WEBSTER BOOTH TIMELINE (1940 - 1949)

Messiah - 22 March 1940 in Queen's Hall, London

Good Friday Messiah. Royal Choral Society with Elsie Suddaby, Muriel Brunskill, Webster Booth, Robert Easton. Conducted by Dr Malcolm Sargent.

Gala Variety Performance

5 May 1940 in The London Palladium

Because of the war this show replaced the traditional Royal Command Performance.The concert was in aid of the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund.

Messiah

22 December 1940 in Hallé Concert Society, Manchester

Webster Booth was tenor soloist at this concert, conducted by Malcolm Sargent. Later that night a big bombing raid destroyed the Free Trade Hall.

Dream of Gerontius (Elgar)

10 May 1941 in Queen's Hall, London

Webster Booth, Muriel Brunskill and Ronald Stear were soloists in an afternoon performance with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Choral Society, conducted by Malcolm Sargent. That night a single incendiary bomb gutted the Queen's Hall.

Paddy Prior, second wife of Webster Booth (tenor) 1902-1984 entertaining troops during World War 2. — in London, United Kingdom.

Paddy Prior, Webster Booth's second wife who divorced him in 1938, entertains troops as a member of ENSA during the war.

Death of Sarah Booth, Webster's mother

November 1942 in Birmingham, United Kingdom

Webster and Anne had sung at Golders Green Hippodrome in "Clap Your Hands and Smile" with Charlie Kunz and others from 1 November 1943. Webster's mother died (aged 80) during that week.

Good Friday Messiah

23 April 1943 in Royal Albert Hall

Webster Booth sang in another Good Friday Messiah at the Albert Hall with soloists Isobel Baillie, Mary Jarred and Henry Cummings, conducted by Malcolm Sargent. In 1940 he and Anne Ziegler began touring in Variety as duettists and it is clear that he did not do as much serious singing because of this.

Edwin Booth remarries.

1947 in Birmingham, United Kingdom

In 1947 Edwin Booth married Irene Constance Louise Coles, who was born in Bristol in 1902, a few months younger than Webster. After Edwin Booth's death, Irene continued to attend Webster and Anne's concerts in Birmingham. The census form shows the Coles family in 1911 when Irene was 9 years old.

Funeral of Tommy Handley

January 1949 in Golders Green Crematorium

Members of Savage Club formed choir which included Webster Booth, Parry Jones, Walter Midgley, Dennis Noble, Frederic Gregory, George James & Edward Dykes. They sang "The Long Day Closes" by Arthur Sullivan.

Funeral of Tommy Handley at Golders Green Crematorium January 1949. Webster Booth was singing in choir with other Savage Club singers. — with Trefor Jones at Golders Green Crematorium.

Death of Edwin Booth 16 October 1949 in Birmingham Town Hall Webster's father had celebrated his 83rd birthday the day before. He was attending a concert featuring Webster & Anne Ziegler and was taken ill during the concert. Webster was not informed about his father's death until after the concert. His father referred to the concert at which he died as his "birthday concert".