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Ernest Pike

Ernest George Pike (1871 – 4 March 1936) was an English tenor of the early 20th century who made numerous recordings in the first decades of the 20th century. After studying at the Guildhall School of Music in London, he worked as a bank clerk and sang as a church tenor before making his first recording "Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes" for the Gramophone & Typewriter Company in 1904. He became the house tenor for HMV and made several hundred records in a career that spanned over twenty years.

Pike has been called "England's most recorded tenor", and his "silver voice" became a favourite in thousands of homes – remaining so until well into the 1920s. For a time his popularity was as great as that of the singer Peter Dawson. His repertoire was varied and included grand opera, light opera, oratorio, and ballads and popular songs of the Edwardian era, the First World War and the 1920s. He toured the British Isles giving concerts and was a favourite of royalty. He recorded under a number of pseudonyms – most commonly Herbert Payne.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1871, Died March 4, 1936

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1905 - 1923

Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor vocal

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-54 of 54 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone ak18271e 10-in. 9/25/1914 The girl I left behind me Cecilian Quartet Male vocal quartet (2 baritones and 2 tenors) vocalist, tenor vocal  
Gramophone ak18273e 10-in. 9/25/1914 Hearts of oak Cecilian Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Gramophone ak18717e 10-in. 12/19/1914 They sang 'God save the King' Murray Johnson [i.e., Stanley Kirkby] Male vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Gramophone ak18721e 10-in. 12/19/1914 When we've wound up the watch on the Rhine Murray Johnson Male vocal solo, with vocal soloists, vocal chorus, and orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
(Results 51-54 of 54 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Pike, Ernest," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100361.

Pike, Ernest. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100361.

"Pike, Ernest." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100361

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