Although I’ve not posted much here recently, I’ve been doing plenty of restoration, for CRQ editions – there are now four volumes of Percy Pitt recordings available, and one of Lorenzo Molajoli.

My reason for posting today though is to honour Shakespeare’s birthday. I’ve transferred a recently acquired late acoustic Vocalion of Henry Baynton (1892-1951), one of the last actor-managers, performing Shakespearian excerpts. The first side is one of his own concoctions, I think, called “Shakespeare’s War Cry” consisting of a shortened verions of Richmond’s speech  from Richard III, Act 5 Scene 3, the last three lines of Philip the Bastard from King John Act 5 Scene 7, and the St Crispin’s Day speech from Henry V Act 4 Scene 3, followed by a brief conclusion “God keep us thorough to the end. God prosper your affairs. God grant us everlasting peace.”

Shakespeare’s War Cry (from Richard III, King John, Henry V)
Shakespeare – The Seven Ages of Man (from As You Like It); Hamlet’s Soliloquy
Henry Baynton

Shakespeare’s War Cry – Baynton

Shakespeare – Seven Ages of Man, Hamlet’s soliloquy – Baynton

(mp3 files – click to play, or right click the link, then select “Save as”)

Vocalion K-05216
Matrices 04273, 04274X
Recorded c 1924
Transferred at 79.5rpm in line with some roughly contemporary matrices.

The day cannot go by either without at least a brief tribute to the great Albert Coates. I’ve not had time to do any new transfers of his recordings, so I thought his wonderful account of Dvorak’s Carnival Overture needed to reappear here.

Dvorak – Carnival Overture
London Symphony Orchestra, Albert Coates

Dvorak – Carnival Overture – Coates

(mp3 file – click to play, or right click the link, then select “Save as”)

Electrola EJ 591
Matrices Cc 17860-IIA, 17861-IIA (32-1049/50)
Recorded 6th November 1929, Kingsway Hall, London