Jean Collen's Blog, page 21

ENTERTAINING IN CAFES, RESTAURANTS, HOTELS AND AT MASONIC CONCERTS.

 

DANCE AWAY THE NIGHT

Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler spent a large part of their early careers singing in restaurants, hotels and cafés. Many of these establishments were owned by J. Lyons and Company, forebears of the attractive food fundi, Nigella Lawson.  Neither enjoyed singing in these establishments because they were obliged to sing over the conversation of diners, the bustle of waiters and nippies, the clatter of dishes, and in an atmosphere pervaded with the mingling smells of food, drink and tobacco. If you think that these places were the intimate cabaret venues one might find today, think again. Many of these restaurants and cafés were capable of seating 2000 people, most of whom were not paying close attention to the musical entertainment on offer, regarding it as mere background music.

[image error]Lyon’s Corner House, Piccadilly

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Not only did Webster sing in Lyon’s Restaurants and Cafés, but he was often called upon to sing at Masonic, staff and livery dinners. Webster himself was a Mason and there were Masonic Lodges attached to the Savage Club and the Concert Artistes’ Association. He was an active member of both and in the 1950s he and Anne were joint presidents of the CAA for several years. I thought that  entertainers at Masonic dinners would be limited to men, but women also entertained there. Webster particularly remembered Betsy de la Porte, the South African singer, as a fellow soloist. She  took her knitting with her to keep herself busy as she waited to perform. There were close connections between particular restaurants and hotels and various Masonic Lodges. The Skelmersdale Lodge held their meetings at Verrey’s Hotel, Hanover Street from 1926 to January 1928, after which they moved to another hotel.
Webster’s second wife, Paddy Prior, a comedienne, soubrette and mezzo soprano, whom he married in October 1932, began entertaining at such dinners when she was not otherwise occupied in seaside summer shows, musical comedies, early television or pantomimes. Early in 1927 she appeared at the Skelmersdale Lodge Masonic Ladies’ night at their meeting place at Verrey’s Hotel, Hanover Street, apparently evoking much laughter amongst the guests with her turn. In 1928 she appeared at Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, the hotel where the Magic Circle  held their meetings and which had close associations with the printing profession. The inaugural dinner of the London Press Club had been held there in 1882. She entertained at a Printers’ Charity Concert with other performers, and in 1929 she performed for the Electrotypers & Stereotypers’ Managers’ and Overseers’ Association at Frascati’s Restaurant, Oxford Street.
In January 1928 there was a dinner of the Gallery First Nighters’ Club at the Comedy Restaurant, Panton Street, Haymarket, with Miles Malleson as  guest of honour, where a number of well-known artistes provided the entertainment, including George Metaxa, Webster Booth and Tom Howell (the leader of the Opieros, with whom Webster was working at the time) and a similarly lavish dinner for the Daily Mirror and Sunday Pictorial staffs at the Holborn Restaurant, Kingsway also featured Webster Booth. 

[image error]Paddy Prior entertains the Masons.

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 A photo of Paddy Prior taken some years after her divorce from Webster Booth.

Paddy Prior entertained at Beale’s Masonic Hall, Holloway, while Webster, who was still calling himself by his full name, Leslie Webster Booth, appeared at a variety of Lyons Cafes, such as the Popular Café in Piccadilly, which seated 2000 diners, the Empress Rooms, and the Corner House in the Strand. The Lyons restaurants catered for different social classes. The Trocadero was luxurious and expensive, while other restaurants were more economical. Within the same venue there were often multiple restaurants, some more expensive than others.

[image error]The Trocadero

Even in the 1930s when Webster was making a name for himself on record, radio, in the West End, Oratorio, and on film, he was still entertaining at dinners and at benefit concerts, such as one at the Finsbury Town Hall on 6 March 1930 for the Clerkenwell Benevolent Society, where South African soprano, Garda Hall was one of the other entertainers. Charles Forwood was the accompanist at this concert. Ten years later, Charles Forwood would become the regular accompanist for Anne and Webster in their variety act. In February 1931 Webster and Gladys Ripley (contralto) sang at a dinner for the Hardware and Metal Trades Musical Society at the Cannon Street Hotel. A month later he sang at the Holborn Restaurant for the Entre Nous Club, with comedienne, Suzette Tarri and comedian, Arthur Askey as fellow artists.
I would imagine that entertaining at dinners was more congenial than singing above the general hub-bub in a public restaurant or café, as those attending the arranged dinner would have a specific time set aside to enjoy the entertainment, and this would not have been while waiters were collecting dirty crockery or serving the next course.
[image error]The first time that Webster and Paddy Prior appeared together was at a concert for the Bellingham Club on 30 April,1932. They were married on 10 October of the same year. In January 1933 Webster sang at a meeting of the Henley Lodge, held at the Connaught rooms, which had been the headquarters of the Freemasons since 1717.  After a long summer season with Paddy at Scarborough with the Piccadilly Revels later that year, Webster was entertaining the Railway men at the North End Hall, Croydon and for St Dunstan’s at the Regal Kinema, Beckenham. The Lea Valley Growers Association held their annual dinner at the Abercorn Rooms on 1 November with Webster, Bertha Wilmott, Mario de Pietro and other entertainers, and Webster entertained the Masons of the Welcome Lodge at the Adelaide Galleries on November 15th. On 21 December The Old Friends Society held their ladies festival at the Hotel Victoria. Once again Webster was one of the performers. In the early 1930s he was the guest artist at the New Year’s Annual Gathering of the Luton Industrial Co-operative Society, situated at 3-5 Hastings Street, Luton. 

THE JOY OF LIFE

Irené Frances Eastwood had changed her name to Anne Ziegler in 1934 when she arrived in London from Liverpool in 1934 to sing the top voice of the octet in the musical play, By Appointment, which starred the famous soprano, Maggie Teyte. The show was not a success and closed after three weeks. Her father had lost his money in the collapse of the cotton shares so Anne decided to stay on in London to try to forge a career there rather than return to Liverpool and add to her father’s financial woes. She found work singing in Joseph Lyons’ venues, and continued this work, on and off, for two years. She sang at the Regent Palace Hotel, Glass House Street, the Popular Cafe in Piccadilly, The Strand Corner House, the Trocadero, the Café de la Paix, the Café Monico, Piccadilly Circus, the Piccadilly, and the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch. She often worked on the same bill as Leslie Hutchinson, “Hutch” at the Cumberland and with tenor Harry Welchman.
On 20 February 1936 Webster and Paddy Prior contributed to the musical programme at the ladies’ festival of the Hendon Lodge, held at the Piccadilly Hotel and the pair entertained again in April when the Lyric Lodge of Instruction met at Gatti’s Restaurant. Later that month he sang for the annual dinner of the London Meat Trades’ and Drovers’ Benevolent Association at the Connaught Rooms. It demonstrates Webster Booth’s versatility that, on 10 April 1936, he was the tenor soloist in the Good Friday Messiah at the Albert Hall.
On 29 April Webster entertained at the annual dinner of the London Commercial Chess League at the Northumberland Rooms, Trafalgar Square, along with Leonard Henry. The last engagement Webster and Paddy worked together was at the 84th Annual Dinner of the City Musical Union at the Holborn Restaurant on April 30 1936, attended by 500 people. He had met Anne Ziegler during the filming of The Faust Fantasy at the end of 1934, and this meeting brought Webster’s short marriage with Paddy to an end in 1938.
 At the end of May 1936 he and Paddy went to the wedding of their friends, Violet Stevens and Bryan Courage and attended the reception at Frascati’s, the last time they were out together as a married couple. I presume that they made an effort to avoid appearing at joint engagements in future. They both continued to perform at dinners, many connected with the Masons, although, by this time Webster was a regular broadcaster, oratorio soloist and film actor. In January 1937 he sang at the annual dinner of the Ham and Beef National Trade Association at the Holborn Restaurant and at the City Musical Union, this time at the Cannon Street Hotel, and at the Charrilock Social Club dinner at the Trocadero in March. 

TAKE THE SUN

Webster started singing with Anne in 1937 and literally burnt his boats as far as Paddy was concerned, when he went with Anne to New York where she had been booked to appear in the musical, Virginia at the Center Theater there. They were married on 5 November 1938.
Paddy joined ENSA at the outbreak of war. In 1947 war she immigrated to Australia. Ironically, while Paddy was entertaining the troops in various theatres of war, Anne and Webster rose to great fame as romantic duettists on the variety stages of the UK, but eventually immigrated to South Africa in 1956.
The Booths returned to the UK in 1978 and in December 1979, were invited to present a Sunday afternoon concert at the Cumberland and were given a week’s luxury accommodation there to commemorate their appearances there early on in their careers.

Jean Collen 2010 ©
Updated in May 2017.

 

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HAROLD FIELDING CONCERTS

HAROLD FIELDING CONCERTS

Impresario, Harold Fielding.

In the summer of 1941, when many London theatres were closed, Jack Hylton, the popular dance band leader put on a week’s series of orchestral concerts at the London Coliseum, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Sargent. Despite constant bombing raids 20,000 people attended these concerts. Top ranking musicians of the day were soloists with the orchestra, including pianists Eileen Joyce, Moura Lympany, Clifford Curzon, violinist Albert Sammons, violist Lionel Tertis, and singers Isobel Baillie, Eva Turner and Webster Booth himself. Interestingly he sang The Prize Song from The Mastersingers and Lohengrin’s Narration in a Wagner programme. During the First World War German music had been shunned in Britain, but apparently this was not the case in the Second World War. Jack Hylton’s concert manager was the young former child-prodigy violinist, Harold Fielding. Harold Fielding’s career as a concert violinist was cut short in his early twenties because he began suffering memory lapses and stage fright. It was at  this Wagner concert where Webster met Harold Fielding for the first time.

[image error]Pianist Sir Clifford Curzon (My favourite pianist)

Isobel Baillie (soprano)

Albert Sammons (violin)



Maryon Rawicz and Walter Landauer (duo pianists)


Mark Hambourg (pianist)
 




























After this series of concerts ended Harold (aged 25) formed the National Philharmonic Orchestra, with Julian Clifford as conductor. The orchestra toured the country for several years. Although this venture did not make any money  Harold was persistent in his endeavours to present good music to the British public. Because of Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth’s great popularity at that time, he signed them up as guest artistes with the orchestra, along with pianist Mark Hambourg for a four-week tour of Britain in November and December of 1943. They performed in large concert halls and theatres, such as the Belle Vue, Manchester, The Usher Hall in Edinburgh, and the Alhambra, Glasgow. With Mark Hambourg,  Anne and Webster as guest artistes, the houses were always full. With this change in format Harold Fielding’s fortunes took a turn for the better. He decided to abandon orchestral concert tours in favour of vocal and instrumental ones. Anne and Webster, the duo pianists, Rawicz and Landauer who had been interned as enemy aliens on the Isle of Man earlier in the war, and violinist Albert Sandler, son of a poor Russian immigrant,  often took part in these concert tours. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Albert Sandler (violin)
 
The following year, on 20 May 1944 Harold Fielding presented a concert at the Royal Albert Hall:
 

 
Anne and Webster  were booked for another tour by Harold Fielding at the beginning of 1946, but Webster was taken ill during a concert in the Town Hall, Sheffield. Despite losing his voice he journeyed on to Edinburgh where the next concert was to take place, but still had no voice and felt worse than ever. A doctor diagnosed bad ‘flu and ordered him to bed immediately. Rather than stay in bed in an Edinburgh hotel by himself he decided to return to London, while Anne continued with the tour on her own. In their joint autobiography, Duet, Anne mentioned that nobody in Dundee or Glasgow asked for their money back because of Webster’s absence, but a minority of people in Newcastle demanded a refund.


 Anne and Webster embarked on another concert tour for Harold Fielding from August to November of 1946, and this time Dublin was included in the concert itinerary. On Sunday, 13th October they sang in a celebrity concert at the Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue in aid of the General Jewish Hospital, Shaarezedek, The Ever-Open Door, Jerusalem, under the patronage of the Lady Louis Mountbatten. This concert had a large number of acts, ranging from Cheerful Charlie Chester, Issy Bonn and Anne Shelton to pianist Harriet Cohen and Anne and Webster. Tickets ranged in price from £3.3s to 5s. 

From 10 – 22 June 1946, Harold Fielding presented a series of six festival concerts at the Pavilion, Bournemouth and the Davis Theatre, Croydon. These concerts included conductors Dr Malcolm Sargent, Andre Kostelanetz with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Soloists were Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler, Moura Lympany, Richard Tauber and the Russian pianist Poulshnoff.
Richard Tauber (Tenor)
 
 
This tour culminated in another concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 1 December.





 After a short break over Christmas the tour continued in 1947. This was the contract which Webster signed for dates in February 1947. Julius Darewski was their agent at the time:

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 












In this contract, Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler agreed to appear for Harold Fielding’s management at :

 
Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Wednesday,  February 4 at 7.30pm


Caird Hall, Dundee, Thursday, February 5 at 7.30pm


Kelvingrove Hall, Glasgow, Friday, February 6 evening


City Hall, Newcastle, Saturday, February 7 evening


City Hall, Sheffield, Wednesday February 18 evening


Town Hall, Huddersfield, Wednesday February 25 evening

 
The Management agrees to pay and the Artists agree to accept a fee for the above engagements of £90.0.0 per concert plus expenses of £120.0.0 for the three Scotch dates and £20.0.0 per concert for the other three dates.
 
The Artists agree to perform the group of not less than thirty minutes at each concert. Programme items to be mutually agreed with the Management.
 
It is understood and agreed that the Artists will not appear in these locations before the dates of the concerts herein contracted or in any adjoining town(s) within a radius of ten miles, or allow their names to be advertised for any subsequent appearance(s) in the towns concerned until they have performed the above concerts.
 
The Artists undertake to provide the services of their accompanist, Charles Forwood, without extra charge.
 
The Management undertakes to forward a copy of the running order in connection with these concerts for the approval of the Artists. If the Artists wish to request any alteration thereto, they undertake to do so within twenty-four hours after receipt of the said running order.
 
It is understood and agreed that the Management will provide three first-class tickets from London, or nearest point, to Dundee and return covering the three Scotch dates and Newcastle, together with three first-class tickets from London, or nearest point, to Sheffield and return, and three first-class tickets from London, or nearest point, to Huddersfield and return.
 
The fees for these engagements will be paid on the Friday following each concert.
 
Webster Booth (signed)

 
Apart from radio and variety work, it seemed as though the majority of engagements undertaken by Anne and Webster were for Harold Fielding at that time. They were due to go on an extended tour to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, but they managed to fit in a final Fielding concert at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh with the South African pianist Lionel Bowman and Australian bass baritone, Peter Dawson, who had returned to Britain from Australia after the war. 

[image error]
They returned from their successful tour on their tenth wedding anniversary, 5 November 1948, and in December they were once again singing for Harold Fielding in Sandown on the Isle of Wight.
 
In 1950 Anne and Webster appeared at various places in a series of Sunday concerts for Harold Fielding. Towards the end of the year Reginald Tate Bickerstaffe, who had been Harold Fielding’s manager and was fondly known as Bicky, died. The funeral was held at Golders Green. Many artistes who had sung in many of Harold Fielding’s concerts attended the funeral, including Rawicz and Landauer, Anne and Webster, Julius Darewski (Anne and Webster’s agent), BC Hilliam (Flotsam, the surviving partner of the duo, Flotsam and Jetsam), Percy Kahn, a composer who had been accompanist to Richard Tauber who had sadly died of lung cancer early in 1948, soprano Gwen Catley and pianist, Lionel Bowman.
 

 
 
1951 was Festival of Britain year during which time Harold Fielding presented a series of celebrity concerts, called Music for the Millions. These concerts were held all over the country and were broadcast from July to September. On the bill for the first concert from Eastbourne were the Kordites, Max Wall and Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. By the fifties Harold was extending the artistes he used from musical performers to comedians and variety turns and many of his concerts were broadcast and in 1952 he presented Harold Fielding’s Festival of 
British Radio, starring Anne and Webster and others. Harold Fielding speaks about association

While Anne and Webster still appeared occasionally for Harold Fielding in the fifties, they were no longer constantly working for him. Harold Fielding, in turn, employed many more artists in the fifties than he had done in the forties. Richard Tauber and Albert Sandler had died. Webster was singing in a number of more serious concerts, often with Sir Malcolm Sargent as conductor, and he and Anne went on an extended tour of Vivian Ellis’s musical play And So to Bed with Leslie Henson. They became joint presidents of the Concert Artistes Association in 1953 and remained in this position for several years. Anne returned to playing principal boys in Cinderella at Streatham Hill in 1953 and as Dick Whittington at the King’s Hammersmith in 1954.





Bibliography

Booth, W, Ziegler, A, Duet , Stanley Paul, London, 1951

Collen, J, A Scattered Garland: Gleanings from the Lives of Webster Booth & Anne Ziegler , DUETTIST’S STORE FRONT ON LULU, 2008

Jean Collen

June 2011
Updated May 2017






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MY FIRST MEMORIES OF WEBSTER BOOTH AND ANNE ZIEGLER (1957 – 1960)

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth ( 1957-1960)

We arrived in Johannesburg in October of 1957. My father had been offered a job in the same firm as a former Scottish colleague from ISCOR (now Arcelor Mittal) in Vanderbijl Park and we were living in the Valmeidere boarding house in Roberts Avenue, Kensington until we found a suitable flat. We witnessed the lights of Sputnik flying over our heads at night and wondered whether this was a sign that we had made the right move to the big city.

 

                                                                                               My parents and me in Vanderbijlpark in 1950.

 The school year in South Africa runs from January to December, so I, aged thirteen, went to yet another new school just in time to prepare to write end of year exams in subjects with different syllabuses to the ones I had been studying at my previous school. I staggered into the busy road each morning, praying that I would not be knocked down by a speeding car, to catch a rattling tram down the hill to Jeppe Girls’ High School, clad in my new green dress and black blazer with white stripes. The most important part of the uniform seemed to be the white Panama hat adorned with school colours and badge. This had to be worn at all times when outside the school. Heaven help anyone who removed it, or worse still, forgot to wear it.

 
The boarding house proprietors were fellow Scots, Mr and Mrs Jimmy Murdoch. They were friendly with a couple called Mr and Mrs McDonald-Rouse. Mrs McDonald-Rouse ran a flourishing amateur concert party and was the accompanist to all the singers in the group. Her daughter Heather, a theatrical costumier, had recently married and sometimes dined with her parents and her new husband at the Valmeidere. In due course we were introduced to the McDonald-Rouses, Heather and her husband.


 
Through her work, Heather had met Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth shortly after their arrival in South Africa the year before and had become very friendly with them. Through the grapevine we heard that Webster had sung the aria from Mendelssohn’s oratorio, St Paul at Heather’s wedding, entitled Be Thou Faithful unto Death. Later I learnt that this aria was one of his favourite choices when requested to sing a solo at a wedding. Another of his wedding favourites was the ballad,My Prayer.

Click on the link to hear Webster singing: BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH

 

John Corrigan, my father’s colleague, was an elder at St James’ Presbyterian Church, then situated in Mars Street, Malvern. The church moved to its new site in Bedfordview in 1976. He invited us to a performance of Messiah to be held in the Church Hall, conducted by Drummond Bell, organist and choir master at the Central Presbyterian Church, St George’s. Coincidentally, the tenor and soprano soloists were to be Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. This was the first time I ever attended a performance of Messiah, and the first time I ever saw Anne and Webster. I did not know then that Webster had been one of the foremost oratorio tenors in Britain, but I had heard a number of their duet recordings, which were often played on the radio. It now seems rather incongruous that they should be singing Messiah in a suburban Church Hall when only two years before Webster’s oratorio stamping ground had been the Royal Albert Hall, with the Royal Choral Society, with Sir Malcolm Sargent as conductor and other foremost oratorio soloists.
 
Since their arrival in South Africa, Anne and Webster had received a great deal of publicity on the radio and in the newspapers. As I have mentioned, their records were featured on South African radio a number of times each day. South Africans could not quite believe that such an illustrious theatrical couple had willingly chosen to exchange their successful careers and lives in the UK as the best known duettists in Britain – possibly the world – to become immigrants in the colonial backwater of Johannesburg. My parents remembered them fondly from their frequent broadcasts in the UK, and seeing them in Variety and in the musical play, Sweet Yesterday at Glasgow theatres.
 

We sat fairly near the front of the hall on the right hand side. I wish I could say I that I remember every moment of that performance nearly sixty years ago. But sadly. I only remember snatches of it. Webster looked rather stern during the whole proceeding and I am sorry to admit that I was not immediately struck with the exquisite beauty of his voice. I did not know every aria of Messiah then as I do now. In fact, the only piece I had heard before was the Halleluiah Chorus. My most enduring memory of the occasion was the tea break when Anne, her hair recently cut in a rather startling Italian Boy hairstyle, drank tea and chatted animatedly with the star-struck tea ladies a few feet away from where we were seated.

[image error]Anne’s Italian Boy hairstyle (1957)

 

St Anne’s Convent Grammar School, Southampton.

In mid-1958, my parents, doubtful of what the future in South Africa held, made a bid to return to the UK. We lived in Southampton – yet another new school another different syllabus, new subjects, and girls with Hampshire accents. My mode of transport in Southampton was a crowded bus from the suburb of Bitterne to St Anne’s Convent Grammar School. It was winter, so the bus journey began in the dark and ended in the dark by the time I reached home in the afternoon.

One of my parents’ friends had a grand piano on which I was allowed to practise and receive music lessons. The gentleman had a collection of 78 records which had belonged to his late wife. While his son and his friends chatted about various forms of jazz in the sitting room, I looked through the record collection in the dining room and was delighted to find a number of Anne and Webster’s recordings. After listening to their fill of Chris Barber records, the young men departed and I was able to play the duet records on the ancient record player. I enjoyed listening to the records and thinking that I had heard Anne and Webster singing in Johannesburg the previous year and knew something about them.

 
By the end of 1958 my parents decided that we would return to South Africa so we were on our way back on board the Pretoria Castle, the same ship on which Anne and Webster had travelled to South Africa in July 1956.


 
Despite my disrupted education I was back at Jeppe Girls’ High,admitted to Form IV for my final two years at school, which would culminate in writing the matriculation exams at the end of 1960. My father had returned to his old job with Mr Corrigan, and my parents bought a house in Juno Street, Kensington, having decided that life in South Africa, despite its uncertain political future was easier than life back in the UK where the weather was hard, the cost of living high, and Southampton was still full of bomb sites thirteen years after the war. 

[image error]Juno Street

 
At the end of 1959 I went to the Reps Theatre (now the Alexander Theatre) with the late Gillian McDade, who had been head girl at Jeppe in 1959, to usher for the Children’s Theatre show, The Glass Slipper. The house was full so there were no spare seats for the teenage voluntary ushers, but I was delighted to watch the enchanting show seated on the carpeted stairs of the darkened auditorium. Anne Ziegler was playing the Fairy Godmother and made her entrance in a glass coach drawn by a donkey. She looked every inch an ethereal Fairy Godmother in her gossamer crinoline gown.
 
In 1960 Anne and Webster came to the Methodist Church in Roberts Avenue to sing in a Variety show that had been arranged to raise money for Church funds. I loved their charming act, once again done on the small stage of a suburban Church hall rather than in one of the great Variety Halls in the UK where they had been performing only a few years before. I waited for them to emerge at the interval to ask for their autographs and they signed my book in the vestry, Webster graciously holding the door open for me. Strangely enough I was the only autograph hunter that evening. They were both charming to me.







 


East London cast of Merrie England (1958). Mabel Fenney (later Perkin) was Jill-All-Alone on the left of the photograph




 


Mrs Mabel Fenney from East London had taken over from Miss Heller as temporary music mistress at Jeppe for a term while Miss Heller was on long leave. At the time she was studying singing with the Booths and had recently won the UNISA (University of South Africa) scholarship to study abroad. Mabel was charming and glamorous and took some of us girls to see Rigoletto at the Empire Theatre in the city centre. She often regaled the music students with tales of her studies with Anne and Webster and at the end of the term gave a memorable vocal recital in the school hall. I particularly remember her singing an aria from Carmen and ending the song by throwing a rose to her fascinated schoolgirl audience. At the end of the term Mabel Fenney went to the Hochschule in Berlin to further her singing studies. I wondered whether my singing was good enough for me to have singing lessons with Anne and Webster after I finished school.




Jeannie C

 

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THE ANNE ZIEGLER AND WEBSTER BOOTH STORY.

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth first met during the filming of The Faust Fantasy in 1934/35

 

 

 

 

 

THE ANNE ZIEGLER AND WEBSTER BOOTH STORY

Anne Ziegler, the widow and singing partner of Webster Booth, died in Llandudno, North Wales, on 13 October 2003, at the age of 93. Her death brought an end to an era in British entertainment before and after the Second World War. Her death brings an end to an era for me also.

I was seventeen when I first met them at the end of 1960. They were already middle-aged, in the same age group as my parents, their top-flight stage career in Britain behind them. I was too young to have seen them at the height of their fame, but even then I thought them a shining couple, as I still do over forty-three years later.

In their day, in the thirties, forties and fifties, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth were stars of stage, screen, radio, concert halls and variety theatres, and made over a thousand 78 rpms, either as duets or solos. Webster was also in demand as tenor soloist in oratorio: Handel’s Messiah, Jephtha, Samson, Acis and Galatea, Judas Maccabbeus, and  Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, to mention but a few. Before the Second World War, he had sung Coleridge Taylor’s Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast in full Native American costume, and in 1955 on the occasion of Sir Malcolm Sargent’s birthday concert, Sir Malcolm requested particularly that he should be the tenor soloist in the same work.

D’OYLY CARTE AND EARLY STAGE APPEARANCES

At twenty-one he auditioned for the D’Oyly Carte Company and was immediately accepted after a London audition. He abandoned auditing with little regret to became a professional singer, making his debut with the company in The Yeomen of the Guard at the Theatre Royal, Brighton. He stayed with the company for four years, but made no great advancement from the chorus and small parts. In his joint autobiography with Anne Ziegler, he complained that the only way one could advance in the company was to wait to fill ‘dead men’s shoes’. Despite this observation, he was one of the few singers who was allowed to record solo songs from the G&S repertoire without obtaining the prior approval of Bridget D’Oyly Carte.



His recordings of Take a pair of sparkling eyes and A Wand’ring Minstrel under the baton of Leslie Heward remain unsurpassed and are available on CD. He went with the company on a memorable and successful tour to Canada. Winifred Lawson, the principal soprano, heard him singing Your Tiny Hand is Frozen from La Bohème at the ship’s concert and was impressed with his voice. She was not surprised when he left the company and soon became a deserved success in his own right.

After the stability of a regular – if small – salary from D’Oyly Carte, he became a freelance performer with a wife and small son to support. He was lucky to be accepted in Tom Howell’s Opieros concert party. This party sang in parks ad at seaside resorts and was unique because some members of the party (including the fine baritone, Tom Howell himself) sang operatic excerpts as well as performing the usual concert party lighter fare. During the winter, he sang with Tom Howell  at Masonic concerts, sang in various Lyons’ restaurants, and appeared in two Brixton pantomimes. in 1930 he made his debut in the West End as the Duke of Buckingham in Friml’s  The Three Musketeers at Drury Lane. In 1932 he sang in Powis Pinder’s SUNSHINE concert party in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. Appearing on the same bill was Arthur Askey, and he and Leslie (his first name) became good friends. Arthur Askey named his daughter Anthea after hearing Leslie sing To Anthea by Hatton at one of the performances.

By the time he met Anne Ziegler during the filming of the colour film Faust in 1934, he was married to his second wife, Paddy Prior. He had divorced his first wife, Winifred Keey in 1931 after she had deserted him and their small son, and married Paddy Prior, a talented dancer, comedienne and soubrette in October 1932. The couple were happy for some time and Paddy and Webster appeared together in several concert parties, the Piccadilly Revels in 1933 and Sunshine in 1934.[image error][image error]

Sadly, the marriage did not last after he met Anne. Paddy divorced him, naming Anne as co-respondent. He and Anne  were married on Bonfire Night in 1938. Webster Booth soon formed a duet partnership with his wife in addition to his extensive recording, film, oratorio and concert work.

ANNE ZIEGLER

Anne was born Irené Frances Eastwood in Liverpool on 22 June 1910. Her sister, Phyllis, and brother, Cyril, were some years older than her, so Irené was almost an only child. At the time of her birth, her father, a cotton broker, was in Houston, Texas, buying cotton, so he did not see her until she was three months old.

Her father did not want her to risk the might of the Zeppelins, so she had a Scottish nursery governess to teach her reading, writing and basic arithmetic. Later she attended Belvedere School. Her sister, Phyll, had done well there, but Anne was only interested in music and dancing, so the staff at Belvedere often compared her unfavourably to her studious elder sister, who became a pharmacist when she left school.

When Anne left school, she continued the piano up to Grade VIII of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and began to study singing with the eminent teacher, John Tobin. In the nineteen-twenties a girl of her class had no need to work for a living. She was beautiful: tall and slim with emerald green eyes, fair hair and a fine bone structure. She became engaged – several times – to suitable young men. She sang in John Tobin’s female choir of twenty-four voices, and took the part of the May Queen in an amateur production of Merrie England.

She won the gold medal at the Liverpool eisteddfod, and sang at concerts around Liverpool, but singing was a pleasant way of passing the time rather than a means of earning her living. Her father financed a vocal recital in Liverpool and a further recital at the Wigmore Hall under John Tobin’s tutelage. At the Wigmore Hall she sang everything from Handel’s He’ll say that for my love from Xerses to Roger Quilter’s Love’s Philosophy and Scheherzade, but neither of these recitals brought forth any professional singing engagements.

Her family’s fortune took a downturn in the early thirties with the depression and the collapse of the cotton trade. For the first time in her life, she had to think seriously about earning a living to relieve her family’s finances. She was not trained to do anything as mundane as serving in a shop or typing, but she was attractive and she could sing. She and her friend, the mezzo-soprano, Nancy Evans, went to London to audition. Nancy didn’t find any work on that occasion, but Anne got the part of top voice in the octet of a musical play, By Appointment, starring the famous singer, Maggie Teyte, changed her name to the more glamorous Anne Ziegler, was accepted on the books of the theatrical agent Robert Layton, and was determined to establish herself on the stage and not become a financial burden to her father. By Appointment was not a success and lasted only three weeks but she found another job singing for Mr Joe Lyon’s organisation amidst the clatter of the restaurants of the Regent Palace and Cumberland Hotels, and the Trocadero. She auditioned for the part of Marguerite in a colour film version of Gounod’s Faust Fantasy. She had seen the opera as a child and was so enchanted with it that she determined she would play the role of Marguerite when she grew up.

From over two hundred other hopefuls she was chosen for the part: no doubt her blonde good looks and charming personality counted for nearly as much as her attractive lyric soprano voice. It was in the making of this film, which commenced shooting in December 1934, that she met Webster Booth, playing opposite her as Faust.

They fell in love almost at first sight, although at the time he was married to his second wife, Paddy Prior and had a son, Keith, by his first marriage. Four years later, after his divorce from Paddy in times when divorce was not as common or acceptable as it is today, Anne and Webster were married on Bonfire Night in 1938.

In those intervening four years, Anne sang principal boy in her first pantomime, was an overnight success on radio in The Chocolate Soldier, sang in the early days of British television in 1936, and starred, under the name of Anne Booth, in the musical Virginia in New York.

Webster went to New York with her, hoping to find some stage work of his own, but, despite his great voice, he did not make any impact on the cut-throat American musical world. He attended various auditions in New York as an unknown, while in England he was already an established performer in oratorio, recording, films, and the West End stage. He returned to England, crestfallen at his lack of success, and resumed his numerous engagements. Anne, in the meantime, was hailed as a Broadway star and offered a film contract in Hollywood, with the idea that she would be the successor to Jeanette McDonald. The offer was tempting, but she turned it down to return to England and marry Webster Booth when his divorce from Paddy Prior was made final.

They formed a duet partnership, in addition to their solo work. Their first duet recording was If you were the only girl in the world, with A Paradise for Two on the flip side. Before this official recording she had sung with him as an anonymous soprano voice in a radio series called The Voice of Romance. In this series he too was anonymous, but by this time, most people would have recognised his distinctive voice.

In 1940 they accepted an offer from agent Julius Darewski to join the variety circuit. The money was good and they were well received on the variety halls, always doing their act without the aid of a microphone. If Webster Booth’s voice filled the Albert Hall when he sang the tenor part in Coleridge-Taylor’s Hiawatha in Native American dress under the baton of Malcolm Sargent, the same voice, in harmony with his wife’s, filled the variety theatres from the London Palladium to all points of the United Kingdom.

They were the epitome of glamour and romance. He was tall, dark and handsome. He was always in immaculate evening attire, she in a range of crinoline gowns, some designed by Norman Hartnell. Their act was interspersed with what seemed like off-the-cuff banter, but every word and move was meticulously planned, and the lighting plot carefully worked out for the most telling impact.

Apart from the usual operatic arias and musical comedy duets, Anne and Webster sang and recorded a number of ballads, arranged as duets, and an interesting and difficult arrangement of Chopin’s famous Nocturne in C sharp minor, arranged by Maurice Besley. As often as not Webster would arrange the duet part himself if none had been written.

[image error]Shortly before the divorce from Paddy Prior.

Although I was too young to have seen them on stage in the days of their great success in the forties and early fifties, I believe their success was due to the wonderful blend of the voices, creating a special, instantly recognisable sound, and their contrasting good looks, she beautifully gowned, he in full evening dress. Above all, they were instantly likeable with charming personalities, and possessed an elusive ability to make people adore them.

They were at the height of their fame during the war. Webster was born in 1902, too old for war service, and suffering from a kidney problem, which precluded him from having the necessary inoculations for going to the front. When the war started, he went to Bristol, where the BBC moved at the outbreak of war, as one of the selected broadcasters to join the staff of the variety department. Anne joined him there several months later but Webster left the employ of the BBC at the end of the year although he and Anne made many freelance broadcasts for the corporation. They sang in George Black’s production of Gangway at the London Palladium in 1941 with Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon, and starred in a revival of The Vagabond King at the Winter Garden theatre in 1943. In 1945, they starred in Sweet Yesterday at the Adelphi, a musical play with music by Kenneth Leslie-Smith. It was in Glasgow during the pre-London tour of the show that the war ended and Webster was called upon to make the announcement to the theatre audience. They appeared in three films during and after the war: Demobbed (1944), Waltz Time (1945) (with Richard Tauber) and The Laughing Lady (1946).

The variety theatres, like the music halls before them, were in their twilight years in the early fifties, and Webster’s long-standing recording contract with HMV was suddenly cancelled in 1951, despite his still being in excellent voice at the age of forty-nine.

Anne and Webster’s charming, sentimental, polished and exquisitely groomed act, so popular with the public in the forties, was losing favour. The post-war generation preferred American entertainers like Danny Kaye and Judy Garland at the London Palladium, or brasher acts fresh from the tough training ground of forces entertainment. Calypso, skiffle and rock and roll became the favoured musical entertainment, as sung by Lonnie Donegan, Tommy Steele, Marty Wilde and the ultimate Elvis Presley.

Jeannie C COPYRIGHT 2005

Updated 2017.

 

 

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BROADCASTS ON THEIR RETURN TO THE UK (1978 – 1997)

 

These were the last broadcasts in the featuring Anne and Webster on their return to the UK in 1978. This is a photo of Anne and Webster shortly after their return to the UK with Penny, a dog to whom Webster was deeply devoted.

Woman’s Hour – BBC Radio 2, 6 May 1970 14.01 Introduced by: Marjorie Anderson. ANNE ZIEGLER and WEBSTER BOOTH talk to SUE MACGREGOR. JILL BALCON.

Woman’s Hour – BBC Radio 4 FM, 12 May 1978 13.45 Introduced from Wales by Sue MacGregor. In Harmony: ANNE ZIEGLER and WEBSTER BOOTH have recently set up home in Wales after 20 years in South Africa.

  1978 – BBC Afternoon. Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, interviewed by Mavis Nicholson

Pierrots and Fol de Rols – BBC Radio 4 FM, 23 May 1979 19.45 Cyril Fletcher revives memories of Concert Party with the help of many stars and personalities who started their careers there, including ARTHUR ASKEY, JACK WARNER, STANLEY HOLLOWAY, LESLIE CROWTHER, BILL PERTWEE, WALTER MIDGLEY, ANNE ZIEGLER and WEBSTER BOOTH, ELSIE AND DORIS WATERS, and GREATREX NEWMAN. Research by GREATREX NEWMAN and BILL PERTWEE. Producer MICHAEL FORD BBC Birmingham.

29 August 1979. 6.20 pm Wyn Calvin, BBC Radio Wales, It’s a Grand Night for Singing. Jess Yates introduces half an hour of music with additional guests, Margaret Lacey, Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler. Producer: David Richards.Director: Islywyn Maelor Evans.

  Lovers Come Back – BBC Radio 4 FM, 21 December 1979 16.10 The lives and music of Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, written and presented by Frank Dixon. You could be well into your 40s without knowing what Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth meant to those of us who were around during and after the war. Anne

and Webster were – and still are – all about romance. Judi Goodwin met and interviewed Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. Producer Herbert Smith. BBC Manchester.

1 April 1980. Granada Television. Liz Howell at Rhos-On-Sea, North Wales. Brief interview with Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler.

1980 ONLY A ROSE TV APPEARANCE

Only a Rose (Radio Series) – BBC Radio 2, 6 August 1980 21.15  Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth recall on-stage memories and back-stage glimpses of many of the great artists they have met in the theatre, concert hall and studio. 
Producer DAVID WELSBY BBC Birmingham.Part of Anne and Webster’s reminiscences in the Only a Rose series. More may be heard on YouTube or at Ziegler Booth Radio.

2 October 1980 – Nationwide. BBC 1 Television. Laurie Mayer reports from Conwy where Jess Yates, former presenter of ITV’S Stars on Sunday, has lived in seclusion since his career was destroyed by the Press, especially News of World when they discovered he was living with KAY, a girl half his age, in 1974; & interviews YATES, his companion Anita Kay, Katie Brooks, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth (former singing stars, & friends of YATES. ZIEGLER & BOOTH sing to his accompaniment on electric organ.

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January 29 1981 – BBC Two. 8.30 Russell Chat show, with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth as guests. Anne criticised the low standard of South Africans fledgling TV service. Russell Harty with his guests Dorothy Stevens & Saxon (dog who stars in films/TV), Paul Breeze & wife Lynn, Anne Ziegler & Webster Booth (old radio singing stars). Ziegler & Booth talk about their marriage, why they went to South Africa & type of life they led, now back & living in N.Wales.

5 March 1981 – Russell Harty Show, BBC 2 Television. Live show from the Palace Theatre Manchester to celebrate its imminent reopening. Harty gives a history of the theatre & there are performances by and interviews with old performers. Nat Mills, Arthur English, Eric Hawkesworth paper tearer, Gill Banks and Sid Green Stagehands, Nat Jackley, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.

Russell Harty – BBC Two England, 20 April 1981 20.30 presents some of the memorable people, performances and happenings from his recent venture into the unpredictable world of live television, including Rod Stewart, Hot Gossip, Hercules the Bear, Peter O’Toole, Lily Tomlin, Shakin’ Stevens, The Hallé Choir, Sooty, Diana Dors, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Jan Leeming and, of course, Grace Jones. Producers TOM GUTTERIDGE, KEN STEPHINSON. Editor GORDON WATTS

30 July 1981 – Recording started at Grampian last week of a new six-part series in which well-known people who have left the limelight are interviewed about how they have made new lives for themselves. Jimmy Mack is the interviewer for the series, which is for half -hour slots. In the first programme two former singing duos are interviewed, Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson and Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.Chris Kay is producer and director of the series, called The Time of Your Lives, and it will be shown in the Grampian area in the autumn.

[image error]13 August 1981 with Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson


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Ah, Yes! I Remember it Well – BBC Radio 2, 11 April 1982 21.00 Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, in company with The William Hand Ensemble, Harold Rich at the piano and artists on record, look back at some of the music, people and events that hold special memories for them in more than 50 years of music making. Producer DAVID WELSBY BBC Birmingham.

19 November 1982 60 Years – Local Radio Remembers BBC. A programme from the Savoy Hotel to celebrate the BBC Diamond Jubilee. Contributions from Doris Hare, Elsie Waters, Charlie Chester, Dame Anna Neagle,

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.Music by Midnite Follies Orchestra, with Ian Stewart (piano), Peter Duncan, Maurice Denham, Leslie Mitchell, Richard Murdoch, Percy Edwards, Henry Hall, Tony Wadsworth, Susan Briggs, Hugh Wontner, Joan Childs, Jean Melville, Basil Vernon, Reg Patrick, Judy Shirley, Charles Max-Muller, Margery Porter, Henry Hatch, Tommy Wadsworth, Anne Lenner, Al Baum, (speakers) John Parry, Evette Davis (vocalists)
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The Golden Years – BBC Radio 2, 18 April 1984 22.00 Recalling the ballads of yesterday, and the

much-loved artists who sang them, including music by Webster Booth, Anne Ziegler and Peter Dawson.
Compiled and presented by Alan Keith. Producer TIM MCDONALD

Only a Rose.- BBC Two England, 31 July 1984 18.15 – Webster Booth, one of the finest British tenors of this century, died on 21 June this year, aged 82. In this film, made exactly a year before his death, he and his wife

and partner Anne Ziegler talk about their career to James Hogg of Nationwide. It was Webster’s last television

appearance. Producer JULIA MCLAREN. ONLY A  ROSE
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The Golden Years – BBC Radio 2, 26 November 1986 22.30 A sentimental look at the much-loved

singers of the past, including Webster Booth, Anne Ziegler and Paul Robeson. Compiled and presented by Alan Keith. Producer MONICA COCKBURN.
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  Anne Ziegler (Series) – BBC Radio 2, 19 July 1987 18.30 presents some of her favourite records collected during more than 50 years of music making. Producer DAVID WELSBY BBC Pebble Mill.

It’s a Funny Business – BBC Radio 2, 14 October 1987 22.00 says Anne Ziegler. For 45 years, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth were the most popular man and wife partnership in show business. Mike Craig encourages Anne to reminisce about their long, successful career. BBC Manchester.. Presenter and Producer: Mike Craig.
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22 September 1989 – BBC2. 7.30-8.00 pm, A Hundred Not Out: Centenary of the Blackpool Opera House. Programme Number RNWF933Y, Recorded on 26 July 1989. John Mundy narrates a programme about the Blackpool Opera House, celebrating its 100 year anniversary. Lord Delfont unveils roll of honour to commemorate the centenary. Among others, Anne Ziegler recalls the glamour of the shows. Featuring Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Mike Craig, Ken Dodd, Cilla Black, Frank Carson, Mike Yarwood, Marti Webb, Charlie Chester, Formby, Tommy, Bobby Ball, Stanley Holloway, Jimmy Jewell, Bernard Delfont, Bill Waddington, Brian Crompton, Anne Ziegler, Betty Driver, Harold Fielding, Ben Warris, Josef Locke, Ken Robinson, (theatre-goer), Alfred Black, (theatre producer), Lisa Waddington, George Black (theatre producer), Dickie Hurran, Elizabeth Buzzard,Jack Taylor (theatre producer), Peter Rigby Camera), Bernie Lowe (Camera), Mel Cross (Camera), John Mundy (Narrator), Terry Wheeler (Producer).
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The Golden Years (Series) – BBC Radio 2, 30 January 1991 21.30 Last in the series featuring the great

ballad singers of yesterday on record. This week featuring Richard Crooks, Lily Morris, Heddle Nash , John McCormack ,Norman Allin , Peter Dawson , Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. Presented by Alan Keith.
Producer Bridget Apps.

The Seven Ages – BBC Radio 2, 16 October 1991 21.30 In the last programme of the series, Anne Ziegler talks to Peter Haigh about one of the best-loved musical partnerships of the 40s and 50s – Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth – and introduces some of her favourite recordings.Producer:  David Welsby.
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 The Webster Booth Story – BBC Radio 2, 28 June 1994 21.00 Robin Gregory recalls the life and career of the great English tenor Leslie Webster Booth, who died ten years ago this month. Booth’s widow and former singing partner Anne Ziegler shares her memories of an artist who was equally at home in oratorio or variety. Other comments come from impresario Harold Fielding,  accompanist Gladys Midgley and presenter Brian Kay, and the programme includes examples of Booth’s solo and duet recordings. Contributors to programme: Wife/soprano: Anne Ziegler, son Keith Leslie Booth, brother Edwin Norman Booth, impresario: Harold Fielding, Accompanist: Gladys

Midgley (née Vernon), Former Kings Singer: Brian Kay, and soprano Lorely Dyer, second wife of Stanford Robinson.
Presenter: Robin Gregory. Writer: Stephen Pattinson. Producer  Anthony Wills.
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The Robinsons at the BBC – BBC Radio 2, 14 May 1996 21.00 Ian Wallace examines the very different conducting careers of brothers Stanford and Eric Robinson. Gwen Catley, Larry Adler, Anne Ziegler and Ivor Emmanuel are among those who recall their association with popular long-running series such as Music for You and Tuesday Serenade, and there are archive extracts featuring Maggie Teyte, Gigli and Jack Benny. Researcher Stephen Pattinson, Producer Anthony Wills.
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Radio’s Golden Greats – BBC Radio 2, 25 October 1997 19.30 As part of the BBC’s 75th anniversary, Roy Hudd presents a gala concert from Alexandra Palace, London. Robin Stapleton conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra, with guest artists paying tribute to, among others, Anne Ziegler , Bud Flanagan and Joyce Grenfell. During the interval, Bob Sinfield looks at major events at the BBC during the war years. Producer Alan Boyd.

                                     Anne and Webster in 1983, the year before Webster’s death.

 
Compiled by Jean Collen (2014)
Updated: May 2017.

BROADCASTING IN SOUTH AFRICA (1956 – 1975)

 

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BROADCASTING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 

Anne and Webster settled in South Africa in mid-July 1956. I compiled the following list from newspapers, magazines and personal diaries. Contact me if you can add more information to this list.

MOBILGAS MELODY WORLD 16 February 1956/57? Springbok Radio, 

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth in a programme compèred by Michael Drinn.

LIGHT UP AND LAUGH – ITMA, December1956. Thirteen-week series on Springbok Radio, recorded at the Brooke Theatre. Webster (rather incongruously!) took Tommy Handley’s part in South African presentation of ITMA scripts.

ELDORADO, (Ralph Trewhela) 1957. Anne and Webster took the leading roles in this musical, directed by Frank Douglass, SABC Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Jeremy Schulman. Work commissioned by SABC for 21st anniversary programme.

AT HOME WITH ANNE, commenced on 21 January 1958. Anne presented this series on Springbok Radio. The programme was still running in July 1959.

DO YOU REMEMBER? 1959 to 24 April 1960, Anne and Webster presented weekly music programme on Springbok Radio on Sunday afternoon. They spoke about their illustrious careers and the people with whom they had worked. I have asked numerous times whether there are any copies of this programme still in the archives of Springbok Radio. Sadly, I have had no response to my query.+

Anne in a recording of a broadcast at SABC, 1963

CONCERT HOUR 1960 – English service of the SABC. SABC Concert Orchestra, Rita Roberts, Webster Booth, Asaf and Philharmonic Choirs, conducted by Anton Hartman. 



DOUGLAS LAWS Record show, 4 October 1960. Anne and Webster appeared as guest artistes.

MESSIAH 8 December 1960. Webster sang tenor solos in the Port Elizabeth Oratorio Festival, conducted by Robert Selley.

TEST YOURSELF 1960. Anne and Webster presented this quiz show together on Springbok Radio.

OPERA, ORATORIO AND OPERETTA (ON WINGS OF SONG) Wednesdays at 8.30 pm, later Thursday, 9.20 pm, 1961. Webster presented a weekly programme of recordings (including some of their own) on the English Service.

DREAM OF GERONTIUS, MESSIAH, 27 November 1961. Port Elizabeth Oratorio Festival broadcast Monday and Wednesday at 8.00 pm. Webster had appeared in the first performance of the Dream of Gerontius in South Africa in Cape Town in 1957. Webster, with Emelie Hooke, Joyce Scotcher, Harold Hart, Port Elizabeth Orchestra, directed by Robert Selley.



GILBERT AND SULLIVAN 1962, 1963. When the copyright on Gilbert’s words ended, Webster presented a weekly programme on the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas on the English Service. During his illness in 1962, Paddy O’Byrne read the scripts of this programme.



DRAWING ROOM, April 1962. Webster presented a short series of drawing room concerts before a studio audience on the English Service. He and Anne sang in this series, and a number of guest artistes took part. He also sang duets with the bass, Graham Burns. The guest artistes were Doris Brasch, Rita Roberts, Gert Potgieter, Gé Korsten, Graham Burns, Jean Gluckman, Kathleen Allister and Walter Mony The accompanist was Anna Bender.

[image error]

Here is a recording from The Drawing Room. Webster is accompanied by Anna Bender.

FRIEND O’ MINE (1962)

MUSIC FOR ROMANCE, August 1962. Anne presented a series of programmes in which she presented recordings and reminisced about her life and career in England.

PORT ELIZABETH ORATORIO FESTIVAL, November 1962. Elijah and Messiah. 

Webster, Monica Hunter, Joyce Scotcher, and Graham Burns, conducted by Robert Selley. 

The complete oratorios were broadcast locally in the Eastern Cape. Excerpts were broadcast nationally later, but strangely, none of Webster’s recordings were used in the national broadcast.

RECITAL WITH ORCHESTRA 8 April1963. Anne and Webster sang a programme of duets, with orchestra conducted by Edgar Cree, on the English service.

BALLADS OLD AND NEW, October 1963. Webster presented this short series on the English Service towards the end of 1963.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE PALACE, November 1963. A short series, which attempted to recreate the atmosphere of the Music Hall on the English Service. Anne and Webster were guest artistes on this programme. 

Webster, Anne, Jeanette James and Bruce Anderson sing a quartet in the programme

GREAT VOICES, 1963-1964. Webster presented this series on the English Service. He was unkindly criticised by the critic Jon Sylvester of The Star for including some of his own recordings on the programme, yet most people expected to hear Webster Booth the singer, as well as Webster Booth, lately-turned broadcaster. If one listens to recordings of Webster Booth, one will realise that he had a very great voice indeed and should be remembered today as a great singer, rather than as a romantic duettist. I sent a letter of protest to Jon Silvester under the pseudonym of Pooh Bah.

I met Webster in the street shortly after this cutting appeared in The Star and he asked me if I had written it. I asked him how he knew, and he replied that I was the only one who could have written it!

[image error]Me (as Pooh Bah) sent a letter of protest to Jon Silvester!

SUNDAY AT HOME 1963. English Service. Paddy O’Byrne conducted a fifteen minute interview with Anne and Webster at their home in Craighall Park. Click on the link to listen to the broadcast:  PADDY O’BYRNE PRESENTED SUNDAY AT HOME WITH ANNE ZIEGLER AND WEBSTER BOOTH (1963)

OPERA AND OPERETTA, July 1964, Monday, 7.35 pm. Webster returned to the English Service with this series.

IF THE SHOE FITS, Christmas 1964. Webster and Anne starred in this Christmas pantomime on the English Service.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMME 1965. Anne and Webster presented a series of children’s programmes, directed by Kathleen Davydd.

TEN O’CLOCK AND ALL’S WELL, September 1966. Webster was guest presenter for a week in this short series on the English Service. Earlier in the year he had presented a “sort of housewives’ choice” programme early in the morning.

By that time I was living in the UK but Webster told me about TEN O’CLOCK AND ALL’S WELL in a letter dated 19 September 1966.[image error]

 

 

 

ORCHESTRAL CONCERT (FOR JOHANNESBURG EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY)  

2 October 1966, CITY HALL, JOHANNESBURG. Anne and Webster were soloists, with the SABC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Edgar Cree. 

O lovely night (Anne and Webster) 

Drink to me only with thine eyes (Anne)

Lehar medley (Anne and Webster) 

The Holy City (Webster) 

Love’s old sweet song (Anne and Webster) We’ll gather lilacs (Anne and Webster) 

Selection from Bitter Sweet (Anne and Webster)

MELODY MARKET, May 1967. Webster presented this programme in the early morning on the English Service.  “A sort of housewife’s choice,” was how he described it. It was the last programme for the SABC before he and Anne left Johannesburg for Knysna a month or so later. 

SOUTH AFRICA A TOUCH OF THE BRITISH, 29 May 1973. BBC TV. 

Documentary. Anne and Webster appeared in this documentary. Anne said that she had had enough of South Africa and wanted to go home to die. The programme ended with Anne and Webster singing We’ll gather lilacs. 



PETER BROOMFIELD’S OPEN HOUSE, 20 March 1975. English Service. 

Anne and Webster were guests of Peter Broomfield on his morning programme, broadcast from Cape Town, on the English Service. Anne’s friend, Babs Wilson-Hill (Marie Thompson) who was on a visit from the UK, and Anne and Webster’s singing dog, Silva were also present in the studio. Silva sang along to a Harry Lauder record! 



A MUSICIAN REMEMBERS, 19 and 26 October 1975. English Service. Webster reminisced about his career in the theatre. Click on the link to hear this programme: A MUSICIAN REMEMBERS 1

A MUSICIAN REMEMBERS, 2 and 9 November 1975. English Service. Anne reminisced about her career in the theatre. Click on the link to hear the programme: A MUSICIAN REMEMBERS 2

WOMENS’ WORLD, English Service,1975 – Pamela Deal, who had conducted the first interview with Anne and Webster when they stopped off briefly on their way to Australia in 1948, interviewed them again when they decided to stop singing in public. They had given a farewell concert in Somerset West towards the end of 1975. This decision was rescinded when they moved back to the UK in early 1978 and found that people remembered them and wanted to see and hear them once again.

 When Anne and Webster left South Africa their voices were rarely heard on South African radio. Ronald Charles, the broadcaster and musician who had been the musical director at Michaelhouse in the sixties, played several of Webster’s oratorio recordings from his personal collection on his classical request programme. As far as I know, most of the 78s in the SABC record library were discarded, but as time passed, a number of their recordings were released on CD. Occasionally a recording was played on Uit Vergange se Dae on Radio Pretoria. 

The late Paddy O’Byrne was always happy to play a recording when he was with the SABC and later at Radio Today, although his access to their recordings was extremely limited. Clare Marshall, on her Sunday morning programme, Morning Star on Radio Today 1485, was about the only broadcaster in South Africa to feature their recordings regularly. Sadly, her programme is no longer on the air as the station has changed direction recently. After I wrote my book Sweethearts of Song: A Personal Memoir of Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth Clare invited me to be her guest on her Morning Star programme on 28 April 2013. Click on the link at: My interview with Clare Marshall on “Morning Star” (28 April 2013)

Compiled by Jean Collen. Updated in 2017.

BROADCASTS BY WEBSTER BOOTH AND ANNE ZIEGLER (1946 – 1956)

 

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MUSIC-HALL – Light Programme, 2 January 1946 13.15 with Foster and Clarke, Herschel Henlere , Issy Bonn, Peter Brough and Archie Andrews, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, and Gillie Potter.BBC Variety Orchestra. conducted by Charles Shadwell. Producer, John Sharman.

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 4 January 1946 20.00 with Harry Shields, Bert Waller and Dave Kidd, Jimmy Lyons, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Jackie Hunter, Felix Mendelssohn and his Hawaiian Serenaders. BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Rae Jenkins.  Announcer, Lionel Marson. Producer, John Sharman.

NAVY MIXTURE – Light Programme, 26 January 1946 21.15 Paddie O’Neil introduces this week’s entertainment for the Royal Navy with her guest from Off the Liberty Boat; Stripey and Bunts; Music for the Messdeck provided by Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth; Peter Brough and Archie Andrews; BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell. Produced by Charles Maxwell.

11 February 1946 20.00 VARIETY CAVALCADE. Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler.  

MUSIC FOR ROMANCE (SERIES) – Light Programme, 24 February 1946 19.15 Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. with the George Melachrino Orchestra. A weekly programme of songs and orchestral music for all lovers of romantic melodies. Presented by Ronald Waldman.

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth in MUSIC FOR ROMANCE – Light Programme, 31 March 1946 19.15 – 12 May 1946 with the George Melachrino Orchestra. A weekly programme of songs and orchestral music for all lovers of romantic melodies.Presented by Ronald Waldman.

Victory Day MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 8 June 1946 19.45 Johnnie Riscoe and Violet Terry, Nosmo King, Peter Waring, Vincent Tildsley ‘s Mastersingers, Mr. Murgatroyd and Mr. Winterbottom, *Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth Only a Rose, Webster Booth: The Bells of St Mary’s, Anne Ziegler: Down in the Forest, Duet: Laugh at Life, Jewel and Warriss, Cicely Courtneidge, BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Rae Jenkins. Announcer, Lionel Marson. Producer, John Sharman.

MUSIC-HALL – Light Programme, 14 August 1946 18.00 with Billy Kay, the Vickers Twins, Joe Murgatroyd and Poppett, Michael oward, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Sandy Powell.BBC Revue Orchestra conducted by Frank Cantell. Announcer. Lionel Marson. Producer, John Sharman.

22 September 1946 ANNE ZIEGLER AND WEBSTER BOOTH present themselves on records.

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS – Light Programme, 24 December 1946 20.15 An all-star Variety show broadcast from His Majesty’s Theatre (by permission of Jack Hylton) with Arthur Askey; Lilian Braithwaite; Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth; Jeanne de Casalis; Anne Shelton; Claude Hulbert and Enid Trevor; Jack Warner; the Luton Girls Choir: conductor, Arthur Davies. Master of Ceremonies. Joe Linnane. Sydney Lipton and his Orchestra. Produced by Audrey Cameron and Tom Ronald.

ALL-STAR SHOW – Light Programme, 31 December 1946 20.45 A cavalcade of music by artists who have appeared in the Light Programme during 1946. Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Anne Shelton, Rawicz and Landauer, Dorothy Squires accompanied by Billy Reid, Sam Browne and Mary Naylor, Raymond Newell, The Four Ramblers, Jean Cavall, Benny Lee, Albert Sandier and his Trio and Louis Levy and his Orchestra. The programme introduced by John Watt and presented by Henry Reed.

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MUSIC-HALL – Light Programme, 5 January 1947 12.00 with Harry Shields. Bert Waller and Dave Kidd , Jimmy Lyons, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Jackie Hunter, and Felix Mendelssohn and his Hawaiian Serenaders. BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Rae Jenkins. Announcer. Lionel Marson. Producer, John Sharman.

VARIETY- BBC Television, 18 January 1947 21.20 Introduced by Norman Wooland, Hugh Eliot (comedian), Valerie Tandy (songs), Horace King and Betty (illusionists), Martin May (songs at the piano), Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth (songs), Jackie Hunter (comedian). Orchestra directed by Eric Robinson.

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 26 April 1947 20.00 with Eddie Reindeer, Keith Wilbur, Buck Warren and Chic, Peter Brough with * Archie Andrews, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Jimmy O’Dea, BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Rae Jenkins. Announcer, Lionel Marson. Producer, John Sharman.

Friday 30 May 1947 20.45 GALA VARIETY Light Programme, Introduced by Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Home with Elsie and Doris Waters, Tommy Handley with Diana Morrison and Joan Harben, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Eric Barker with Pearl Hackney, Jon Pertwee , Richard Gray , Humphrey Lestocq , and George Crow, Albert Sandler, Luton Girls’ Choir. Directed by Arthur E. Davies, Augmented  BBC Variety Orchestra, Conducted by Rae Jenkins. Produced by Ronald Waldman.

*Queen Mary had chosen Anne and Webster’s act as one of her favourite acts.

SATURDAY BANDSTAND – Light Programme, 21 June 1947 19.45 A musical entertainment, with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Iris Loveridge (piano) and The London Brass Players, Programme introduced by Peter Fettes. Produced and conducted by Harry Mortimer. From the Concert Hall, Broadcasting House, London.

VARIETY – BBC Television, 25 June 1947 20.30 with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth – (the singing stars), Mayura (dancer), Maida Trio (jugglers), Spence and Davies (musical clowns), Joy Harington (impressions), Stanley Andrews and his Orchestra, Produced by Michael Mills.

30 July 1947 21.15 Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler in THE STUDENT PRINCE. BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA – BBC Home Service Basic, 12 August 1947 19.30, Leader, Alfred Barker, Conducted by Harold Lowe and BBC Theatre Chorus – Chorus-Master, John Clements. Anne Ziegler (soprano) Webster Booth (tenor) in a programme of operetta music.

25 September 1947 ON WINGS OF SONG  Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth with the Melachrino Orchestra, conducted by George Melachrino in their new programme: On Wings of Song. Programme produced and introduced by Doris Arnold. This was a weekly series which ran for some time.

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth in NEW MOON – BBC Home Service Basic, 29 September 1947 20.00 with Leslie Perrins. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, and Laurence Schwab. Music by Sigmund Romberg. Adapted for radio by Kenneth Pakeman, Tamworth Co-operative Choir – (Conductor. Albert Knight ) BBC Midland Light Orchestra  – (Leader. Frank Thomas), Music directed by Gilbert Vinter, Produced by Kenneth Pakeman in conjunction with William Hughes, Julie: Betty Huntley-Wright, Monsieur Beaunoir: Lester Mudditt, Capt Georges Duval: Wilfred Babbage, Vicomte Ribaud: Leslie Perrins, Fouchet: Robert Mawdesley, Robert: Webster Booth, Alexander: Reginald Purdell, Besac: Fred Yule, Jacques: Denis Folwell, Marianne: Anne Ziegler, Brunet: Hal Bryant, Philippe: Peter Wilde, sung by: Harry Porter, Clotilde: Joyce Barbour, Admiral de Jean: Bryan Johnson, Narrator: Bruce Belfrage.

SATURDAY NIGHT VARIETY – BBC Television, 11 October 1947 20.30 The Three Falcons, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Terry Thomas, Richard Hearne, Vera Lynn, The Band of the Scots Guards under the direction of Captain S. Rhodes. Pipers of the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards and The Girls, Stanley Andrews and his Orchestra. Ballet and dances arranged by Gemze de Lappe (principal dancer from Oklahoma) Produced by Walton Anderson From Radiolympia, Terry Thomas is appearing in Piccadilly Hayride.

VARIETY BAND-BOX – Light Programme, 12 October 1947 18.00 from the People’s Palace, London,  with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Derek Roy, Charmian Innes, Sydney Shaw, The Two Rascals, Davy Kaye, Norrie Sowman, Billy Ternent and his Orchestra, Produced by Joy Russell-Smith.

STARLIGHT-  BBC Home Service Basic, 13 October 1947 19.15 This week Christopher Stone invites Anne Ziegler to talk with him and to sing for you.

ANNE ZIEGLER and WEBSTER BOOTH – Light Programme, 30 October 1947 21.30 in their programme On Wings of Song with the Melachrino Orchestra. Conducted by George Melachrino.Produced and introduced by Doris Arnold.

MUSIC ALL THE WAY – Light Programme, 1 November 1947 19.15Tip-Top Tunes played by Geraldo and his Orchestra featuring Songs with Strings and the Geraldo String Choir. Presented by David Miller. 8.0 Family Favourites – Tunes you ask us to play. 8.30 Saturday Bandstand – National Band Festival. Massed Brass Bands  – Black Dyke Mills, Brighouse and Rastrick, Fairey Aviation Works, Harton Colliery, Luton, Munn and Felton’s Works, Park and Dare Parkhead Forge, Conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Luton Choral Society. Introduced by Peter Fettes.From the Daily Herald Festival Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

CALEDONIAN CABARET – BBC Home Service Basic, 10 December 1947 22.15 Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Eric Barker and Pearl Hackney, Harry Ogilvie and his Orchestra. Master of Ceremonies – Gerry Wilmot. From the Salutation Hotel, Perth.

WORKERS’ PLAYTIME – BBC Home Service Basic, 23 December 1947 12.30 from Westminster Hospital. With Johnny Denis and his Novelty Music, Peter Cavanagh , and Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. George Myddleton at the piano. Presented by Bryan Sears.

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MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 14 February 1948 20.00 with Holt and Maurice, Albert Whelan, Beryl Orde, Joey Porter, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Sandy Powell.BBC Variety Orchestra Conducted by Rae Jenkins. Announcer, Denys Drower. Producer, John Sharman.

Rae Jenkins[image error]

 

ARIETY BANDBOX – Light Programme, 29 February 1948 17.00 from the People’s Palace, London,  with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Derek Roy, Primo Scala and his Accordion Band, Edna Hatzfeld and Alan Paul, Roy Walker, Bob Andrews. Billy Ternent and his Orchestra. Introduced by Philip Slessor, Produced by Joy Russell -Smith.

STARS IN YOUR EYES – BBC Television, 12 March 1948 21.15 with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Jimmy Edwards, Elton Hayes, Orchestra directed by Eric Robinson, Presented by Michael Mills.[image error]

Anne and Webster went on a concert tour to New Zealand and Australia in May of 1948. They did several broadcasts in South Africa while their ship sailed round South African ports.

 Broadcasting at the SABC, Johannesburg (1948).

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6 November 1948 – IN TOWN TONIGHT. Anne and Webster appeared on this programme the day after their return from the tour of Australia and New Zealand.

ANNE ZIEGLER and WEBSTER BOOTH – Light Programme, 25 November 1948 19.30 bring you songs of today and yesterday with Sidney Torch and his Orchestra. Introduced by Peter Fettes.Presented by Elizabeth Tyson.

A series of programmes which lasted for some time.

TO TOWN WITH TERRY – BBC Home Service Basic, 20 December 1948 18.45 Ethel Revnell, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Ruth Dunning, Claude Hulbert and Enid Trevor, April, May, and June and Terry Thomas. BBC Variety Orchestra Conductor, Rae Jenkins, Script by Talbot Rothwell and Terry Thomas, Production by Audrey Cameron.

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 25 December 1948 18.30 Roy Walker, Beryl Orde, Peter Brough with Archie Andrews, Vera Lynn, Jack Warner, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Vic Oliver, BBC Variety Orchestra Conducted by Rae Jenkins, Announcer, Denys Drower, Producer, John Sharman.

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STARS IN YOUR EYES – BBC Television, 8 January 1949 20.30 Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Bernard Miles, Terry Thomas, Maurice Denham, Dinah Miller,The Wendy Toye Ballet-Hoo with Hermione Burton, Mark Baring, Claudine Goodfellow, Bret Daniels, Tamara Kirova, Alec Martin, Barbara Pearce. Donald Reed and Stars of the Opera – Kenneth Neate and Constance Shacklock in part of Act 2 Carmen by Bizet. Orchestra directed by Eric Robinson. Presented by Michael Mills

WOMAN’S HOUR – Light Programme, 31 January 1949 14.00 Introduced by Joan Griffiths. Today’s Guests: Singing in a Suitcase, by Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.

*R.A.F. BOMBER COMMAND REUNION – Light Programme, 12 March 1949 20.00 Listeners join members and ex-members of Bomber Command at their reunion in the Royal Albert Hall, London. *Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Stanley Holloway, Anne Shelton. Central Band of the R.A.F. (by permission of the Air Council) Conducted by Squadron-Leader A. E. Sims, M.B.E. Director of Music. Introduced by John Mills, Production by Harry Alan Towers Organised by the Evening News.

*Many members of the audience were inebriated at this reunion and Anne and Webster’s turn was not well-received. They cut it short!

VARIETY BANDBOX – Light Programme, 27 March 1949 21.00 from the Kilburn Empire, London with Albert Modley, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Michael Howard, Ronald Chesney, Tony Hancock, Eric James and George Myddleton, Benny Hill, The Harmaniacs. Billy Ternent and his Orchestra. Introduced by Philip Slessor. Produced by Bryan Sears.

RING UP THE CURTAIN! – BBC Home Service Basic, 29 March 1949 21.30 Anne Ziegler (soprano), Marie Burke (mezzo-soprano), Webster Booth (tenor), BBC Theatre Chorus (Chorus-Master. John Clements), BBC Theatre Orchestra (Leader. Alfred Barker) Conductor, Walter Goehr.

MUSICAL MEMORIES – Light Programme, 10 April 1949 14.15 The Melachrino Orchestra Conducted by George Melachrino with today’s guests: Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.

MUSIC-HALL –  BBC Home Service Basic, 23 April 1949 20.00 with Sandy Sandford, Adelaide Hall, Jeanne de Casalls, The Maple Leaf Four, Harry Hemsley, George Doonan, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. BBC Variety Orchestra Conductor, Rae Jenkins, Announcer, Denys Drower, Producer, Michael North.

STARLIGHT – ANNE ZIEGLER and WEBSTER BOOTH – BBC Television, 11 July 1949 21.15

VARIETY FANFARE – Light Programme, 8 August 1949 21.15 Heralding Variety in the North with Stainless Stephen, Ronnie Ronalde, Dick Bentley, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Frankie Howerd, The Kordites, Ray Martin and his Orchestra. Produced by Bowker Andrews.

GALA CONCERT (Series) – Light Programme, 17 October 1949 20.00 Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Rawicz and Landauer, The Luton Girls’ Choir directed by Arthur Davies, Mark Lubbock and his Orchestra. Introduced by Christopher Stone. This was a weekly series and ran to the end of 1949.

GALA CONCERT – Light Programme, 19 December 1949 20.00 with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Rawicz and Landauer, The Luton Girls’ Choir,Directed by Arthur Davies, Mark Lubbock and his Orchestra, Introduced by Christopher Stone. Myddleton, Mr. Postlethwaite and Mr. Hugglethorpe, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Robb Wilton, BBC Variety Orchestra Conductor, Rae Jenkins, Master of Ceremonies, Ted Ray, Producer, Michael North.

CHRISTMAS MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 24 December 1949 20.00 with Warden and West, The Radio Revellers, Suzette Tarri, Eric James and George George Myddleton, Mr. Postlethwaite and Mr. Hugglethorpe,  Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Robb Wilton, BBC Variety Orchestra Conductor, Rae Jenkins, Master of Ceremonies, Ted Ray. Producer, Michael North.

ANNE ZIEGLER and WEBSTER BOOTH – Light Programme, 26 December 1949 20.00 with Owen Walters and his Orchestra. Introduced by Peter Fettes,

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Television, 28 December 1949 20.40 Tessie O’Shea, Harry Green, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Leon (Shakespeare) Cortez, Luton Girls’ Choir, Laurie Watson, The Three Garcias, Dennis and Betty Railings, Leslie Roberts, Music-Hall Maids. Eric Robinson and his Augmented Orchestra, Produced by Richard Afton. From St. Pancras Assembly Hall.

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VARIETY HALL OF FAME – Light Programme, 1 March 1950 21.00  From the stage, Leslie Henson, From music-hall, Max Miller, From musical comedy, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, From radio, Gladys Young and James McKechnie. Compere, Leslie Mitchell. BBC Variety Orchestra Conductor, Rae Jenkins. Produced by David Miller.

VAUDEVILLE – Light Programme, 9 March 1950 19.30 An all-star Anglo-French Variety gala including Jeanne de Casalis, Stephane Grappelli and his Quintet , The George Mitchell Choir, Hella Toros, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, The Dance Orchestra, conducted by Stanley Black.

On television (1952)

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MEMORIES OF MUSICAL COMEDY – BBC Home Service Basic, 23 March 1950 19.00 Cavalcade of theatre favourites with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth. BBC Chorus – Chorus-Master, Leslie Woodgate. Mark Lubbock and his Orchestra, Producer, Edward Nash.

Medley of duets by Anne and Webster

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 20 May 1950 20.00 with Bernard Spear, Victor Seaforth, Jimmy Wheeler, Peggy Cochrane, Robert Moreton, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Leon Cortez. BBC Variety Orchestra Conductor, Rae Jenkins. Master of Ceremonies – Ted Ray. Producer, Michael North.

ROUND THE HALLS – Light Programme, 30 May 1950 19.30 with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Billy Russell, Billy Matchett, Tommy Reilly. Introduced by Philip Robinson. From the Palace Theatre. Blackpool.

LADIES, PLEASE! – Light Programme, 17 July 1950 21.15 An all-woman revue about women, for women with Jeanne de Casalis , Doris Hare Jane Barrett , Cecile Chevreau, Doris Rogers , Lind Joyce, Marie Korchinska (harp), Anne Ziegler, Elsie Randolph. Men on Trial – This week’s victim, Peter Brough, BBC Variety Orchestra Conductor – Rae Jenkins, Script by Godfrey Harrison, Diana Morgan and Ronnie Hanbury. Production by Audrey Cameron.

 

ANNE ZIEGLER AND WEBSTER BOOTH – BBC Home Service Basic, 10 August 1950 20.00 in a Summer Serenade with Sidney Torch and his Orchestra. Introduced by Leonard Sachs,Produced by Ronnie Hill.

Variety Concert from Harold Fielding’s MUSIC FOR THE MILLIONS – Light Programme, 21 August 1950 21.30 with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Radcliffe and Ray, Rawicz and Landauer. The Winter Gardens Orchestra – Conducted by Leslie Wheeler. Presented by Brian Johnston. From the Winter Gardens, Margate.

 

From the Television studio at THE RADIO SHOW, 1950 – BBC Television, 6 September 1950 20.00 at Castle Bromwich. Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Boyer and Ravel.

WORKERS’ PLAYTIME – BBC Home Service Basic, 7 December 1950 12.30 from a canteen in Hawthorn near Pontypridd with the Hedley Ward Trio, Johnny Lockwood, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. James Moody at the piano. Presented by Alun Williams.

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VARIETY BANDBOX – Light Programme, 18 March 1951 21.00 with Max Wall, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Douglas (Cardew) Robinson, Percy Edwards, The Beverley Sisters, Harry Locke, Lind Joyce, Dick Emery, The Harold Smart Quartet. Billy Ternent and his Orchestra. Produced by John Foreman.

FESTIVAL MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 5 May 1951 20.00 Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Horne, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Charlie Kunz, The Splice of Life with Charlie Clapham, Bill Kerr and Diana Morrison.  This week only: Arthur Askey, The Radio Revellers, The Peter Knight Singers. Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra  – Conducted by Paul Fenoulhet, Produced by Bill Worsley.

Festival of Britain VARIETY – Light Programme, 6 May 1951 19.30 Part 1 – Artists broadcast in the following order: Max Miller; Donald Peers; Frankie Howerd; Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth; Danny Kaye : Music-Hall memories introducing George Robey. Albert Whelan. G. H Elliott. Bertha Willmott and Alan Dean.

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth in AIRS AND GRACES – Light Programme, 11 May 1951 22.20 with Max Jaffa (violin), Reginald Kilbey (cello), Jack Byfield (piano). Light Music String Ensemble Directed by Max Jaffa, Produced by Eric Arden.

FESTIVAL MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 2 June 1951 20.00 Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Horne, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Charlie Kunz, The Splice of Life with Charlie Clapham, Bill Kerr and Diana Morrison. This week only: Elsie Waters and Doris Waters, Three Monarchs, The Peter Knight Singers.  Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra – Conductor: by Paul Fenoulhet. Producer: Bill Worsley.

FESTIVAL MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 16 June 1951 20.00 Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Horne, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Charlie Kunz, The Splice of Life with Charlie Clapham, Bill Kerr and Diana Morrison. This week only – Harry Lester and his Hayseeds, Al Read, The Peter Knight Singers, Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra Conducted by Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Bill Worsley.

KALEIDOSCOPE –BBC Television, 29 June 1951 20.35 An entertainment magazine including Close-Up on the familiar and unfamiliar:Actions Speak Louder than Words -A new novelty feature written by Godfrey Harrison, Pictures in the Fire with Jack Spurgeon and Joan Tucker, Song Time – Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.  Programme introduced by McDonald Hobley, The Kaleidoscope Girls, Dance Director: Joan Davis, Orchestra directed by Eric Robinson.

 

FESTIVAL MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 14 July 1951 20.00 Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Horne, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Charlie Kunz, The Splice of Life with Charlie Clapham, Bill Kerr and Diana Morrison. This week only: The Four Aces, Ethel Revnell, The Peter Knight Singers. Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra – Conducted by Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Bill Worsley.

First House ONE, TWO, THREE FOUR, FIVE…. – BBC Home Service Basic, 30 July 1951 19.00 with Flotsam introducing tonight : Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Max Wall, The Kordites, with Vic Hammett at the organ.

HULLO UP THERE! – BBC Television, 12 October 1951 21.15 A welcome to the new family of viewers in the North Country from some of Television’s favourite personalities including Ethel Revnell, Terry-Thomas and Richard Heame in an excerpt from a BBC Children’s Newsreel, Eric Barker, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. An excerpt from Cafe Continental. Puppet Corner, featuring: Muffin the Mule with Annette Mills (who writes the songs) and Ann Hogarth (who pulls the strings). Prudence Kitten and The Little Grey Rabbit (with Jan. Bussell and the Hogarth Glove Puppets). Ronnie Waldman ‘s. Puzzle Corner with a viewer competitor from Manchester. Joan Gilbert, Philip Hariben, Leslie Mitchell, Fred Streeter, Humphrey Lestocq, The George Mitchell Octet. Choreography by Haze Gee.Settings by Richard Greenough. Conductor: Eric Robinson, Production by W. Lyon. Shaw Seans and Bryan Seans.

 

Television’s CHRISTMAS PARTY – BBC Television, 25 December 1951 19.30 Join in the fun and games and meet many television personalities who have contributed to programmes during 1951. The guests include: Ethel Revnell, Terry-Thomas, Jewel and Warriss, Vic Oliver, Norman Wisdom, Rawicz and Landauer, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Petula Clark, The Twelve Toppers and many others. Music provided by Eric Robinson and his Orchestra, Your hosts:Leslie Mitchell and Jerry Desmonde, Presented by the Television Light Entertainment Department.

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MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 16 February 1952 20.00 Harry Robbins, Davey Kaye, Jill Manners, Charlie Forsythe and Addie Seamon, Eddie Calvert, Hal Monty, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Horne. Introduced by Norman Wooland. Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra – Conducted by Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Bill Worsley.

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 5 April 1952 20.00 Sonny Farrar, Cardew Robinson, The Radio Revellers, Morris and Cowley, Eugene Pini, Jeanne de Casalis, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Harry Mooney and Victor King. Introduced by Bill Gates, Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra – Conducted by Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Bill Worsley.

VARIETY FANFARE – Light Programme, 8 May 1952 20.00 High-speed Variety from the North of England with The Kordites, Leslie Sarony, Jimmy Wheeler, Ronald Chesney, Bill Kerr, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Ken Platt. Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra – Conducted by Vilem Tausky. Introduced by Alan Clarke. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 31 May 1952 20.00 Sid Millward and his Nitwits, Jean Kennedy, Percy Edwards, Charlie Clapham, Terry Harry Korris and Elva Sheridan, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Derek Roy. Introduced by Bill Gates. Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra – Conducted by Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Bill Worsley.

VARIETY CONCERT HALL – Light Programme, 29 June 1952 16.15  Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Eric Barker, Tommy Reilly, Worthing Municipal Orchestra under the direction of Herbert Lodge, Introduced by Brian Johnston, From the Pier Pavilion, Worthing.

VARIETY FANFARE – Light Programme, 15 July 1952 19.30 High-speed Variety from the North of England with the Kordites, Jack Simpson, Eddie Arnold, Ken Frith and his magic pianos, Michael Howard, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Jimmy Edwards. Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra – Conducted by Vilem Tausky. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.

BRIGHT LIGHTS – Light Programme, 26 September 1952 20.45 Autumn listening in the Light Programme. Kenneth Adam Controller, Light Programme outlines the programmes planned for the next three months. Val Gielgud discusses new plays and serials. Michael Standing reviews current and new Variety shows. Previews of The Forces’ Show – Richard Murdoch. Kenneth Horne, and Sam Costa. BBC Show Band directed by Cyril Stapleton. Life with the Lyons Bebe Daniels, Ben Lyon – Barbara and Richard Lyon. Wilfred Pickles in Can I Come In? BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Gilbert Vinter, Book by the Fire – Alan Melville, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. Any Questions? Freddy Grisewood. All Star Bill  – Frankie Howerd and Derek Roy, The Dance Orchestra conducted by Stanley Black, Introduced by Franklin Engelmann, Produced by Phyllis Robinson.

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth in DUET – Light Programme, 16 October 1952 20.30 with the augmented BBC Revue Orchestra – Conducted by Guy Daines. Soprano: Anne Ziegler, Tenor: Webster Booth.

VARIETY FANFARE – Light Programme, 7 November 1952 20.00 High-Speed Variety from the North of England. The Kordites, The Tanner Sisters, Bernard Spear, Tollefsen, Tony Fayne and David Evans, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Ken Platt. Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra Conducted by Vilem Tausky. Introduced by Alan Clarke. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.

 

VARIETY FANFARE – Light Programme, 19 December 1952 20.00 Presenting High Speed Variety:The Kordites, Ribton and Richards, Bob Monkhouse, Ivor Morton and Dave Kaye, Cardew Robinson, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Littlewood’s Girls Choir, Michael Howard. Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra conducted by Vilem Tausky, Introduced by Alan Clarke, Produced in the North of England by Ronnie Taylor.

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VARIETY FANFARE – Light Programme, 30 January 1953 20.00  Presenting High Speed Variety – The Kordites, The Gaunt Brothers, Eddie Arnold, Ken Mackintosh, Morecambe and Wise, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Ken Platt, Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra Conducted by Vilem Tausky. Introduced by Alan Clarke. Produced in the North of England by Ronnie Taylor.

Alfred Marks in STAR BILL – Light Programme, 4 October 1953 21.10 Geraldine McEwan and Graham Stark, Guest Star: Brian Reece. To Sing to You: Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. The Radio Revellers, The George Mitchell Glee Club, The Stanley Black Concert Orchestra, Encore – Each week the stars take their curtain calls with the songs and tunes you want to hear. Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Produced by Alastair Scott-Johnston.

VARIETY FANFARE – Light Programme, 4 December 1953 19.30 A high-speed entertainment – Martin Lukins, Tony (Silly Thing) Scott, The Radio Revellers, Jimmy Wheeler, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Ken Platt with the Kordites. Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra Conducted by Vilem Tausky. Introduced by Alan Clarke. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.

 

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VARIETY FANFARE – Light Programme, 6 May 1954 19.30 A high speed entertainment presenting: Little woods Girls’ Choir, Billy Maxam, Ivor Moreton and Dave Kaye, Harry Locke, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Charlie Chester with The Kordites. Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra – Conducted by Alyn Ainsworth. Introduced by Alan Clarke. Produced by Eric Miller.

Flotsam (B. C. Hiliam) in 4 FOLLOW ON  – BBC Home Service Basic, 10 May 1954 20.30 Merging memories of yesterday with friendships of today. Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Alma Cogan, Eileen Murphy, Eric Barker, The George Mitchell Choir, Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra – Conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Production by Glyn Jones.

*TUESDAY SERENADE – Light Programme, 25 May 1954 20.30 Arranged and conducted by Stanford Robinson. BBC Concert Orchestra Leader, John Sharpe. BBC Chorus – Chorus Master, Leslie Woodgate. Anne Ziegler (soprano), Webster Booth (tenor), Joan Trimble and Valerie Trimble (two pianos), The programme Includes a selection from  Wild Violets by Robert Stolz, Ideale (WB), Canterbury Fair (AZ),

*The late Phyl Wise (friend and chorister) attended the recording of this broadcast.

31 May 1954 – BBC VARIETY PARADE: HELLO PLAYMATES; Script by Bob Monkhouse and Denis Goodwin. BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Paul Fenoulhet. Anne Ziegler appeared as guest artist, with Arthur Askey, Denis Goodwin, Irene Handl, Pat Coombs, Bob Monkhouse, David Nixon. Produced by Leslie Bridgmont.

The programme includes: Anne Ziegler and Arthur Askey – patter and duet with orchestra: The Keys of Heaven. Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth sang snatches of: Only a Rose and Sweethearts.

BLACKPOOL NIGHT – Light Programme, 25 August 1954 21.00 A visit to the seaside to meet: Derek Roy – Ah yes! Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth – Songs in Duet, Ted Lune – Miles of Smiles, Gladys Morgan – That Woman from Wales, Reginald Dixon – Beside the Seaside, The Hedley Ward Trio –Three Boys and a Beat, Monty Norman – Make Mine Music, Bill Waddington – Lancashire’s Witty Willie, The Littlewood Songsters. The Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra Conducted by Alyn Ainsworth. Introduced by Jack Watson. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.

 

BLACKPOOL NIGHT – Light Programme, 15 September 1954 21.00 A visit to the seaside to meet Jimmy Edwards – Wake Up at the Back There, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth – Songs in Duet, Ted Lune- Miles of Smiles, Eddie Calvert  – The Man with the Golden Trumpet, Joan Turner – On Wings of Song, Albert and Les Ward – The Harmonious Discords, Denis Goodwin – I Wish I Was Dead, Reginald Dixon – Beside the Seaside, The Littlewood Songsters. The Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra – Conducted by Alyn Ainsworth. Introduced by Jack Watson. Produced by Eric Miller.

GARRISON THEATRE – BBC Television, 24 September 1954 20.45 from the Drill Hall of 451st (Chelsea) H.A.A. Regiment, R.A., T.A. The Duke of York’s Headquarters, London with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Eve Boswell, The Voltaires, Lou Campara, The Spillanes, Compere, George Martin, Orchestra under the direction of Steve Race. Produced by Dennis Monger.

Jack Payne introduces SAY IT WITH MUSIC – Light Programme, 18 November 1954 20.00 A weekly parade of the Stars of Show Business :Dickie Valentine, Max Wall, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, The Ray Ellington Quartet ,The International Violinist – Alan Loveday. Band of the Week -Ken Mackintosh and his Orchestra, The Mitchell Choristers Directed by George Mitchell, The Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra Conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Glyn Jones.

BALLAD CONCERT – BBC Home Service Basic, 23 November 1954 18.45 The old songs we still love sung by Anne Ziegler (soprano), Webster Booth (tenor),Geraint Evans (baritone) with David McCallum and the Spa Orchestra. At the organ, Felton Rapley. At the piano, Josephine Lee. The programme includes Four Jolly Sailormen, Friend o’ Mine, Down in the Forest, Love’s Garden of Roses, Phil the Fluter’s Ball. Introduced by Lionel Marson. Produced by Harold Neden

FRIEND O’ MINE

Richard Heame in MR. PASTRY’S SPICY LIFE – BBC Television, 4 December 1954 21.15 The Celebrated scrapbook of a personality with McDonald Hobley, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Laurie Payne, Cameron Hall. Script by Richard Hearne and Talbot Rothwell, Designer, Roy Oxley, Orchestra under the direction of Eric Robinson, Produced by Bill Ward,

NAZARETH

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Northern Variety Parade presents Norman Evans in MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME – BBC Home Service Basic, 8 March 1955 19.00 with Ethel Manners, Victor Seaforth, Jimmy Clitheroe, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, The Littlewood Songsters,The Kordites, Augmented BBC Northern Variety Orchestra – Conducted by Alyn Ainsworth, Script by Cass James, Produced by Ronnie Taylor.

 

BLACKPOOL NIGHT – Light Programme, 17 August 1955 21.00 A visit to the seaside to meet Reginald Dixon, The Hedley Ward Trio, Cardew Robinson, Les Howard, Daisy Mae and Company with Saveen, Roy Stevens, Hylda Baker, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Harry Secombe, Littlewoods Girls’ Choir. Augmented BBC Northern Variety Orchestra conducted by Alyn Ainsworth, Introduced by Jack Watson. Produced by Eric Miller.

HOLIDAY HOTEL – BBC Television, 11 September 1955 19.45 Stay with the stars at Blackpool and meet Jimmy Clitheroe, paging Joan Regan, Hylda Baker, Frank Cook, Two Earls, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, and Jack Watson. Final of the Summer Showgirl Competition judged by Raymond, Avis Scott , Donald Gray. Orchestra directed by Billy Ternent. Designer. Frederick Knapman. Produced by Barney Colehan and Ronnie Taylor. From the Norbreck Hydro. Blackpool.

A RENDEZVOUS – BBC Home Service Basic, 27 September 1955 22.45 Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth accompanied by Arthur Tatler at the piano.

 

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MIDDAY MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 9 January 1956 12.20 – Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra Leader, George Deason, Conductor, Paul Fenoulhet, George Fierstone and his Quintet, Variety: Neville Taylor, TV: Bill Pertwee, Theatre: Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, In Town MIDDAY Today: Max Wall. Presented by Bill Worsley.

THE PETULA CLARK SHOW, BBC Television,10 January 1956. Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth (guests)

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 6 July 1956 12.30 Augmented BBC Variety Orchestra Leader, John Jezard, Conductor, Paul Fenoulhet with the Peter Crawford Trio, George Williams, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Beryl Reid. Presented by Bill Worsley.

The Booths sailed for South Africa in mid-July on board the Union Castle liner, the Pretoria Castle.

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Compiled by Jean Collen 2014.

Updated May 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Broadcasts by Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler (1940 – 1945)

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THE SLEEPING BEAUTY – BBC Home Service Basic, 9 January 1940 20.30 An excerpt from Prince Littler’s pantomime, Presented by Prince Littler. Orchestra under the direction of Ray Theobald. From Golders Green Hippodrome. Muddles: Leonard Henry, King Satupon (The Oneth): Syd Walker, Prince Silverthistle: Anne Ziegler, Princess Beauty: Greta Fayne, Queen Quibblina: Jimmy Young, Fairy Rosydawn: Bebe Terry, Somina (The Witch): Isobel Marden.

  Greta Fayne – Princess Beauty.

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THE LOVE PARADE  BBC Home Service Basic, 9 February 1940 20.00 (By permission of Paramount Pictures) by Ernest Vayda and Guy Bolton, from the play The Prince Consort by Leon Xanroff and Jules Chancel. Music by Victor Schertzinger, lyrics by Clifford Grey. Radio score by Jack Beaver. The Revue Chorus and the Augmented Revue Orchestra, conducted by Hyam Greenbaum, Produced by Douglas Moodie. Count Alfred: Jack Warner, Jacques, his valet: Tony Sympson, The Queen of Sylvania: Anne Ziegler, Lulu, her maid: Jane Young, Her Major Domo: Gibb McLaughlin,, Smaller parts: Olivia Burleigh, Evelyn Nielsen, Arthur Pusey, H. Brough Robertson, Tarver Penna, Alan Keith, Jacques Brown,

MONDAY NIGHT AT EIGHT – Forces Programme, 21 February 1940 14.30 Presented by Harry S. Pepper and Ronald Waldman, The Western Brothers. Inspector Homleigh investigates (No. 12-3rd series), by H. W. Priwin, with S. J. Warmington as Inspector Homleigh. Anniversary —memories of famous first nights. Anne Ziegler (Soprano)

 VARIETY from Forces Programme, 20 April 1940 21.20  From the Lewisham Hippodrome, London (by permission of Harry Joseph and Idris Lewis) Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler, Al and Bob Harvey, Will Hay, Junior, and Company, Issy Bonn, Billy Bissett ‘s Canadians On 877 kc/s 342.1 m.[image error]

George Black presents A GRAND VARIETY GALA – Forces Programme, 5 May 1940 20.00 in aid of the Variety Artists’ Benevolent Fund  pearing before the interval are  Rawicz and Landauer, Vic Oliver, Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon, Arthur Askey, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Florence Desmond and Jack Warner. The London Palladium Orchestra conducted by Clifford Greenwood. From the London Palladium.

 RADIO PARTY NIGHT – BBC Home Service Basic, 10 May 1940 22.00 at the Ballroom of the Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth, with Hutch (Leslie Hutchinson ), Jeanne de Casalis  (Mrs. Feather), Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler – (the famous singers), Eric Barker (the Prince of Satirists), and Benny Loban and his Music Weavers with Eddie Gurey and Celia Lipton. Compere, Kenneth Rainford, Presented by Leslie Bridgmont

POT-POURRI PARISIEN – BBC Home Service Basic, 21 May 1940 21.35 French theatrical memories. Arranged and produced by Gordon McConnel , in collaboration with Gwen Williams. Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Franklyn Kelsey, Narrator, Patrick Waddington, The BBC Theatre Chorus (trained by Charles Groves), The BBC Theatre Orchestra, Leader, Tate Gilder, Conductor, Stanford Robinson.

The pot-pourri of hits from famous English musical shows is well established as a popular broadcasting item. Little, so far, however, has been heard of the theatre music of France, to which the whole of tonight’s programme will be devoted.

Some French theatre composers, such as Offenbach, Messager, Lecocq, and Planquette are well known over here, but it is not only with these that the programme will be concerned. The operettas of Reynaldo Hahn , for example, are little known over here. Likewise those of Louis Ganne. These two composers have reputations in this country as a song-writer and an orchestral composer respectively. The songs, by the way, will all be sung in English.

ON WITH THE SHOW – BBC Home Service Basic, 13 July 1940 20.15 presented by Lawrence Wright. Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler, Dave Morris, Iris Sadler, Elsie Prince, Alec Hales , Sydney Glen, Cochrane and Odette, the Oomph Girls, the Blue Riband Three, Bram Martin and his Band. From a Northern seaside resort – Blackpool.

 SATURDAY SPOTLIGHT – BBC Home Service Basic, 5 October 1940 19.00 A magazine programme including Anne Ziegler, Cyril Fletcher and Billy Tement and the Dance Orchestra, Spotlight focused by Hugh Morton. Devised and presented by Harry S. Pepper and Ronald Waldman. Mr. Walker wants to know by Ernest Dudley and Gordon Crier. Youth takes a bow presented by Jack Hylton and compered by Bryan Michie. Singing commeres, the Three Chimes. The BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Charles Shadwell.

INVITATION TO ROMANCE – Forces Programme, 8 October 1940 22.00 A programme of songs by Eric Maschwitz, set to music by various composers, with Anne Ziegler, Effie Atherton, Horace Percival, Ivor John, BBC Theatre Chorus and BBC Theatre Orchestra, Leader, Tate Gilder, The programme presented and conducted by Mark H. Lubbock.

OVERSEAS SERVICE from Autumn 1940. During the war Anne and Webster did many overseas forces broadcasts, usually in the early hours of the morning. IN THE LIMELIGHT! – Forces Programme, 22 October 1940 21.20 A programme of songs and duets from popular musical shows with Anne Ziegler , Webster Booth, Morgan Davies, BBC Theatre Chorus, BBC Theatre Orchestra, Leader, Tate Gilder. Arranged and conducted by Mark H. Lubbock.

Mark H. Lubbock and his collaborator, Desmond Davis, are presenting another of their popular broadcasts of music written for the stage. This programme will make a feature of numbers from operettas, including The Cat and the Fiddle, The Student Prince, and The Vagabond King.

 INVITATION TO ROMANCE – Forces Programme, 11 November 1940 14.20 A programme of songs by Eric Maschwitz set to music by various composers with Anne Ziegler, Effie Atherton, Horace Percival, Ivor John. BBC Theatre Chorus, BBC Theatre Orchestra, leader, Tate Gilder, Presented and conducted by Mark H. Lubbock. This show takes you back to the days when collecting the postcards of famous musical-comedy beauties was all the rage

 TANTIVY TOWERS – BBC Home Service Basic, 14 November 1940 20.00 A light opera in three acts, abridged and adapted for broadcasting, Libretto by A. P. Herbert. Music by Thomas F. Dunhill. BBC Theatre Chorus, BBC Theatre Orchestra (leader Tate Gilder). Conductor, Stanford Robinson. Produced by.Gordon McConnel, with the musical collaboration of Gwen Williams.

This light opera in three acts was produced by Sir Nigel Playfair at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, on January 16, 1931. It proved one of the most successful productions of his management, and the box-office receipts broke all records for that theatre. After a run of several months it was transferred to the New Theatre in the West End, where it flourished far into the summer months, and afterwards it went on tour to the principal towns in England and Scotland with great success.

The music of Tantivy Towers is continuous ; there is no spoken dialogue. Although it is a real comic opera, and full of wit and satirical humour, the subject has its serious side, and some of the incidents are very dramatic. The treatment, however, is light throughout, and the theme of the work, stated briefly, is the conflict between the artistic set and the county set. The author of the libretto, it may be said, is quite conscious of the shortcomings of both. The cutting of the score for this production has been carried out by the composer himself.

Hugh Heather (a singer): Webster Booth, Jenny Jay (a would-be painter): Betty Huntley-Wright, The Earl of Tantivy: Percy Heming, The Countess of Tantivy: Gladys Parr, Lady Ann Gallop (their daughter): Anne Ziegler, Charles Viscount Harkaway (their son): Roy Henderson, Captain Bareback, M F H: Dennis Noble,  

THE MUSIC OF JEROME KERN – Forces Programme, 19 November 1940 21.20 with Anne Ziegler, Ronnie Hill, Morgan Davies, BBC Theatre Chorus, BBC Theatre Orchestra Leader, Tate Gilder, Presented and conducted by ‘ Mark H. Lubbock.  

SATURDAY AT NINE-FORTY – BBC Home Service Basic, 7 December 1940 21.40 Sir Seymour Hicks presents Picture-Postcard Beauties-No. 3 A recollection of their charms, their lives, and their favourite songs. Billie Baker, Linda Gray, Anne Ziegler. BBC Theatre Chorus, BBC Theatre Orchestra – Leader, Tate Gilder, Conducted by Reginald Burston. Programme compiled by S. R. Littlewood and Reginald Burston.

 IN THE LIMELIGHT – Forces Programme, 10 January 1941 21.20 A programme of songs and duets from popular musical shows with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Morgan Davies. BBC Theatre Chorus (Trained by Charles Groves), BBC Theatre Orchestra – Leader, Tate Gilder. Programme arranged and conducted by Mark H. Lubbock.

 SWEET YESTERDAY – BBC Home Service Basic, 26 January 1941 18.55, A romantic musical play. Book and lyrics by Phillip Leaver, Music by Kenneth Leslie-Smith. Anne Ziegler, Doris Hare, Norman Shelley, Ewart Scott, Phillip Leaver, Jan van der Gucht, Jacques Brown, Ian Sadler, Stephen Jack, BBC Chorus, Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra Leader, Boris Pecker, Conducted by Hyam Greenbaum, Orchestrations by Phil Cardew, Produced by Vernon Harris.  LIFE BEGINS ANEW

 FAREWELL TO JUAN – BBC Home Service Basic, 7 February 1941 21.35, or Lots of love – An improper story of four centuries. Written by Eric Maschwitz to music by Jack Strachey. Produced by Desmond Davis. Webster Booth, Anne Ziegler, The Cavendish Three, The story-teller, Desmond Davis. BBC Theatre Orchestra – Leader, Tate Gilder, Conducted by Mark H. Lubbock

 BLUE EYES – BBC Home Service Basic, 10 February 1941 20.15 (By arrangement with Lee Ephraim ) A romantic musical play, adapted for broadcasting by Henrik Ege, music by Jerome Kern. Book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and Graham John. Anne Ziegler, Derek Oldham, Barry Livesey, Ian Sadler, Betty Huntley -Wright, Norman Shelley, Phillip Leaver, Dudley Rolph, Grace McChlery, Harvey Braban, Pearl Colquhoun,  Jacques Brown, Joyce Kennedy and Charles Heslop. BBC Chorus and the BBC Revue Orchestra conducted by Hyam Greenbaum. Produced by Pat Hillyard and Gordon Crier (A recording of the broadcast on December 23, 1940)

 SERVICES VARIETY – Forces Programme, 16 February 1941 12.30 A show for the Forces and Civil Defence Services with Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler, Margaret Rawlings, George Moon and Burton Brown, Johnny Lockwood. Debroy Somers and his Band. Compere, Bryan Michie. From a theatre in the South.  

A GRAND CONCERT – Forces Programme, 23 March 1941 16.00 for members of H.M. Forces with their sweethearts and wives given by The BBC Salon Orchestra – Leader, Jean Pougnet .Conductor, Leslie Bridgewater. Webster Booth, Anne Ziegler, G. T. Pattman at the organ. Introduced by Peter Fettes. From a West-Country concert hall.

29th March 1941 – Bristol – MUSIC HALL. A variety show. Compere: Gordon Crier, produced and presented by John Sharman.Includes Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. Signature tune (Orchestra, Booth & Ziegler), Only a Rose, Feldman Songs: (acc. Orchestra) Webster Booth: I’ll walk beside you; Anne Ziegler: When Big Ben Chimes; Duet: Wanting You, with the augmented BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell.

MY HEART AND I

SUNDAY MATINEE – Forces Programme, 27 April 1941 14.15 Including Services spotlight, and featuring Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Nellie Wallace, Mantovani and his Orchestra. Compere, Gerry Wilmot, From a dance hall… 

GRAND HOTEL – Forces Programme, 5 May 1941 16.00 The Winter Garden Orchestra under the direction of Tom Jenkins with Anne Ziegler in a tea-time programme.  

ACK-ACK, BEER-BEER – Forces Programme, 5 June 1941 17.15 Radio’s own twice-weekly magazine for men of the Anti-Aircraft and Balloon Barrage units.  Nellie of the NAAFI (with Doris Hare and Rookie Gee at the Canteen counter). Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler – Good songs, well sung. The sentimental twenties – Kay Cavendish. Compere, Ivan Samson, Editors, Bill MacLurg and Howard Thomas.

BREAK FOR MUSIC – Forces Programme, 5 December 1941 12.30  Concert for war workers with the ENSA Variety Orchestra, Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler.

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BREAK FOR MUSIC – Forces Programme, 16 February 1942 12.30 ENSA concert for war-workers. Billy Mayerl and his Orchestra, with Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler. 

MUSIC-HALL – Forces Programme, 17 May 1942 21.30 with Welsh and Martin; Jack Warner; Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth (by permission of George Black). BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell. Compere, Norman Wooland. Presented by John Sharman at 10.0.

10 June 1942 9.30 STARLIGHT, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.

25 July 1942 19.00 BBC VARIETY ORCHESTRA  Conductor, Charles Shadwell , with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.

MONDAY NIGHT AT EIGHT – BBC Home Service Basic, 9 November 1942 20.00 Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Donald Peers BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell. Produced by Harry S. Pepper and Ronald Waldman.

BREAK FOR MUSIC – BBC Home Service Basic, 27 November 1942 12.30 ENSA concert- for war-workers, from a factory canteen. Leslie Jeffries and his Rialto Orchestra. Guest artists, Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler

BANDSTAND – BBC Home Service Basic, 4 December 1942 18.55 Lilting music, melody, and song for everybody. Solo pianist, Harriet Cohen. Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth and the BBC Revue Chorus in vocal selections from The New Moon, arranged by Wally Wallond.

BANDSTAND – BBC Home Service Basic, 11 December 1942 18.45 Lilting music, melody, and song, introduced by Esmond Knight. Eda Kersey (violin); Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, and the BBC Revue Chorus in vocal selections from The Three Musketeers, arranged by Wally Wallond. Anne Lenner presents the Film Hit of the Week. Haydn Wood conducts one of his own compositions. Charles Smart at the BBC Theatre Organ; BBC Revue Orchestra and the Dance Orchestra, conducted by Mansel Thomas. Produced by Henry Reed. Conducting own composition: Haydn Wood. Organ: Charles Smart. Conducted By: Mansel Thomas. Produced By: Henry Reed

 MUSIC-HALL – Forces Programme, 26 December 1942 20.00 Gala BBC programme from the Queensberry All – Services Club, London. Listeners will hear Harry Pringle, Teddy Brown, Elsie Randolph, Max Miller, Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler, Flanagan and Allen, and Jack Payne and .his  Orchestra. Presented by John Sharman

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AT HOME TO THE FORCES – Forces Programme, 21 January 1943 19.05 Each Thursday evening many civilians invite to their homes members of the Forces stationed in their neighbourhood. This is a series planned for the special entertainment of civilians, and men of the Army and Royal Air Force who are listening together. This evening – London, Paris, and New York songs from the musical shows of two continents, with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. BBC .Theatre Chorus, BBC Theatre Orchestra, Conductor, Stanford Robinson. Programme arranged and presented by Mark H. Lubbock.

MONDAY NIGHT AT EIGHT – BBC Home Service Basic, 1 February 1943 20.00 with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth; Ronald Gourley.  BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell. Produced by Harry S. Pepper and Ronald Waldman.

3 April 1943 11.00  Variety Introduced by Norman Wooland: Hugh Eliot (comedian),Valerie Tandy (songs),Horace King and Betty (illusionists),Martin May (songs at the piano), Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth (songs), Jackie Hunter (comedian) Orchestra directed by Eric Robinson.

THE VAGABOND KING – Forces Programme, 13 May 1943 19.05 Excerpt from the romantic musical comedy, with music by Rudolf Friml , presented by Tom Arnold , and produced by Robert Nesbitt and Maxwell Wray. Cast includes Webster Booth, Anne Ziegler , Henry Baynton, Tessa Deane, and Syd Walker. Orchestra directed by Bob Wolly. From the Winter Garden Theatre, London.  

THE STAGE PRESENTS…. Forces Programme, 16 May 1943 21.30 Theatreland’s tribute to the Forces everywhere: a programme sponsored by every branch of the entertainment world and offered to you by the Theatre’s War Service Council. This week : BEN LYON, BEBE DANIELS, Edith EVANS, JOHN GIELGUD,  MONSEWER EDDIE GRAY, ANNE ZIEGLER, WEBSTER BOOTH, and the full chorus of the London production of THE VAGABOND KING, with JAY WILBUR and his ORCHESTRA. The programme, produced by John Watt and Ronald Waldman, comes from a theatre in the heart of London and is transmitted throughout the world-wide network of the BBC

GRAND HOTEL – Forces Programme, 15 August 1943 20.20 Albert Sandler and the Palm Court Orchestra, with Anne Ziegler (soprano) and Webster Booth (tenor), in a programme of the kind of music heard in the Palm Court of your favourite hotel in the days before the war. Programme produced by Fred Hartley and Douglas Lawrence.

GALA NIGHT – BBC Home Service Basic, 21 August 1943 21.35 Stars from the stage and concert-hall in a series of Popular Celebrity Concerts with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Alfredo Campoli , and Alan Howland. BBC Theatre Orchestra : conductor, Stanford Robinson.

THE HAPPIDROME – Forces Programme, 5 September 1943 19.10 with Foster and Clarke, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Teddy Brown, Gillie Potter, and Harry Korris as Mr. Lovejoy, assisted by Cecil Frederick (Ramsbottom) and Robbie Vincent (Enoch). Happidrome Orchestra and Chorus. Show produced and conducted by Ernest Longstaffe.

BANDSTAND – Forces Programme, 11 September 1943 19.45 Lilting music, melody and song for everybody, with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. BBC Revue Chorus. BBC Revue Orchestra, and a section of the Dance Orchestra, conducted by Charles Groves. Programme introduced by Lionel Gamlin. Produced by Henry Reed

 VAUDEVILLE OF 1943 – BBC Home Service Basic, 25 December 1943 20.00 A Saturday-night entertainment featuring famous stars of Variety,music, and drama. Randolph Sutton , Mr. Murgatroyd and Mr. Winterbottom, Robert Donat , Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, and Elsie and Doris Waters. Revue Chorus and augmented BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Charles Groves. Producers, John Sharman and Harry S. Pepper. (BBC recording)

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MUSIC-HALL BBC Home Service Basic, 1 January 1944 13.30 with Ted Andrews and Barbara; Rupert Hazell and Elsie Day; Harry Korris, Robbie Vincent, and Pat Lennox; Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell. Announcer, Norman Wooland. Producer. John Sharman.

 BANDSTAND Forces Programme, 8 January 1944 21.30 with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, and Alfredo Campoli (violin). BBC Revue Chorus. Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Charles Groves. Programme introduced by Lionel Gamlin. Produced by Henry Reed.

11 January 1944. John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS. Fifty-eighth programme in the series presenting music from stage and film successes, of the present and of the past. Cast includes Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth , Betty Kent , and George Melachrino ‘. Musical arrangements by Donald Edge , and orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus. The Dance Orchestra, conducted by Billy Ternent. BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed.

John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – Forces Programme, 18 January 1944 20.15 Fifty-ninth programme in the series presenting music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past. Cast includes Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Betty Kent , and George Melachrino. Musical arrangements by Donald Edge. Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus. The Dance Orchestra, conducted by Billy Tement , and the BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Charles Groves. Produced bv John Watt and Henry Reed.

John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – Forces Programme, 1 February 1944 20.15 Sixty-first programme, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Bettie Bucknelle, George Melachrino , and Betty Kent. Musical arrangements by Donald Edge.Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus. The Dance Orchestra, conducted by Billy Ternent, and the BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed.

SONGS FROM THE SHOW PRESENTED BY JOHN WATT – General Forces Programme, 14 March 1944 17.30 Presenting music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, *Bettie Bucknelle and George Melachrino. Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus. BBC Augmented Revue Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed.

*Bettie Bucknelle (close friend of Webster’s second wife, Paddy Prior) appeared in several SONGS FROM THE SHOWS at this time.

Bettie Bucknelle on cover of sheet music.[image error]

 

22 April 1944. 12.30 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS presenting music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past. Cast includes Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus. Augmenteti BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed,

SONGS FROM THE SHOWS PRESENTED BY JOHN WATT – General Forces Programme, 5 May 1944 22.00 Presenting music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Judy Shirley and Sam Browne. Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus. BBC Augmented Revue Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Groves.

John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – General Forces Programme, 19 May 1944 22.00 Presenting music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Sam Browne, C. Denier Warren, and Reginald. Purdell. Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus. BBC Augmented Revue Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed.

 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – General Forces Programme, 26 May 1944 21.45 Presenting music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Sam Browne, Polly Ward, C. Denier Warren, and Reginald. Purdell. Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus. BBC Augmented Revue Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed.

 BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA – General Forces Programme, 4 June 1944 21.15 and BBC Theatre Chorus, with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. Conductor: Stanford Robinson.

 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – General Forces Programme, 7 June 1944 12.15 Presenting music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Sam Browne, C. Denier Warren, Reginald Purdell. Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus, Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed.

 GRAND HOTEL – General Forces Programme, 2 July 1944 21.15 Albert Sandler and the Palm Court Orchestra, with Anne Ziegler (soprano), and Webster Booth (tenor). Programme produced by Fred Hartley and Douglas Lawrence.

 Violinist Albert Sandler [image error]

John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS (Series) – BBC Home Service Basic, 8 July 1944 13.30  Music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, C. Denier Warren, Cherry Lind and Gene Crowley. James Moody at the piano. Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond.BBC Revue Chorus. Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed.

 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS General Forces Programme, 14 July 1944 21.15 Music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, C. Denier Warren, Cherry Lind and Gene Crowley. James Moody at the piano. Orchestrations supervised by Wally Wallond. BBC Revue Chorus. Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra, Conductor: Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed. Produced By: John Watt, Produced By: Henry Reed.

 29th July 1944 – Sunday – Home Service 9.35- BBC Midland Light Orchestra, with Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler.

WEBSTER BOOTH and ANNE ZIEGLER – BBC Home Service Basic, 30 July 1944 21.35  sing with the BBC Midland Light Orchestra : conductor, Rae Jenkins.  

John Watt Introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – BBC Home Service Basic, 17 August 1944 20.00 Music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, C. Denier Warren, Reginald Purdell, Cherry Lind, and Gene Crowley. Carroll Gibbons at the piano. The Bachelor Girls and the Four Clubmen, James Moody, BBC Revue Chorus, Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra, Conductor: Charles Groves. Producers John Watt and Henry Reed.

John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – BBC Home Service Basic, 19 August 1944 13.30 Music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, C. Denier Warren, Reginald Purdell, Cherry Lind, and Gene Crowley. Carroll Gibbons at the piano. The Bachelor Girls and the Four Clubmen. James Moody, BBC Revue Chorus, Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra, Conductor: Charles Groves. Producers John Watt and Henry Reed.

John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – BBC Home Service Basic, 31 August 1944 20.00 Music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, C. Denier Warren , Reginald Purdell , Paula Green , and Gene Crowley. Carroll Gibbons at the piano. The Bachelor Girls and the Four Clubmen, James Moody, BBC Revue Chorus, Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra, Conductor: Charles Groves. Producers John Watt and Henry Reed.

 Paula Green, singer [image error]

 

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth in THE LAUGHING LADY

BBC Home Service Basic, 4 September 1944 20.00 Romantic musical play by Ingram d’Abbes, with music by Henry Reed,.Lyrics by Max Kester and Henrik Ege. Orchestrations by Cecil Woods. BBC Revue Chorus and augmented BBC Revue Orchestra, Conductor: Charles Groves. Producer Henry Reed. Lady Denise Mountroyal: Anne Ziegler, Sir Felix Mountroyal: Felix Aylmer, André Latour: Webster Booth, Lord Mandeville: Neal Arden, Michael O’Hara: Denis O’Neil, Prince of Wales: Phillip Leaver, Fierre: Heron Carvie, Louise: Vera Lennox, Narrator: Henry Oscar.

John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – BBC Home Service Basic, 7 September 1944 20.00 Another programme in the series presenting music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, C. Denier Warien, Reginald Purdell , Paula Green, and Gene Crowley. The Bachelor Girls and the Four Clubmen, with James Moody at the piano. BBC Revue Chorus ; augmented BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed.

John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS – BBC Home Service Basic, 14 September 1944 20.00 Last programme in the series presenting music from stage and film successes of the present and of the past, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, C. Denier Warren, Reginald Purdell, Paula Green, and Gene Crowley. The Bachelor Girls and the Four Clubmen, James Moody at the piano. BBC Revue Chorus. Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra. Conductor Charles Groves. Produced by John Watt and Henry Reed.

 TUESDAY SERENADE – BBC Home Service Basic, 10 October 1944 21.30 BBC Theatre Orchestra, with Anne Ziegler (soprano), Webster Booth (tenor) Tony Lowry and Clive Richardson (two pianos) Conductor: Stanford Robinson. The Operetta selection is from The Student Prince by Romberg.

News Headlines followed by THE BRITISH BAND OF THE A.E.F. – General Forces Programme, 1 December 1944 13.00 under the direction of R.S.M. George Melachrino , with Anne Ziegler. (Recording of Wednesday’s broadcast in the A.E.F Programme)

STARLIGHT – General Forces Programme, 2 December 1944 12.15  Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, and the BBC Revue Orchestra.

 MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 30 December 1944 20.00, with Ted Andrews and Barbara, Rupert Hazell and Elsie Day, Harry Korris, Robbie Vincent, and Pat Lennox, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell. Announcer, Norman Wooland. Producer, John Sharman.

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BREAK FOR MUSIC – BBC Home Service Basic, 19 January 1945 12.30 ENSA show for war-workers from a factory canteen, introduced by Bryan Michie R.A.F. Skyrockets Dance Orchestra, directed by Cpl. Paul Fenoulhet (by permission of the Air Officer Commanding). Guest artists, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.

BRITISH BAND OF THE A.E.F. – General Forces Programme, 19 January 1945 13.00 Under the direction of R.S.M. George Melachrino, with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, and L.A.C. George Chisholm , R.A.F. Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford, Maudie Edwards , Gillie Potter, Jack Warner, Claude Dampier and Billie Carlyle, Rawicz and Landauer. BBC Revue Chorus and Van Phillips and his Concert Orchestra. Produced by C. F. Meehan.

       Duo pianists, Rawicz and Landauer.

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GRAND HOTEL – General Forces Programme, 21 January 1945 21.15 Albert Sandler and the Palm Court Orchestra, with Anne Ziegler (soprano), and Webster Booth (tenor), in a programme of the kind of music heard in the Palm Court of your favourite hotel in the days before the war followed at 9.58 by News Headlines

 MUSIC OF THE FOOTLIGHTS – General Forces Programme, 27 January 1945 21.15 Programme drawn from the world’s repertoire of theatre music, with Anne Ziegler (soprano), Webster Booth, (tenor), the BBC Theatre Chorus, and the BBC Theatre Orchestra: conductor, Stanford Robinson.

THE BIG SHOW No. 3 – General Forces Programme, 11 February 1945 20.00 Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford, Maudie Edwards, Gillie Potter, Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler, Jack Warner, Claude Dampier and Billie Carlyle, Rawicz and Landauer, BBC Revue Chorus, Van Phillips and his Concert Orchestra, Produced by C. F. Meehan, Piano duo: Rawicz and Landauer, Comedian: Claude Dampier, Comedian: Billie Carlyle, Conductor: Van Phillips, Producer: C. F. Meehan.

SHIPMATES ASHORE – General Forces Programme, 14 April 1945 18.00 Programme for officers and men of the Merchant Navy recorded at the M.N. Club in London, with Doris Hare, Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, and Mark Daly joining in from the new Merchant Navy House, Middlesbrough. Music by Debroy Somers and HM Orchestra. Produced by Alfred Dunning and Victor Smythe. (BBC recording)

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MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 28 July 1945 20.00 with Harry Pringle, Kitty Masters, Peter Cavanagh, Mr. Murgatroyd and Mr. Winterbottom, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Norman Evans. BBC Revue  Orchestra, conducted by Alan Crooks. Announcer, Norman Wooland. Producer, John Sharman.

 Lee Ephraim presents SWEET YESTERDAY – BBC Home Service Basic, 6 August 1945 19.50 A new musical romance by Philip Leaver. Music by Kenneth Leslie -Smith. Lyrics by James Dyren forth and Max Kester. Produced by Jack Hulbert. Webster Booth. Anne Ziegler. Doris Hare, Mark Daly, Reginald Tate, Hugh Miller, Franklin Bennett, Rupert White, Terry Farrell. Orchestra under the direction of Herbert Lodge, From the Adelphi Theatre, London.                                                    

                                                              Anne and Webster in Sweet Yesterday. [image error]

 Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler in SWEET YESTERDAY BBC Home Service Basic, 12 September 1945 20.15 with Doris Hare, Reginald Tate, Hugh Miller, and Mark Daly. Radio version of the new musical romance, played by the company now appearing in the production presented by Lee Ephraim at the Adelphi Theatre, London. Book by Phillip Leaver. Music by Kenneth Leslie -Smith. Lyrics by James Dyrenforth and . Max Kester. Produced for the stage by Jack Hulbert. Radio adaptation and production by Vernon Harris. Full Adelphi Theatre chorus and orchestra, under the direction of Herbert Lodge.

Sir John Manders: Reginald Tate

Captain Hals: Franklin Bennett

Monsieur de Vigny: Hugh Miller

Lieutenant Carrocher: Rupert White

Louise Varennes: Anne Ziegler

Captain Edouard Labouchere: Webster Booth

Sans-Gene: Doris Hare

Cabouchon: Mark Daly

Innkeeper’s wife: Gwen Lewis

 HERE’S WISHING YOU WELL AGAIN Light Programme, 14 September 1945 20.00 A weekly party for Forces in hospitals everywhere, with Margaret Lockwood and Jeanne de Casalis. Two competitions: Stars and Sterling : and Sporting Chance, with John Snagge and a famous sportsman. The Western Brothers, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth; C. H. Middleton; Charles Ernesco and his Sextet; and Rita Williams. Produced bv Jill Allgood and C. F. Meehan.

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 29 September 1945 20.00 with Charles Harrison, Billy (Uke) Scott, Peter Cavanagh, George Doonan, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Dave and Joe O’Gorman.BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell. Announcer, Norman Wooland. Producer, John Sharman.

 

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 27 October 1945 20.00 with Bill Waddington, Kitty Masters, Hatton and Manners, The Two Leslies – Leslie Sarony and Leslie Holmes, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Collinson and Breen. BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell. Announcer, Norman Wooland. Producer, John Sharman.

5 November 1945 18.55 ROYAL COMMAND PERFORMANCE. Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler and others.

[image error]Anne and Webster appeared at the Royal Variety Performance 1945.

 

TUESDAY SERENADE – BBC Home Service Basic, 20 November 1945 21.15

BBC Theatre Orchestra, with Anne Ziegler (soprano), Webster Booth (tenor), Tony Lowry and Clive Richardson (two pianos), BBC Theatre Chorus: conductor, Stanford Robinson. The programme includes a selection from The Student Prince by Romberg.

 

MUSIC-HALL – BBC Home Service Basic, 29 December 1945 20.00 with Foster and Clarke, Herschel Henlere, Issy Bonn, Peter Brough and Archie Andrews, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, Gillie Potter, BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell. Announcer, Norman Wooland. ,Producer, John Sharman. (BBC recording)

Compiled by Jean Collen, May 2017.

 

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BROADCASTS FEATURING WEBSTER BOOTH AND ANNE ZIEGLER (1934 – 1939)

 

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1934. North Regional -Sunday -7.0-7.45 STABAT MATER, by Pergolesi (for Female Voices, string orchestra and Continuo); the Liverpool Ladies’ Choir (by permission of the Liverpool Music Society); the Northern String Orchestra (leader, John Bridge), Conductor, John Tobin; Tilly Connely (Harpsichord)’ Emily Evans (Soprano); Doris Walker (Soprano); Nancy Evans (Contralto); Irené Eastwood (Soprano). Irené changed her name to Anne Ziegler when she moved to London to go on the stage.

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29th January 1935 -Following a reading of Scottish poetry by CRM Brookes, a modern fairy tale, by James Dyrenforth, with music by Kenneth Leslie-Smith, entitled LOVE NEEDS A WALTZ, will be relayed. Among those taking part in this are Bruce Carfax, Ernest Sefton, Gordon Bailey, Sam Browne, Ben Welden, and Anne Ziegler.

Anne was hailed as a ‘Radio Nightingale Discovery’.

19th February 1935 -Scottish National – 8.0 THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER, a Comic Opera, adapted for Broadcasting from Stanislaus Stange’s English Version of the Libretto by Adolf Bernauer and Leopold Jacobson; Music by Oscar Strauss; adapted and produced by Gordon McConnel, with Anne Ziegler, Amy Augarde, Betty Huntley-Wright, Horace Percival, Franklyn Kelsey, Percy Heming, Jan van der Gucht, the Wireless Chorus and the BBC Theatre Orchestra (leader, Montague Brearley), Conductor Stanford Robinson.

RADIO THEATRE February 1935 -Prince Edward Theatre. Anne Ziegler, with Stannelli, Richard Murdoch, Claude Dampier, Billie Carlyle and Elsie Sterndale.

RADIO MUSIC HALL 1935 –Anne Ziegler, with Claude Hulbert, Muriel George and Ernest Butcher and Mario Lorenzo.

15th May 1935 -Scottish National – 10.00 THE MAY REVUE; music by Jack Strachey; produced by C. Denis Freeman, with Nelson Keys, Sylvia Leslie, Patrick Waddington, Hermione Gingold, C Denier Warren, Max Kirby, Anne Ziegler; the Radio Three; the BBC Variety Orchestra, directed by Mark H. Lubbock.

1st June 1935 -Scottish National Saturday 8.30 BITTER SWEET, a Romantic opera by Noel Coward, adapted for the microphone by Henrik Ege, with Evelyn Laye, Serge Abranovic, Betty Huntley-Wright, Patricia Burke, Patrick Waddington, Tessa Deane, Rose Hignell, Anne Ziegler, Phillip Cunningham, Norah Howard, Effie Atherton, Hermione Gingold, Gerald Nodin, Leslie Perrins, John Cheatle, Elaine Inescort, Winifred Davies, Billy Milton, Philip Desborough, Dimitri Vetter, Hector Abbas, Dorothy Tetley, Stanley Vine, Gwen Williams; the BBC Theatre Orchestra; Mantovani and his Orchestra; the BBC Revue Chorus, conducted by Stanford Robinson; Assistant Conductor Arthur Wood. 9.30 Time, Weather, and News Summary; 9.45 BITTER SWEET (Act 2)

20th June 1935 -The radio version of Owen Hall’s THE GEISHA, with Huntley Wright in his original part and Anne Ziegler as O Mimosa San, will be reintroduced by Marie Tempest in the Scottish National programme tonight at 8.0.

8.0 Marie Tempest introduces THE GEISHA, a broadcasting version of Owen Hall’s story of a Tea House; Lyrics by Harry Greenbank; Music by Sidney Jones; Pidgin English by Clifford W. Collinson; adapted and produced by Gordon McConnel with William Stephens, Lawrence Baskcomb, Colleen Clifford, Huntley Wright, Ewart Scott, Arnold Matters, Gladys Young, Anne Ziegler, Ian Glennie, Betty Huntley-Wright; the BBC Chorus, the BBC Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Stanford Robinson.

The Scotsman, 29th June 1935, page 20 -Sunday 6.30 – 7.45 The BBC Theatre orchestra conducted by Stanford Robinson; Anne Ziegler (Soprano)

12th November 1935 -Scottish 3.00 The Torquay Municipal Orchestra, Conductor Ernest W Goss; Anne Ziegler (Soprano)

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1936 – 1940 This was one of the most prolific broadcasting periods for Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. They appeared in separate broadcasts until January 1938 when they began singing together. They were married on 5 November 1938.

Excerpts from Mother Goose – Regional Programme Northern, 1 January 1936 19.00 –presented by TOM ARNOLD (for Julian Wylie Productions, Ltd.) Relayed from The Empire Theatre, Liverpool Book by J. Hickory Wood and Dan Leno , Jnr. Music composed, selected and arranged by James W. Tate and E. W. Eyre

Ballets, Musical Number and Ensembles staged by John Roker, J. W. JACKSON ‘S SIXTEEN ENGLISH DANCERS, TWENTY-FOUR EILEEN ROGAN CHILDREN, Chorus and Ballet, Produced by TOM ARNOLD

George Lacy is one of the finest dames of modern times and a great artist. His change of appearance from his comedy make-up of the early scenes to the beauty that invests Mother Goose after she has bathed in the Magic Pool is as wonderful as the pathos of his acting when beauty leaves her.

George Formby , brilliant son of a brilliant father, needs no introduction to Liverpool audiences. Like his father, he is Lancashire’s own comedian

Anne Ziegler is Liverpool born and bred, and sang in concerts there under her own name of Irene Eastwood. She decided that musically her own name would not get her anywhere; changed it to Anne Ziegler, and won fame on the air. She is slim, blonde, and beautiful. Anne as principal boy in her first pantomime.[image error]

Last, but not least, of a brilliant cast is George Queen, who plays the goose. Priscilla with an amazing fidelity to life.

Sunday – 6.0 Up North for Pantomime: Anne Ziegler, Principal Boy in Tom Arnold’s Pantomime, MOTHER GOOSE at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

29th February 1936 – 10.0 The BBC Theatre Orchestra; Conductor, Stanford Robinson; Anne Ziegler (Soprano)

Anne sang A Song in the Night by Loughborough on Pathé. Unfortunately,  this excerpt is missing its soundtrack, but click on the link to hear the recording: https://clyp.it/dk0yxd2i

Comic Opera-5 – National Programme Daventry, 26 March 1936 20.30. A Programme of Songs and Scenes from LA POUPÉE, English lyrics by ARTHUR STURGESS; Music by EDMOND AUDRAN.THE ROSE OF PERSIA English lyrics by BASIL HOOD; Music by ARTHUR SULLIVAN and THE POLICEMAN’S SERENADE – A Grand Little Opera Words by A. P. HERBERT; Music by ALFRED REYNOLDS

Artists: GEORGE BAKER (Baritone) ANNE ZIEGLER (Soprano) APPLETON MOORE (Baritone) BERNARD ANSELL, IAN GLENNIE, IVAN GOLDING, IRENE BRIGHTMAN, JOHN DUNCAN, THE B B C REVUE CHORUS and THE B B C THEATRE ORCHESTRA, Conducted by STANFORD ROBINSON, The Programme arranged by GORDON MCCONNEL (the Producer) and MARK H. LUBBOCK. This was broadcast in the Regional programme last night.

6th June 1936 – Aberdeen Sunday 9.0 UP NORTH THIS WEEK: Anne Ziegler, accompanied by the Buxton Spa Orchestra: Conductor: Maurice Mies from the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton.

HARRY GORDON OF INVERSNECKY AND HIS COMPANY – Regional Programme Scotland, 13 July 1936 21.30 – from the Beach Pavilion, Aberdeen.

This year Harry attains his majority in the Beach Pavilion, having begun there twenty-one years ago at a salary of £2 a week. Eight years later he became lessee of the Pavilion, since when he has managed and produced a long succession of amusing shows, in addition to undertaking the work of principal comedian. Assisting him tonight are Murray Stewart and his Orchestra Mascotte, Joan Coleridge , Anne Ziegler, Fred Yule, Jack Holden, Jack Key, Four Paramount Tiller Girls, and Alice Stephenson.

6th August 1936 LOTS OF LOVE 10.5, An Improper Story of Four Centuries (very properly cut to an Hour) by HOLT MARVELL.  Music by JACK STRACHEY, ANNE ZIEGLER (Soprano), CAVAN O’CONNOR (Tenor) and THE RADIO THREE, GORDON LITTLE (Baritone), THE B B C VARIETY ORCHESTRA, Conductor, STANFORD ROBINSON, ORCHESTRA: Hungarian Souvenir, GORDON LITTLE: Can This Be Love?

ANNE ZIEGLER AND CAVAN O’CONNOR: Two Songs from Lots of Love 1. Vienna in the Spring; 2. Moon of Romance.

GORDON LITTLE: A Night in November.

ANNE ZIEGLER AND GORDON LITTLE: Ghosts of My Lovers.

ORCHESTRA: Suite, Three Cameos 1. The Little Waltz; 2. Polka, Grand-mamma Goes Gay; 3. Ascot Parade.

ANNE ZIEGLER AND GORDON LITTLE: Holiday Abroad. 

ORCHESTRA – Selection from the Monthly Revues.

Of those who are to sing some of his numbers tonight, Anne Ziegler first broadcast in Love Needs a Waltz, Cavan O’Connor won fame as the Vagabond Lover, and Gordon Little, another well-known broadcaster, played in Stop Press at the Vaudeville last year.

Lots of Love (Repeat) – National Programme Daventry, 13 October 1936 20.00 Radio broadcast. Anne Ziegler and Cavan O’Connor, with Adele Dixon, Greer Carson, Bruce Winston, Eric Portman.

Radio Pie – Regional Programme London, 5 November 1936 19.30. Written, composed, and concocted by THE TWO LESLIES: (LESLIE SARONY and LESLIE HOLMES).

Ingredients: TOMMY HANDLEY, TESSIE O’SHEA (By permission of George Black ), THE SINGING PORTER, MARIO DE PIETRO, ANNE ZIEGLER, HUGO STEFFANI AND HIS TWENTY-ONE SILVER SONGSTERS.

TV BROADCAST 1 December 1936, 9.45 10.00 pm. BBC TV Anne appeared with Gilbert Webster (xylophone).

9th December 1936 Scottish National Regional 9.0 The BBC Theatre Orchestra conducted by Harold Lowe; Anne Ziegler (Soprano); Michael Collins (Violoncello)

Round the Pantomimes—2 – Regional Programme Scotland, 29 December 1936 21.00 Cinderella with WILL FYFFE, JOAN COLE, ANNE ZIEGLER, WINNIE COLLINS etc. from the Empire Theatre, Edinburgh (By permission of George Black ) Continuity by P. I. KEITH MURRAY and R. E. KINGSLEY

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HUNTLEY WRIGHT as Wun-Hi in THE GEISHA – National Programme Daventry, 4 January 1937 19.45

This was one of the first broadcasts in which Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler appeared together. Webster was still married to Paddy Prior, but a divorce was pending.

A broadcasting version of Owen Hall ‘s Story of a Tea House – with some additional pidgin English by Clifford W. Collinson , F.R.G.S; Lyrics by Harry Greenbank, Music by Sidney Jones – Composer of A Greek Slave, An Artist’s Model, A Gaiety Girl. The BBC Revue Chorus and The BBC Theatre Orchestra, Conducted by Harold Lowe, Adaptation and production by Gordon McConnel with technical assistance of Rex Haworth.

The Geisha will be repeated in the Regional programme on Thursday at 8.45

Characters:

Police-Sergeant Takemini (attendant on the Marquis): Franklyn Kelsey

Marquis Imari (Chief of Police and Governor of the Province): Lawrence Baskcomb

Juliette (A French Tea Girl): Colleen Clifford

Wun-Hi (Chinese Proprietor of the Tea House): Huntley Wright

Officers of H M S Turtle: Lieutenant Cunning: Ewart Scott

Lieutenant Reginald Fairfax: Arnold Matters

Lady Constance Wynne (a Wealthy Englishwoman): Gladys Young

O Mimosa San (A Geisha): Anne Ziegler

Lieutenant Katana (of the Imperial Japanese Artillery): Webster Booth

Molly Seamore: Billie Baker

THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER – Regional Programme Scotland, 30 March 1937 20.45 A Comic Opera adapted for broadcasting by Gordon McConnel from Stanislaus Stange’s English version of the libretto by Adolph Bernauer and Leopold Jackson. Music by Oscar Straus, The BBC Revue Chorus and The BBC Theatre Orchestra, Conducted by Mark H. Lubbock. Production by Gordon McConnel and Rex Haworth. (From Regional).

Nadina Popoff, Daughter of Colonel Popoff: Anne Ziegler

Aurelia, Wife of Colonel Popoff: Gladys Parr

Mascha, Her Cousin: Betty Huntley Wright

Bumerli, Lieutenant in the Servian Army: .Horace Percival

Massakroff, Captain in the Bulgarian Army:.Franklyn . Kelsey

Kasimir Popoff, Colonel in the Bulgarian Army: Dick Francis

Alexius Sparidoff, Major in the Bulgarian Army: . Jan Van Der Gucht.

DANCING THROUGH – National Programme Daventry, 14 May 1937 20.00 Geraldo won fame for his non-stop music when he broadcast his first programme of ‘ Non-Stop Dance Music ‘ in 1934. In this fifth edition of Dancing Through he is trying to beat his record of 152 tunes which he played in the last (in December, 1935), and he will probably succeed. The vocalists are all well-known broadcasters.

Monte Rey , who has broadcast so often with Geraldo himself, Lily Morris of Music-Hall fame, Anne Ziegler, associated with radio musical comedy and operetta, and Wilfrid Thomas and Eve Becke , who were both so often with the Air-do-Wells. At the organ is the brilliant organist who succeeded Reginald Foort at the Paramount, Tottenham Court Road, Al Bollington, who gave a broadcast on the BBC Theatre Organ on Christmas Eve.

PADDLE STEAMER – BBC Television, 17 June 1937 15.35 Down River in 1850 with Sebastian Shaw and Anne Ziegler, Dances arranged by Wendy Toye, To Music by John Gardner, Produced by Dallas Bower. In this unusual production a leading rôle will be taken by an actor who, though he has been on the stage since 1914, when he was nine years old, has made a number of exceptionally notable hits in the last year in the film world, one of his latest parts being the leading male role in Farewell Again. His stage appearances include The Constant Nymph, The Sacred Flame, Precious Bane, Double Door, and repertory work at Stratford-on-Avon, and in Liverpool and Hull. Anne Ziegler is, of course, one of the most constant favourites in television programmes. Her numerous visits to Alexandra Palace include an appearance as a solo artist on June 2.

Wendy Toye, the brilliant twenty-year-old actress and dancer, who has arranged the dances in this programme, produced a ballet at the Palladium when she was only ten years of age. She studied dancing almost from infancy, and has appeared with the Camargo Society and toured with Anton Dolin and Alicia Markova.

AMERICA CABARET AND BROADCASTS 1937. While Anne starred in Virginia at the Center Theater, New York, Webster did a few broadcasts with Will Rogers and sang at the Rainbow Room, New York.

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6th January 1938 – Scottish 8.45 THE GEISHA, a broadcasting version of Owen Hall’s story of a Tea House, with some additional pidgin English by Clifford W Collinson: lyrics by Harry Greenbank; music by Sidney Jones; Adapted and produced by Gordon McConnel, assisted by Rex Haworth, with Huntley Wright, Fred Yule, Lawrence Baskcomb, Colleen Clifford, Ewart Scott, Arnold Matters, Gladys Young, Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Billie Baker; The BBC Revue Chorus and the BBC Theatre Orchestra; Conductor, Harold Lowe.

VARIETY – National Programme Daventry, 26 January 1938 19.15. Clarkson Rose: Comedian, Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler : Musical Comedy Duets, A Motoring Episode by Charles Hayes and George Barker, Leonard Henry :Comedian, The BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Charles Shadwell, Compere, Charles Hayes.

MONDAY AT SEVEN – National Programme Daventry, 14 February 1938 19.00, Presented by – Harry S. Pepper and Douglas Moodie. Singing Commere, Judy Shirley, Ernest Butcher and Muriel George, The Odyssey of a Valentine written and told by Valentine Dunn. Inspector Hornleigh Investigates, S. J. Warmington as Inspector Hornleigh)

No. 28, The Javanese Goddess by Hans W. Priwin, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth with the BBC Revue Chorus, The BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Charles Shadwell.

CABARET– BBC Television, 22 February 1938 15.20 -with Anne Ziegler, Jane Carr, Edna Squire Brown, the Cafe Anglais Glamour Girls. Ian Grant as compere. The BBC Television Orchestra, leader Boris Pecker , conductor Hyam Greenbaum. Presentation by D. H. Munro.

7th April 1938 Scottish National 8.0 MILESTONES OF MELODY, Geraldo and his Concert Orchestra (by permission of the Savoy Hotel Ltd), presented by John Burnaby with Anne Ziegler, Monte Rey, Patrick Waddington, Eve Becke, Cyril Grantham, The Top Hattes and the Geraldettes, The BBC Male Revue Chorus, Al Bollington at the Theatre Organ.

DANCE CABARET – Regional Programme Western, 21 April 1938 21.15

from the Royal Bath Hotel Ballroom, Bournemouth

Douglas Byng the stage and cabaret star

Jane Carr stage, screen, and radio favourite

Webster Booth the romantic tenor

Anne Ziegler the lyric soprano

Arthur Askey comedian, and compere, and dance to Billy Bissett and his Canadians with THE CANADIAN CAPERS and ALICE MANN.

MILESTONES OF MELODY – Regional Programme London, 18 April 1938 20.20 Geraldo and his Concert Orchestra (By permission of the Savoy Hotel, Ltd.) with Romance and Rhythm: Anne Ziegler, Eve Becke, Monte Rey, Cyril Grantham, Patrick Waddington, The Top Hatters, The Geraldettes,The BBC Male Revue Chorus.

21st April 1938 At 9.15 there will be a DANCE CABARET with Douglas Byng, Jane Carr, Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, and others.

9.15 Dance Cabaret; Douglas Byng (stage and cabaret artist), Jane Carr (stage, screen and radio artist), Webster Booth (tenor), Anne Ziegler (soprano), Arthur Askey (comedian and compère); Billy Bissett and his Canadians with the Canadian Capers, and Alice Mann from the Royal Bath Hotel Ballroom, Bournemouth

MILESTONES OF MELODY – Regional Programme London, 6 May 1938 20.00 Geraldo and his Concert Orchestra (By permission of the Savoy Hotel, Ltd.) with Romance and Rhythm: Anne Ziegler, Eve Becke, Monte Rey, Cyril Grantham, Patrick Waddington, The Top Hatters, The Geraldettes,The BBC Male Revue Chorus.

THEATRE COMPOSERS National Programme Daventry, 29 May 1938 21.05 LIONEL MONCKTON – The Man and his Music. A programme arranged by M. Willson Disher. Music selected by Mark H. Lubbock. Production by Gordon McConnel. The compere, Bertram Wallis.Dennis Noble, Betty Huntley-Wright, Anne Ziegler, The BBC Theatre Chorus and the BBC Theatre Orchestra (leader, Tate Gilder ), conductor, Stanford Robinson.

MILESTONES OF MELODY (Series) – National Programme Daventry, 1 June 1938 20.00 Geraldo and his Concert Orchestra (by permission of the Savoy Hotel, Ltd.) with Romance and Rhythm. Anne Ziegler, Eve Becke, Monte Rey, Cyril Grantham, Jack Melford, The Top Hatters, The Geraldettes. Section of the BBC Male Chorus, Al Bollington at the BBC Theatre Organ. Presented by John Burnaby.

GEORGE EDWARDES – Regional Programme London, 15 June 1938 18.00 Part 1 – The Guv’nor of the Gaiety. An illustrated biography compiled and written by S. R. Littlewood. Produced by Gordon McConnel in collaboration with Mark H. Lubbock. The cast will include Sir Seymour and Lady Hicks (Ellaline Terriss), Robert Nainby, Willie Warde, Horace Percival, Betty Huntley-Wright, Stuart Robertson, Anne Ziegler, Bertha Willmott, Denis O’Neil. The BBC Theatre Chorus and The BBC Theatre Orchestra. Leader, Tate Gilder. Conductor, Stanford Robinson. The Compere, S. R. Littlewood . Should circumstances prevent Sir Seymour and Lady Hicks from taking part in the actual broadcast, their contributions to the programme will be recorded.

THE BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA – National Programme Daventry, 18 October 1938 13.15 Leader, Tate Gilder, Conducted by Mark H. Lubbock, Anne Ziegler (soprano).

Anne Ziegler on the cover of Radio Pictorial (1938) She is wearing a diamond solitaire engagement ring a month or so before Webster’s divorce was finalised.

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Scottish National – 8.00 MILESTONES OF MELODY, Geraldo and his Concert Orchestra (by permission of the Savoy Hotel Ltd), presented by John Burnaby with Anne Ziegler, Monte Rey, Patrick Waddington, Eve Becke, Cyril Grantham, The Top Hattes and the Geraldettes, The BBC Male Revue Chorus, Al Bollington at the Theatre Organ.

PRINCESS CHARMING – National Programme Daventry, 24 August 1938 19.30

A romance with music adapted from the Hungarian by Arthur Wimperis and Laun Wylie. Lyrics by Arthur Wimperis music by Albert Sirmay and Jack Waller. Adapted for the microphone by Reginald Burston and Martyn C. Webster

The Midland Revue Chorus, The Midland Revue Orchestra, leader Norris Stanley , conductor Reginald Burston. Production by Martyn C. Webster. (From Midland) Naval Officer (attached to the Svlvanian Embassy): Cedric Johnson, Baron Sigman (Sylvanian Ambassador): Lester Mudditt, Marie (stenographer at the Embassy): Dorothy Leake, Albert Chuff (Continental Manager of the Colossal Assurance Co ): Hal Bryant, Captain Torelli (of the Cruiser Fire Eater): Webster Booth, Princess Elaine (of Novia): Anne Ziegler, A young Lieutenant (of the Fire Eater): John Morley, Wandu Navarro: Yvette Darnac, Ivanoff (leader of the rebellion): Godfrey Baseley, The Lord Chamberlain (of Sylvania): Godfrey Baseley, King Christian 11 of Sylvania: Leslie Bowmar, The King’s Aide-de-Camp: John Morley, The Attorney General: Cedric Johnson, The Story Teller: Stuart Vinden.

FOORT-ISSIMO -National Programme Daventry, 17 September 1938 19.30, A Light-Hearted half-hour in which the audience will join with Reginald Foort at the BBC Theatre Organ with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth. Production by Max Kester.

THE BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA – National Programme Daventry, 18 October 1938 13.15 Leader, Tate Gilder, Conducted by Mark H. Lubbock, Anne Ziegler (soprano).

19th October 1938 – 10.30 DANCE CABARET: Douglas Byng (Cabaret Artist); Webster Booth (Tenor); Oliver Wakefield (The Voice of Inexperience); Anne Ziegler (Lyric Soprano); Cliff Cooke (Compere); Dance music played by Billy Thorburn and his Music, with Eddie Guery and The Royal Bath Hotel Singers, from the Royal Bath Hotel Ballroom, Bournemouth.

A month after Webster’s divorce from Paddy Prior was finalised, Webster and Anne were married on 5 November 1938.

[image error]Anne and Webster wedding

ALL DOWN FOR THE FINALE! – Regional Programme Midland, 3 December 1938 21.10 Bill White, call-boy of the Theatre Royal recalls memories of The Belle of New York, Florodora, The Merry Widow,The Lilac Domino.

Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, George Gibbs, Fred Forgham, Denis Folwell, The Midland Revue Chorus, The Midland Revue Orchestra, Leader, Norris Stanley, Conductor, Reginald Burston. Presentation by Martyn C. Webster.

The call-boy’s cry ‘All down for the finale!’, familiar to those who have taken part in big musical-comedy productions, gives the title of this programme. The finales from famous musical comedies will be preceded by a dramatised section, beginning with reminiscences and then going on to unfold the plot of the show up to the finale chosen.

CHARLES ERNESCO AND HIS QUlNTET – National Programme Daventry, 11 December 1938 18.30 with Anne Ziegler  

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9th February 1939 – Scottish National 6.0 SCRAPBOOK FOR 1909, presented by Leslie Baily and Charles Brewer; Compere Patric Curwen, Producer: Charles Brewer. A programme in the Scrapbook series. Arthur Wimperis, ex-Inspector JH Jarvis, Miss Muriel Matters, Captain GP Philips; cast also includes Dorothy Holmes-Gore, Anne Ziegler, Ivan Samson, Horace Percival, Ernest Shannon, Eric Lugg, Bryan Powley, Johnnie Singer, and the recorded voices of Christabel Pankhurst and George Graves; Louis Bleriot (BBC disc); Cmdr Robert E Peary; Rt. Hon. HH Asquipth MP; Prime Minister in 1909 (all commercial discs). the BBC Revue Chorus and the BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Louis Levy.

[image error]Ivor Novello

IVOR NOVELLO LOOKS BACK! – Regional Programme London, 17 February 1939 20.15 A biography of his life in words and music, introducing some of the people who have been associated with him: Ivor Novello, Mary Ellis, Dorothy Dickson in a scene from Henry V. Madame Clara Novello-Davies, Peter Scott, Anne Ziegler, Gordon Little, Frank Bird and supporting cast. The programme will also include a short glimpse of the new Ivor Novello musical play The Dancing Years, now in rehearsal. The recorded voices of Fay Compton, Jack Buchanan, and Jack Hulbert with The Welsh Ladies’ Choir, under the direction of Madame Clara Novello Davies.

A Party of Welsh Miners. The BBC Revue Chorus and the Augmented BEC Variety Orchestra conducted by Charles Shadwell. Orchestrations by Jack Beaver. Interviewer, F. H. Grisewood. The programme devised and written by Howard Thomas. Production by Archie Campbell. This programme will be broadcast again tomorrow (National, 5.0)

DANCE CABARET – National Programme Daventry, 1 March 1939 22.35 from the Grand Hotel, Torquay. Norman Long – A song, a joke, and a piano, Bennett and Young – Comedians, Anne Ziegler – The lyric soprano,

Webster Booth – The romantic tenor, Raymond Bennett – Compere, and dance to Harry Evans and his Band.

18th March 1939 Among those appearing in MUSIC HALL at 8.0 are Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth and Leonard Henry. Scottish National 8.0 MUSIC HALL, presented by John Sharman, with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth in musical comedy selections; Yorky and Scotty, Al and Bob Harvey (Canadian comedians), Leonard Henry (comedian), Ted Ray (Fiddling and Fooling); Pat Hyde (Radios sweetheart); The BBC Variety Orchestra, conducted by Charles Shadwell.

MELODIES FROM THE COMEDIES – Regional Programme Midland, 23 March 1939 21.05, A contrast in styles with Gordon Little, Anne Ziegler, John Bentley, The Rhythmettes, The Midland Revue Orchestra, Leader, Norris Stanley, Conductor, Reginald Burston, Compere, Martyn C. Webster.

THEATRE COMPOSERS – No. 6 National Programme Daventry, 9 April 1939 21.05 Jerome Kern – The Man and his Music. A programme arranged by M. Willson Disher. The music selected and the programme produced by .Mark H. Lubbock

Anne Ziegler, Patricia Burke, Gordon Little, Ronnie Hill. ompere, Charles B. Cochran. The BBC Theatre Chorus and The BBC Theatre Orchestra, Leader, Tate Gilder. Conducted by Mark H. Lubbock.

Here is a programme in narration and music, surveying the work of one of the most versatile jazz composers ever born. It is perhaps surprising to reflect that as long ago as 1905 Jerome Kern was writing song hits, and that he has kept up a steady output ever since. Who does not remember such numbers as She didn’t say Yes, Who? Silver Lining, Dancing Time, and, more recently Smoke gets in your eyes? C. B. Cochran was responsible for putting on two shows that between them contained some of Kern’s finest works, namely The Cat and the Fiddle and Music in the Air.

DANCE CABARET – Regional Programme Western, 6 May 1939 21.00 from the Polygon Hotel, Southampton. Anne Ziegler the lyric soprano, Leonard Henry comedian and compere, Suzette Tarri in comedy cameos, Jack Train in character comedy and dance to Fred Ballerini and his Dance Band.

The first broadcast of cabaret from the Polygon Hotel was made last December. Programmes have been broadcast on several occasions since then, and each time the artists have included Fred Ballerini and his dance band, the combination that is appearing this evening.

Dorothy Dickson in FAREWELL TO JUAN – National Programme Daventry, 23 May 1939 20.00 or Lots of Love – An Improper Story of Four Centuries (very properly cut down to one hour) Written by Eric Maschwitz , to music by Jack Strachey. The Storyteller, Edwin Styles, Gibb McLaughlin as The Barman, Elizabeth Maude as Laura Vanelli, Dorothy Dickson as Iris Flame, Richard Ainley as Don Juan, Ruth Maitland as Minnie, Singers: Heddle Nash, Anne Ziegler, The Cavendish Three, The BBC Theatre Orchestra, (Leader, Tate Gilder ) Conducted by Mark H. Lubbock , Rae Jenkins and his Schrammel Quartet, At the piano, Alan Paul, Orchestrations by Julius Buerger, Wally Wallond , and Jack Beaver. Trio arrangements by Kay Cavendish. Production by Archie Campbell.

RADIO NORMANDIE 18 June, 1939. Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, with George Formby, Tommy Handley, Jack Warner, Vic Oliver, Bebe Daniels, Leonard Henry, Olive Groves, Donald Peers, Phyllis Robins and Reginald Foort.

SATURDAY AT NINE-FORTY-FIVE – National Programme Daventry, 22 July 1939 21.45 Music for Films sung and played by Anne Ziegler, Heddle Nash and The BBC Theatre Orchestra. Leader, Tate Gilder, Conducted by Mark H. Lubbock . With a descriptive commentary by C. A. Lejeune.

30th August 1939 10.20 DANCE CABARET, with Warden and West; Fanny and Biddy (the Two Dames); Anne Ziegler (Lyric Soprano); Webster Booth (Tenor); Suzette Tarry (Comedy Cameos), and Harry Evans and his Dance Band, from the Grand Hotel, Torquay.

Webster joined the staff of the variety section of the BBC in Bristol at the outbreak of war. Not long afterwards, Anne was allowed to join him and they rented a flat in Bristol while they were working there.

5th October 1939 – 6.45 MUSIC FOR FILMS sung and played by Anne Ziegler, Heddle Nash, John Nash, John Stevens, and the BBC Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Reginald Burston; descriptive commentary written by CA Lejeune, spoken by Cathleen Cordell.

Sunday 22 October, 1939. 18.35 THE BBC VARIETY ORCHESTRA. Leader, Frank Cantell. Conductor, Charles Shadwell with Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler, (Solo trumpets, Alf Lewis and Leslie Uzzell ), Charles Woodforde (solo Cello), Arthur Sandford (solo piano).

Tuesday, 24 October 1939, 12.15 MUSIC IN THE MORNING A programme of light music with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, and Dorothy Carless. All arrangements by Alan Paul, Presented by John Burnaby and Alan Paul. This programme is notable for the fact that two of the broadcasters are the wives of radio celebrities. Anne Ziegler is the wife of Webster Booth,  and Dorothy Carless the wife of Eugene Pini , whom she married on the eve of the outbreak of war.

Tuesday, 7 November 1939. 12.00 MUSIC IN THE MORNING. A programme of light music, with Anne Ziegler , Webster Booth, Dorothy Carless , and the strings of the Television Orchestra, All arrangements by Alan Paul,Presentation by John Burnaby and Alan Paul.

21st November 1939 12.30 MUSIC IN THE MORNING, with Anne Ziegler, Webster Booth, Dorothy Carless, and the strings of the Revue Orchestra.

JEAN COLLEN 2005 ©

Updated 2017.

BROADCASTS BY WEBSTER BOOTH (1946 – 1956)

 

Join: The Golden Age of Webster Booth-Anne Ziegler and Friends on Facebook.

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Webster did many broadcasts with Anne during this period and these will appear on a separate file. In 1948 the Booths did a concert tour to New Zealand and Australia, and did several broadcasts in South Africa while their ship travelled to various South African ports, so there are not many broadcasts listed for either of them in that year.

MUSIC IN MINIATURE –  Light Programme, 23 May 1946 20.30

A musical entertainment, given by Webster Booth (tenor), Margaret Good (piano), Marie Wilson (violin), Jean Stewart (viola), William Pleeth (cello), Geoffrey Gilbert (flute), George Elliott (guitar). Music by J. C. Bach, Schumann, Rossini, Chopin, Richard Strauss, and Schubert.

FANTASIA – Light Programme, 7 October 1946 20.45 A musical feature with the BBC Theatre Orchestra and the BBC Theatre Chorus. This week – The Song of the Rivers with Ida Shepley (contralto) and Webster Booth (tenor). Narrator, Preston Lockwood. Conductor, Walter Goehr. Produced by Harold Neden.

MUSIC IN MINIATURE – BBC Home Service Basic, 12 November 1946 16.15 A musical entertainment given by Phyllis Sellick (piano). Webster Booth (tenor). Pauline Juler (clarinet), Max Salpeter and Colin Sauer (violins), Watson Forbes (viola), John Moore (cello), and J. Edward Merrett (double bass). Programme arranged by Basil Douglas.

TUESDAY SERENADE – BBC Home Service Basic, 19 November 1946 21.15 BBC Theatre Orchestra (Leader, Alfred Barker ) Conductor, Walter Goehr, BBC Theatre Chorus, Irene Eisinger (soprano), Webster Booth (tenor).

FANTASIA – Light Programme, 16 December 1946 20.45 A musical feature with the BBC Theatre Orchestra and Theatre Chorus, conducted by Harold Lowe. This week A Hundred Years Ago with Doris Gambell, Webster Booth, Winifred Davey. Jane Grahame, Doris Nichols. and Roy Plomley. Written by Aubrey Danvers-Walker. Produced by Harold Neden.

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TUESDAY SERENADE – BBC Home Service Basic, 11 February 1947 21.15 BBC Theatre Orchestra Conductor, Walter Goehr. BBC Theatre Chorus (Trained by John Clements ) Webster Booth (tenor), Joan and Valerie Trimble – (two pianos) Produced by Eric Fawcett.  

MUSIC IN MINIATURE – Light Programme, 7 August 1947 21.30 A musical entertainment given by Louis Kentner (piano), Webster Booth (tenor), Frederick Thurston and Stephen Waters (clarinets), Paul Draper (bassoon), David Martin (violin), Frederick Riddle (viola), and James Whitehead (cello). Programme arranged by Basil Douglas.

STARLIGHT – BBC Home Service Basic, 27 October 1947 19.15 This week Christopher Stone invites Webster Booth to talk with him and to sing for you.

THE KENTUCKY MINSTRELS – BBC Home Service Basic, 2 December 1947 21.30 A black-faced minstrel show – Jimmy Rich, Fred Yule, John Duncan, and C. Denier Warren and Ike Hatch (Ivory and Ebony). Guest Star, Webster Booth.  Kentucky Banjo Team, Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra and Male Voice Chorus, conducted by Leslie Woodgate. At the organ. Charles Smart. Book written and remembered by C. Denier Warren, Choral arrangements by Doris Arnold. Show devised and produced by Harry S. Pepper

Sir Malcolm Sargent.

THE PLAIN MAN’S GUIDE TO MUSIC-10 – Light Programme, 9 December 1949 21.00 Sir Malcolm Sargent talks about the Oratorio and conducts illustrations from Messiah (Handel), The Creation (Haydn), Elijah (Mendelssohn), Dream of Gerontius (Elgar). Elsie Morison (soprano), Mary Jarred (contralto), Webster Booth (tenor), Norman Walker (bass), Royal Choral Society, BBC Opera Orchestra, Produced by Roger Fiske.

[image error]Malcolm Sargent conducting the orchestra at a Promenade concert (1954)

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HUGH THE DROVER – Third Programme, 13 March 1950 20.40 or Love in the Stocks, A romantic ballad opera in two acts. Words by Harold Child, Music by Vaughan Williams. BBC Opera Chorus, BBC Opera Orchestra Led by John Sharpe. Conductor. Stanford Robinson. Presented by Mark Lubbock.  Narrator, Patrick Troughton. Repetiteur, Leo Wurmser.

The constable: Owen Brannigan, [image error]

Mary, the constable’s daughter: Joyce Gartside, Aunt Jane. the constable’s sister: Mary Jarred, John, the butcher: Frederick Sharp, The turnkey: Powell Lloyd, A showman: Fabian Smith, A sergeant: Denis Dowling, Hugh, the Drover: Webster Booth, A cheap-jack: George Steam Scott, A shell-fish seller: Fisher Morgan, A primrose seller: Ethel Gedge, A ballad seller: David Holman.

 RING UP THE CURTAIN! – BBC Home Service Basic, 1 July 1951 16.00 Joyce Gartside (soprano), Webster Booth (tenor), Denis Dowling (baritone) BBC Opera Chorus – Trained by Alan G. Melville, BBC Opera Orchestra – Leader, John Sharpe. Conductor, Stanford Robinson. British Opera – The programme includes items from: The Siege of Rochelle, The Bohemian Girl, Maritana, The Lily of Killarney, Esmeralda, Ivanhoe, Shamus O’Brien,Koanga, The Immortal Hour, Fete Galante, Hugh the Drover, Sir John in Love. Programme devised by Harold Neden.

O, Vision Entrancing from Esmeralda

MUSIC IN MINIATURE – Light Programme, 28 July 1950 21.30 A musical entertainment given by Webster Booth (tenor), Leon Goossens (oboe),*Julius Isserlis (piano), Alan Loveday (violin), Reginald Morley (violin), Max Gilbert (viola),Harvey Phillips (cello). Ernest Lush (accompanist). Arranged by Basil Douglas.

 *I wonder if Julius Isserlis was the father of the well-known cellist, Steven Isserlis?

THESE RADIO TIMES – Light Programme, 27 October 1951 21.15 A happy history of Everyman’s entertainment. With Henry Hall, Naunton Wayne, Edwin Styles, Howard Marshall, Webster Booth, Claude Dampier, Kenneth Leslie-Smith, Harry S. Pepper and the recorded voices of Davy Burnaby, Stewart MacPherson, John. Snagge, Richard Tauber, Gracie Fields. Nellie Wallace. Everyman, with the wireless set: Anthony Armstrong. Written by Gale Pednick. Producer: Thurstan. Holland

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24 May 1952 Light Programme. Malcolm Sargent conducts the BBC Opera Orchestra with Webster Booth in a concert of Empire music for Empire Day.

SONG OF TWO CITIES – Light Programme, 18 November 1952 21.00 Paris and Vienna – Part 8 This story of a musical rivalry that spanned a century ends with music from two masterpieces Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II, the idol of Vienna, and The Tales of Hoffmann with which Offenbach triumphed in Paris even after his death.

Gwen Catley, Ruth Packer, Anna Pollak, Webster Booth, Trefor Jones, Roderick Jones. BBC Chorus – Chorus-Master, Leslie Woodgate. BBC Concert Orchestra – Leader, John Sharpe. Conductor, Gilbert Vinter with Keith Pyott as the Voice of Paris and Rudolph Offenbach as the Voice of Vienna. Devised by Kenneth Pakeman and written by Maurice Gorham. Produced by Malcolm Baker-Smith and Kenneth Pakeman. (Anna Pollak broadcasts by permission of the Governors of Sadler’s Wells)

Haydn – THE CREATION – Third Programme, 4 December 1952 20.05 Ena Mitchell (soprano), Webster Booth (tenor), Norman Walker (bass), BBC Chorus – Chorus-Master, Leslie Woodgate. BBC Symphony Orchestra – Leader, Paul Beard. Conductor, Sir Malcolm Sargent. Parts 1 and 2

MUSIC OF COLERIDGE-TAYLOR – BBC Home Service Basic, 7 December 1952 16.00  Webster Booth (tenor), BBC Concert Orchestra – (Leader, John Sharpe ) Conductor, Gilbert Vinter. Suite: Othello, Song: Eleanore, Three Dream Dances, Song: Onaway!, awake, beloved (Hiawatha)

The story of GILBERT AND SULLIVAN – Light Programme, 25 December 1952 16.30 An adaptation from the sound-track of the forthcoming Frank Launder-Sidney Gilliat production based on some episodes in the lives of Arthur Sullivan and W. S. Gilbert .Written for the screen by Sidney Gilliat and Leslie Baily (by permission of Bridget D’Oyly Carte ) Webster Booth, Martyn Green, Elsie Morison, Margery Thomas, John Cameron, Gordon Clinton, Owen Brannigan, Harold Williams, Tom Round, Muriel Brunskill, Jennifer Vyvyan, Joan Gillingham. London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Programme produced by Thurstan Holland.

W S Gilbert: Robert Morley, Mrs Gilbert: Isabel Dean, Arthur Sullivan: Maurice Evans, Richard D’Oyly Carte: Peter Finch, Helen D’Oyly Carte: Eileen Herlie, Mr Marston: Wilfred: Hyde White, Grace Marston: Dinah Sheridan.

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THE GOLDEN THRESHOLD –  BBC Home Service Basic, 18 January 1953 16.00 by Liza Lehmann. Elsie Morison (soprano), Audrey Brice (contralto), Webster Booth (tenor), Frederick Harvey (baritone) BBC Chorus – Chorus-Master, Leslie Woodgate, BBC Concert Orchestra – Leader, John Sharpe, Conductor, Gilbert Vinter.  

*DESERT ISLAND DISCS – BBC Home Service Basic, 3 April 1953 18.25 Webster Booth – (in a recorded programme) discusses with Roy Plomley the gramophone records he would choose to have with him if he were condemned to spend the rest of his life on a desert island.

*Unfortunately no recording of this broadcast still exists, but we did manage to obtain a script of the programme from the BBC.

 29 April 1953 THE CREATION Royal Choral Society, Webster Booth (tenor) Conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Malcolm Sargent’s birthday (from Webster’s score.)

Monday, 25 May 1953, 12.00 Robert Morley, Maurice Evans and Eileen Herlie in the story of GILBERT AND SULLIVAN (repeat)

An adaptation from the sound-track of the new Frank Launder -Sidney Gilliat production, based on some episodes in the lives of Arthur Sullivan and W. S. Gilbert , Written for the screen by Sidney Gilliat and Leslie Baily, (by permission of Bridget D’Oyly Carte) with words and music selected from the operas of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan sung by Webster Booth,. Martyn Green, Elsie Morison , Marjorie Thomas, John Cameron, Gordon Clinton, Owen Brannigan, Harold Williams, Tom Round,  Muriel Brunskill, Jennifer Vyvyan. Joan Gillingham, London Symphony Orchestra, Conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Radio adaptation by Gordon Gow, Produced by Denys Jones.

NIGHTS OF GLADNESS – Light Programme, 22 December 1953 20.00 Tribute to composers whose melodies have enriched the world of operetta, musical comedy, and revue.Written by Gale Pedrick. Introduced by The Man with the Opera Cloak and illustrated by scenes and music Chapter 9 – The music of: Nat D. Ayer, Harry Parr Davies, Emmerich Kalman. Singers: Victoria Elliott, Webster Booth, Joan Young, Dudley Rolph, Billie Baker, Dick James. BBC Chorus – Chorus-Master, Leslie Woodgate. BBC Concert orchestra Conducted by Guy Daines. Musical adviser, Harold Neden. Produced by Douglas Moodie.

18 December 1953. 21.15 The Christmas Music from Handel’s Messiah Handel Messiah: part 1 (up to & including Glory to God) plus Hallelujah and  Amen choruses from the Town Hall, HUDDERSFIELD.

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 3 January 1954 18.30 I KNOW WHAT I LIKE, Personalities of the radio and entertainment world
introduce music of their own choice. 15—Fred Streeter with Doris Gambell (soprano)
Webster Booth (tenor),  Ian Wallace (bass), BBC Concert Orchestra, (Leader, John Sharpe),
Conducted by Stanford Robinson. Produced by Harold Neden.

I KNOW WHAT I LIKE – BBC Home Service Basic, 31 January 1954 18.30, Personalities of the radio and entertainment world introduce music of their own choice. 19-James Dyrenforth with Lorely Dyer (soprano), Webster Booth (tenor). BBC Concert Orchestra – Leader, John Sharpe. Conducted by Rae Jenkins. Produced by Harold Neden.

GRAND HOTEL – Light Programme, 11 April 1954 19.30, Tom Jenkins and the Palm Court Orchestra. Webster Booth (tenor).

HENRY WOOD PROMENADE CONCERTS – BBC Home Service Basic, 1 September 1954 19.30 Webster Booth (tenor), Iris Loveridge (piano), Royal Choral Society, BBC Symphony Orchestra  – Leader, Paul Beard, Conductor, Sir Malcolm Sargent. From the Royal Albert Hall, London.

BALLAD CONCERT – BBC Home Service Basic, 21 September 1954 18.45 The old songs we still love sung by Marion Lowe (soprano), Webster Booth (tenor), Raymond Newell (baritone), with David McCallum and the Spa Orchestra. At the organ, Felton Rapley. At the piano, Clifton Helliwell.

The programme includes: Thora, Where my caravan has rested, I hear you calling me, The Company Sergeant Major, A Summer Night. Produced by Harold Neden.

BALLAD CONCERT – BBC Home Service Basic, 21 December 1954 18.35 The old songs we still love, sung by Gwen Catley (soprano), Audrey Brice (contralto), Webster Booth (tenor), Owen Brannigan (bass-baritone), David McCallum and the Spa Orchestra. At the organ. Felton Rapley. At the piano, Josephine Lee.

Gwen Catley, the diminutive coloratura soprano.

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The programme includes Twickenham Ferry,  An Old Garden,The Star of Bethlehem, Until, Japanese Love Song, A Sergeant of the Line, April Morn, Nazareth. Introduced by Lionel Marson. Produced by Harold Neden.

 IN LIGHTER MOOD – BBC Home Service Basic, 27 December 1954 15.15 BBC Concert Orchestra -Leader, John Sharpe, Conductor, Charles Mackerras. Webster Booth (tenor) Programme presented by John Tylee.

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April 1955 John Stainer THE CRUCIFIXION A meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer. Webster Booth, John Heddle Nash.

Sir Malcolm Sargent introduces and conducts a GILBERT AND SULLIVAN CONCERT – BBC Television, 30 May 1955 21.15 with Jacqueline Delman (soprano) Marjorie Thomas (contralto) Webster Booth (tenor), John Cameron (bass) and Chorus. The St. Cecilia Orchestra (Leader, Lionel Bentley ) Presented by Philip Bate.

 HENRY WOOD PROMENADE CONCERTS – Light Programme, 13 August 1955 19.30  Webster Booth (tenor), Peter Katin (piano) BBC Choral Society – Chorus Master. Leslie Woodgate Royal Choral Society, BBC Symphony Orchestra – Leader, Paul Beard, Conductor, Sir Malcolm Sargent. From the Royal Albert Hall , London

Part 1. [image error]

 

GRAND HOTEL – Light Programme, 16 October 1955 21.00 Jean Pougnet and the Palm Court Orchestra. Visiting artist: Webster Booth. 

21 December 1955 7.15 pm Handel’s MESSIAH Part 1  from the Town Hall, HUDDERSFIELD Part 1 at 7.15 : Part 2 at 9.15.

22 December 1955 21.00 The Christmas Music from Handel’s Messiah Conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Jennifer Vyvyan (soprano), Norma Procter (contralto), Webster Booth (tenor), Hervey Alan (bass), Huddersfield Choral Society (Chorus-Master, Herbert Bardgett), BBC Northern Orchestra, (Leader. Reginald Stead), Ernest Cooper (organ), from the Town Hall, Huddersfield.

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN – BBC Home Service Basic, 25 December 1955 21.15 Hugh Burden, Clive Morton and Richard Humdall. The story of a great partnership in six episodes by Leslie Baily  – 4— The First Quarrel. Other parts played by: Eric Phillips, Olwen Brookes, George Skillan, Ysanne Churchman; and Betty Fleetwood. Narrator, Hugh Burden. The songs from the operas sung by: Webster Booth, Gwen Catley, Victoria Elliott, Arnold Matters, George James, Janet Howe, Denis Bowen , Gilbert Wright. Pianist. Alan Richardson, BBC Chorus – Chorus-Master, Leslie Woodgate. BBC Concert Orchestra – Leader, John Sharpe, Conductor, Charles Mackerras. Production by Vernon Harris.

(The BBC acknowledges the assistance of Miss Bridget D’Oyly Carte and of Sir Newman Flower , the biographer of Sir Arthur Sullivan.

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8 January 1956 21.15 Hugh Burden, Clive Morton and Richard Hurndall in GILBERT AND SULLIVAN The story of a great partnership in six episodes by Leslie Baily. 6: Yeomen, Gondoliers and Goodbye. Other parts played by: Betty Hardy, Dudley Rolph , Ella Milne, Eric Phillips , Humphrey Morton, Narrator, Hugh Burden.The songs from the operas sung by: Webster Booth. Doris Gambell, Anna Pollak, Roderick Jones, George James. Sheila Rex, Gilbert Wright. Pianist: Alan Richardson. BBC Chorus (Chorus-Master, Leslie Woodgate ), BBC Concert Orchestra (Leader, John Sharpe ). Conductor. Charles Mackerras. Production by Vernon Harris.

 That was the last solo broadcast Webster Booth did in the UK, but he did several more with Anne Ziegler before they sailed for South Africa on board the Pretoria Castle in mid-July, 1956.

 

Compiled by Jean Collen

May 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

Compiled by Jean Collen

2017.