Alex Penney (soprano) ; Ethel Noton (contralto); Harry Swindell (tenor) ;
Walter Payne (baritone)
GLADYS WHITFIELD (accompanist)
Alex Penney , the founder of this Quartet, is a Derby soprano who has done a great deal of concert work and has broadcast many times, both as a soloist and as leading lady in several revues.
Walter Payne , also a Derby singer, was one of the British Singers Quartet formed by Madame Marchesi. He first broadcast ten years ago, and once sang from a floating platform in Venice. Both Miss Noton and Mr. Swindell are Derby singers, who have broadcast before.
And now a word about the composer to whom the ' Penneys ' are devoting the whole of their programme. Herbert Oliver was born in 1883. He had his first theory lessons from his father, a keen amateur musician, and afterwards studied with the Australian, W. G. James. In 1912 he made a hit with the popular song-cycle, ' Songs of Old London ', following it up with various other solo cycles and quartet cycles in the same vein : ' The Cries of London ' and ' Come to the Show ' among the rest. His light opera The Vauxhall Belles, based on Harrison Ainsworth 's ' The Miser's Daughter ', was broadcast in 1927.