Holcombe Brook Recorded Music Society

6:40am Thursday 15th May 2008

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IN his recital Gracie Fields, given to Holcombe Brook and District Recorded Music Society last Thursday, guest Brian Jones portrayed the life and work of the pupular Lancashire singer.

Gracie was born on January 9, 1898 in a bitterly cold bedroom above a chip shop in Molesworth Street, Rochdale, to 19-year-old Jenny Stansfield and her husband Fred.

Her mother was the driving force behind her early development.

Blessed with a good contralto voice, but no hope of a singing career, Jenny scrubbed the Hippodrome stage and look in theatrical washing while Gracie watched the shows from the wings.

Jenny also gave open air concerts with the neighbours perched on outside lavatories (eight for 25 houses!) which Gracie cleaned for a halfpenny each.

The child's talent was soon apparent, from Maypole solos to winning a singing competition at the age of seven, and she toured with the music hall singer Rose Bush, who gave Gracie her one-and-only singing lesson.

The evergreen Sally, Sing As We Go and Wish Me Luck, were played.

With Grace at the age of 14, full of energy and sacked from her half-time job as a cotton-winder for singing to the other mill girls, Jenny decided it was time for her daughter's solo career to be launched and her name was changed to Gracie Fields.

Two favourite sentimental ballads When I Grow Too Old To Dream and Bluebird Of Happiness were heard.

Progress was steady until comedian Archie Pitt bought Gracie out for £12 and, under his direction, her career took flight.

The review Tower Of London, ran for nine years taking Gracie to the West End and, in 1928, she made her first record and variety show.

Recordings of two of her more reflective songs Count Your Blessings and Bless This House, followed, displaying her clarity of tone and immaculate diction.

Fourteen films were made but the lack of audience rapport made Gracie detest film-making. Four of the films were directed by the Italian, Monty Banks, whom she later married, her first disastrous marriage to Archie Pitt having been dissolved.

The next song interlude comprises The Isle Of Capri and Pedro The Fisherman, the latter illustrating her talent for whistling.

In 1938, Gracie was made CBE and given the Freedom of Rochdale but then cancer of the cervix nearly ended her life.

Her convalescence on the Isle of Capri (a place that enchanted her) was interrupted by the outbreak of war and she joined ENSA.

The troops loved the comic songs. Examples played were: I Took My Harp To A Party, Will You Love Me When I'm Mutton and The Biggest Aspidistra.

Monty, as an Italian, could not accompany her. Gracie appealed to Winston Churchill who told her to earn dollars in America, which she did - £170,000 for the Navy League.

Always hugely generous to many charitable causes, she took no fees for herself during the war.

Sniping by the press and accusations of treachery, hurt her deeply and she left for Rangoon and Singapore, again to entertain the troops.

If I Can Help Sombody and Little Old Lady were two more favourite songs that were heard.

Returning to Italy with Monty in 1950, he suffered a massive heart attack and died in her arms.

Widowed and griefstricken at the age of 52, she returned to the Palladium to be given renewed strength by the audience's standing ovation.

Later, on Capri, Gracie was to meet Boris Alperovici, who repaired her electrical equipment and they married in 1952.

She had a strong Christian faith and helped churches of all denominations.

Ave Maria and The Holy City were sung with great sincerity.

Despite worrying about the quality of her voice, Gracie appeared on Stars On Sunday from 1970 but 1978 marked her last return to England to open the Gracie Fields Theatre in Rochdale.

In the 1979 New Year's Honours whe was made DBE.

She recovered from a bout of pneumonia in July but on September 27 woke to a lovely day and looked forward to a walk.

Instead, like Monty, she too died of a heart attack and was buried in Capri.

Now Is The Hour was an appropriate ending for a recital devoted to, arguably, the best loved entertainer of the last century.

Chairman Roger Howarth thanked Brian for the thirdof his excellent appraisals of a trio of northern singers - Isobel Baillie, Kathleen Ferrier and Gracie Fields.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, May 22 when guest Joe Sowden will present his programme Gustav Holst.

For further information ring 01706 823490.