), All hail thou dwelling pure and lowly (Faust), Flower song (Carmen), Your tiny hand is frozen (La Bohème), The Faery song (The Immortal Hour), Take a pair of sparkling eyes (Gondoliers), English Rose (Merrie England), Onaway! Awake, beloved (Hiawatha’s wedding feast), Sleeve notes: John Freestone, compiled from EMI archives by Bryan Crimp,1977,EMI HLM7109 OC O51-06 367M
WEBSTER BOOTH ON CD
WEBSTER BOOTH – MOONLIGHT AND YOU, Flapper, Past CD9709 (issued in 1989)
WEBSTER BOOTH in Opera and Song, Memoir Classics CDMOIR435
JOAN CROSS & WEBSTER BOOTH Loveliness beyond compare, The Greenhorn Record Company 0008
DRAWING ROOM BALLADS, Track 2: A brown bird singing, Wood, Track 6: Smilin’ through, Penn, 15: At Dawning, Cadman, Track 20: Song of songs, Moya, Track 24: Goodbye, Tosti, Webster Booth
THREE GREAT TENORS Josef Locke, Richard Tauber, Webster Booth, EMI 7243 8 34676 2 4
There are also a number of compilation CDs which feature Webster Booth in one or two tracks. These are:
ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC (1840-1990) Track 6: Onaway! Awake, beloved (Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast) Coleridge-Taylor, Webster Booth EMI CDM763370 2 (issued 1990)
A TRIBUTE TO DENNIS NOBLE Track 5: ‘Tis the Spring (Barber of Seville) Rossini, with Webster Booth. Dutton CDLX 7017
A PORTRAIT OF NORMAN WALKER Track 10: Then leave her (Faust) Gounod, with Joan Cross and Webster Booth Dutton CDLX 7021
STARS OF ENGLISH OPERA in the 1930s and 40s Track 10: O vision entrancing (Esmerelda) Goring Thomas, Webster BoothDutton CDLX 7018
STARS OF ENGLISH OPERA Volume Two Track 16: Misere (Il Trovatore) Verdi, with Webster Booth and Joan Cross, Track 17: Quartet (Rigoletto) Verdi, with Noel Eadie, Edith Coates, Webster Booth and Arnold Matters Dutton CDLX 7020
STARS OF ENGLISH ORATORIO Track 10: And God created man..In native worth (The Creation) with Webster BoothDutton CDLX 7025
MALCOLM SARGENT conducts Mendelssohn’s ELIJAH CD 2 Track 19: Ye people, rend your hearts; If with all your hearts, Track 23: Then shall the righteous shine forth, Webster Booth
DEBROY SOMERS AND HIS BAND Night Time Brings Dreams of You, Track 19: West End Night – Vocal Gems: Gay Deceivers (medley); You are Me Serenade; Stop Press (medley): You and the Night and the Music, Easter Parade, with Webster Booth, Muriel Barron, Marjorie Stedeford, chorus, Living Era CD AJA 5616 (issued in 2006)
1968
Barcarolle/Offenbach, Anne Ziegler with Ena van der Vyver,
Merrie England Waltz/German private recording at Knysna concert.
LONG PLAYING RECORDS ANNE ZIEGLER AND WEBSTER BOOTH
SWEETHEARTS IN SONG: Anne Ziegler & Webster Booth
Only a rose, Wanting you, Deep in my heart, dear, Love steals your heart, Ah! Sweet mystery of life, We’ll gather lilacs, Hear my song Violetta, Love’s last word is spoken, Lover, come back to me, Indian Love Call, I’ll see you again late fifties, Sleeve notes:: Leslie Green JCLP 10012 EMI (South Africa)
NET MAAR ‘N ROOS/Afrikaans Johannesburg
Net Maar ‘n Roos/Only a Rose, Laat Ons nie van Liefde Praat/Love’s Last Word is Spoken, Al die Soet Geheime/Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life, Diep in My Hart/ Deep in My Heart, Dear, So Donker die Nag/So Deep as the Night, Sal Jy Onthou?/Will You Remember?, Wunderbar, Dit is Verby/One Day When We were Young, Ons Sal Weer Blomme Pluk/We’ll Gather Lilacs, Liefling, Kom Terug na My/Lover, Come Back to Me, Die Heildronk van Jou Oë Drink to me only, As die Lente Kom/I’ll See You Again, Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, with Jack Dent (piano) and John Massey (organ),RCA 31,378,Johannesburg, 1960
NURSERY SCHOOL SING-ALONG No. 2
SIDE 1 1 Songs we like to sing, Nursery school sing along, I went to visit my friend one day, We are busy washing linen, 2 This is the song of the pirate ship, Let’s play cowboys, When we play at Indians, 3 Down at the station, The tugboat, If you ever see a whale, The wheels of the bus, 4 Aeroplane song, There are horses in the meadow, Tall buildings in town, The Miner, SIDE 2 1 Zoom, zoom, Yodel-Elli-oh, Frere Jacques, 2 On the bridge of Avignon, Chinese music, In China people plant rice, 3 Bread is a lovely thing to eat, Will you be a sailor man? If I could have a windmill, 4 Dutch wooden shoes, I had a little engine, Our percussion Band, Nursery School sing along. Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, assisted by Michael Murray, Peter Robinson and the Nazareth House Children’s Chorus, conducted by Sylvia Sullivan. At the piano: Heinz Alexander. Presentation arranged by Gwen Murray, 1963 Gallo EKL20
MUSIC FOR ROMANCE – ANNE ZIEGLER & WEBSTER BOOTH The flower, The Golden song (Lilac Time, Schubert), Love me tonight, Tomorrow (The Vagabond King-Friml) What is done you can never undo (Lilac Domino-Cuvillier), Without your love (Dubarry-Millocker) Dearest love (Operette-Coward) Liebestraum (Dream of Love- Liszt, arr Besley), Nocturne, (Chopin, arr Besley), Music for romance (Magyar Melody-Sherwin), Lehar Medley, Life and love (Princess Charming-Sirmay), Dream Duet (La Belle Helene-Offenbach), Throw open wide your window, dear, (May) produced, compiled and transferred by Chris Ellis, Cover notes: Ralph Harvey, Encore, EMI records, 1980, ONCM 530 OC(054-07-228)
SWEETHEARTS IN SONG: ANNE ZIEGLER & WEBSTER BOOTH If you were the only girl in the world, A paradise for two, Wanting you, I’ll see you again, Lover, come back to me, Ah! Sweet Mystery of life, Fold your wings, Deep in my heart, dear, Only a rose, You, just you, Love’s old sweet song, Will you remember, When we are married, So deep is the night, Barcarolle, Indian Love Call, Love steals your heart, We’ll gather lilacs, Hear my song, Violetta, produced, compiled and transferred by Chris Ellis, Sleeve notes: Peter Gammond1979 Encore, EMI records 1979 ONCM519 OC-054-06 936M
CDs BY ANNE ZIEGLER AND WEBSTER BOOTH
The following CDs were issued from the late 1980s when the original 78s were over fifty years old and going out of copyright. If you put in a search for these CDs on the Internet you should be able to obtain a new or second hand copy.
ANNE ZIEGLER & WEBSTER BOOTH Love’s Old
Sweet Song, Flapper Past CD7034
ANNE ZIEGLER & WEBSTER BOOTH Deep In My Heart, Music & Memories MMD 1044 (issued 1996)
ANN (sic) ZIEGLER & WEBSTER BOOTH Love’s Old Sweet Song EMI 7243 8 28434 2 9 (issued 1995)
Festival of variety6 May 1951 (National Sound Archive)
1952
Music Hall with Derek Roy, Percy Edwards, Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Sid Millward and his Nitwits, Jean Kennedy. The Big Top, The pawn shop on the corner. 31 May 1953, BBC Broadcast (2 sided disc) 78rpm (National Sound Archive)
1962
Ah, leave me not to pine/Gilbert & Sullivan/Lord Oom Piet, film soundtrack – interrupted) WB/AZ
The Battle Eve/Theo Bonheur/Graham Burns,WB/Anna Bender/ Drawing Room SABC April 1962
Drink to me only/WB/AZ Anna Bender/Drawing Room/SABC April 1962
Friend o’ Mine/Sanderson/WB/Anna Bender/ Drawing Room SABC April 1962
He’ll say that for my love/Xerses/Handel/AZ Anna Bender/Drawing Room/SABC April 1962
Little Damozel/Novello/AZ Anna Bender/Drawing Room Broadcast SABC
If you had but known/Denza/WB Anna Bender/Walter Mony/ Drawing Room SABC April 1962
Kashmiri Song/Woodford-Finden/WBAnna Bender/
Drawing Room SABC April 1962
My dreams/Tosti/WB Anna Bender/ Drawing Room SABC April 1962
O dry those tears/del Riego/WBAnna Bender/Drawing Room SABC April 1962
The second minuet/Besly/AZ/WB Anna Bender/Drawing Room/SABC April 1962
The sweetest flower that blows/Peterson/Hawley/WB Anna Bender/Drawing Room SABC April 1962
Watchman, what of the night?/Sarjeant/ Graham Burns, WB Drawing Room SABC April 1962 (Private collection)
1966
Bitter Sweet selection/CowardWB/AZ Johannesburg City Hall, SABC orchestra conducted by Edgar Cree
Drink to me only/AZ SABC orchestra conducted by Edgar Cree, City Hall Johannesburg SABC
Holy City/Adams/WBSABC orchestra conducted by Edgar Cree, City Hall/Johannesburg/SABC (Private collection)
1979
I remember it well/Gigi/Lerner & Loewe, AZ/WB various BBC broadcasts, late 1970s.
Soundtrack to the television interview, Webster Booth's last television appearance, in which he and his wife talk about their career together with James Hogg.
BBC television recording (sound only) broadcast BBC2 July 31 1984. (National Sound Archive)
