Bear with me - there is a Bing connection here..! 

April 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of the first issue of Gramophone magazine - the UK’s premier journal dedicated to reviews of classical recordings. I have been subscribing to Gramophone for more years that I have been an ICC member! The centenary issue contains a series of articles dedicated to each of the decades since the magazine’s founding. That for the 1940s naturally concentrates largely on the war years and contains extracts from a number of letters to Gramophone from classical music loving servicemen who were being held prisoner in POW camps in Germany. For example, in October 1941, Driver MC Moore, writing from Stalag XXB POW camp, told how gramophones and records were supplied to working camps of 100 men or more, 30 records being the average. More often than not, the discs were of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart. However, writes Driver Moore, woe betide, ‘…the POW who wanted to listen to Bach. I personally have been told in no uncertain terms, just where to go when attempting it. The war cry was, “Give us Bing!”’ 

I sympathise with Driver Moore, but can’t help smiling at the thought of a sublime Bach fugue being shouted down in favour of Bing singing San Antonio Rose!

Last edited by jeremyrose (27/3/2023 6:14 pm)