[78-L] New World Ballads

[David Lennick]

Steven C. Barr wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "DAVID BURNHAM" <burnhamd at rogers.com>
>> I've just come across some discs in an apparent series called "New World 
>> Ballads". Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 are by the "Westhill High School Singers", 
>> parts 5 and 6 are by the Alumnae Choir of Toronto conducted by Leslie 
>> Bell. The record numbers are Victor 130845, 130846 and 130849. I'm curious 
>> to know when and where these were recorded. In the "Almost complete 78 
>> dating guide", the Victor 130000 series aren't given a date and are 
>> indicated to be Canadian Victor pressings of British recordings. That must 
>> only refer to earlier numbers in the series because these certainly aren't 
>> British. It appears that there may be two sets here and that the first 2 
>> records of the Alumnae Choir of Toronto set are missing, (records 
>> 130847-8?). Is anyone familiar with these records?
>>
> VERY curious...since Canadian recording issued prior to the "##-####" era 
> SHOULD have
> been 216### if commercially issued (as were all the 130### discs, being 12" 
> records using
> British masters...?!). 

These are in fact twelve-inch discs..so they should have been 268507/9, next 
black label 12-inch Canadian numbers. Somebody must have forgotten the last 
number used during the long period when hardly any Canadian 12-inchers were 
being cut except for the Skaters Band.

> OTOH...if these were in fact PRIVATE recordings, they SHOULD
> have had either "PR-*" numbers, or borne their matrix numbers in lieu of 
> catalog numbers...?!

Noop, I saw these in the Victor catalogue for years..never came across the 
discs till the early 90s. I wonder if Westhill (West Hill?) High School would 
have the faintest idea that these artifacts even exist from nearly 70 years 
ago? It's in a part of Scarborough where I'd just as soon not get out of the 
car, not being dressed for the occasion (no hoodie, no knife).

dl