Songs and monologues of Stanley Holloway

The English comic singer, monologist and actor, Stanley Holloway (1890–1982), had a 54-year recording career, beginning in the age of acoustic recording, and ending in the era of the stereophonic LP. He mainly recorded songs from musicals and revues, and he recited many monologues on various subjects.^[1] Most prominent among his recordings (aside from his participation in recordings of My Fair Lady) are those of three series of monologues that he made at intervals throughout his career. They featured Private Sam Small, young Albert Ramsbottom and his family, and historical events such as the Battle of Hastings, Magna Carta and the Battle of Trafalgar.^[1] In all, his discography runs to 130 recordings, spanning the period 1924 to 1978.^[2] A review in The Gramophone of one of his 1957 albums containing recordings of his old "concert party" songs commented, "what a fine voice he has and how well he can use it – diction, phrasing, range and the interpretative insight of the artist".^[3]