Alfred Lester
Alfred Lester (25 October 1870 – 6 May 1925), real name Alfred Edwin Leslie, was an English actor and comedian. Born into a theatrical family, he learnt his craft touring in melodramas, as a young man, but made his reputation as a comedian in musical comedy, music hall and, later, revue. Lester's gloomy stage persona was seen to its quintessential comic effect in the long-running musical The Arcadians (1909) in which he delivered optimistic lyrics in a lugubrious manner. Among his other hit shows were The New Aladdin (1906), Havana (1908) and The Bing Boys Are Here (1916). His co-stars included George Grossmith Jr., Phyllis Dare, George Robey and Violet Lorraine. Ill health brought Lester's career to a premature close, and he died of pneumonia at the age of fifty. |
Birth and Death Data: Born October 25, 1874 (Nottingham), Died May 6, 1925 (Madrid)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1902 - 1922
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, speaker
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | 6474 | 12-in. | approximately 1915 | My motter | Alfred Lester | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 6478 | 12-in. | approximately 1915 | The property man | Alfred Lester | Descriptive scene | speaker | |
Columbia | 6717 | 12-in. | approximately 1916 | Longshoreman Bill : Sketch, part 1 | Buena Bent ; Alfred Lester | Comic scene | speaker | |
Columbia | 6718 | 12-in. | approximately 1916 | Longshoreman Bill : Sketch, part 2 | Buena Bent ; Alfred Lester | Comic scene | speaker | |
Columbia | 6803 | 12-in. | approximately 1916 | Another little drink wouldn't do us any harm | Alhambra Theatre Orchestra ; Alfred Lester ; Violet Loraine ; George Robey | Vocal trio with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 65358 | 10-in. | approximately 1916 | The Bing Boys are here : Dear old Shepherds Bush | Alfred Lester | vocalist | ||
Columbia | 65359 | 10-in. | approximately 1916 | The Bing Boys are here : Lady of a thousand charms | Alfred Lester ; Violet Loraine | vocalist | ||
Columbia | 74119 | 12-in. | approximately 6/9/102 | Is it fair? | Gaiety Theatre Orchestra ; Alfred Lester ; Arthur Wood | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 74120 | 12-in. | approximately 6/9/1920 | Popular popular sweetstuff shop | Gaiety Theatre Orchestra ; Alfred Lester ; Arthur Wood | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 75003 | 12-in. | 12/2/1921 | Fun of the fayre-germs | Alfred Lester | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 75005 | 12-in. | approximately January 1922 | Ours is a nice 'ouse, ours is | Alfred Lester | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 75989 | 12-in. | approximately August 1917 | Conscientious objector | Alfred Lester | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 75990 | 12-in. | approximately August 1917 | Hurrah for the rolling sea | Alfred Lester | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 75996 | 12-in. | approximately August 1917 | The D.S.O. and V.A.D. | Alfred Lester | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 76262 | 12-in. | approximately October 1918 | In Shanghai | Dorothy Brunton ; Drury Lane Theatre Orchestra ; Maurice Jacobi ; Alfred Lester | Vocal duet, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 76263 | 12-in. | approximately October 1918 | I've a hankering | Drury Lane Theatre Orchestra ; Maurice Jacobi ; Alfred Lester | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 76726 | 12-in. | approximately 12/1/1919 | Crimes | Garrick Theatre Orchestra ; J. B. Hastings ; Alfred Lester | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 76727 | 12-in. | approximately 12/1/1919 | Lily of the valley | Garrick Theatre Orchestra ; J. B. Hastings ; Alfred Lester | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
Columbia | 76730 | 12-in. | approximately 12/1/1919 | Tubby Haig | Garrick Theatre Orchestra ; Teddie Gerard ; J. B. Hastings ; Alfred Lester ; Farren Soutar | Vocal trio with orchestra | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lester, Alfred," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/354094.
Lester, Alfred. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/354094.
"Lester, Alfred." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Lester, Alfred - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no98023783
Wikidata: Alfred Lester - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q17151078
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/46374620
MusicBrainz: Alfred Lester - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/f1d69504-5a61-4d31-b8b5-3077905cced7
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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