MAT104

Gramophone Company Matrix Series.

Suffixes g, h, i(j) (early use B, x, y).

Recorded by William Sinkler Darby, 1901-1909.

Alan Kelly

Compiled with the assistance of the EMI Music Archive.

Contents:General Introduction.Introduction (MAT104).Matrix Series “Suffix-g” – seven-inch records (early use B).Matrix Series “Suffix h” – ten-inch records (early use x).Matrix Series “Suffix i(j)” – twelve-inch records (early use y).Matrix Series “Suffix g/h/i.doc – recording locations and Artist Index.

Availability: In WORD2000 format on one CD.

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Working File CDs currently available.

Matrix MAT101 Early Matrix Series, 1898-1904.MAT102 Fred Gaisberg’s a, b and c series, 1901-1919.MAT103 Will Gaisberg’s d, e and f series, 1903-1921.MAT104 William Sinkler Darby’s g, h and i series, 1901-1909.MAT105 Franz Hampe's k, l and m series, 1902 to 1916+.MAT106 Walcutt, Scheuplein, Dillnut & Smoot’s n, o and p series, 1902-1916.MAT107 Max Hampe’s q, r and s series, 1904-1916.MAT108 Charles Scheuplein's t, u and v series, 1902-1920 / Harry Fleming, 1920-1921.MAT109 Arthur Clarke's x, y and z series, 1908-1915.MAT115 The London HO “Head Office” Series, 1912-1921, 10” & 12”.MAT201 BA/CA Series - R R Sooy (1921) and F W Rennie (1929)

& Bb/Cc Series, London, 1921 to 1930 (various experts).MAT204 BJ/CJ Series, various locations, particularly in Spain, H E Davidson, 1925-1930.

& BK/CK Series, various locations, Europe, North Africa, India, G W Dillnutt, 1921-1930.MAT205 BL/CL Series, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Far East, D E Larter, 1924-1930.

& BM/CM Series, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, Vienna (Athens), W J Beckwith, 1921-1930.MAT206 BN/CN Series, Lisbon, Oslo, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Beuron, Cologne, Barcelona, S E Tunn, 1928-1930.

& BP/CP Series, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, J Jackson, 1923-1926.MAT207 The London BR/CR matrix series (non-studio recordings), 1925-1930.

Catalogue CAT2 The Russian Catalogue (Gramophone/Zonophone/Rebikov).CAT3 The French Catalogue (new edition, revised and updated).CAT4 The German Catalogue (new edition, revised and updated).CAT5 The Italian Catalogue (new edition, revised and updated).CAT6 The Spanish Catalogue (including Portuguese)CAT9 The Dutch Catalogue (electronic version).

Fred Gaisberg and William Sinkler-DarbySt Petersberg March 1900.

Matrix Series suffixed g/h/i(j).

Recorded by William Sinkler Darby.

Introduction.

The files contained on this disc cover the bulk of the wax cut recordings by Darby from 1901 untilSeptember, 1909 and bear his indicating letters as suffixes. In other words, they form the content of hisregular series for the Gramophone Company. His other work was listed in the “suf-A(D)” series of zinc-etched material (contained on MAT101) but after he ceased to use the letters g/h/i in 1909 furtherrecordings by him can be found in the London “HO” series (on MAT115) and in Will Gaisberg’s d/e/ftriplet (on MAT103). A few earlier wax cut records in Fred Gaisberg’s “suffix-a” series bear Darby’sititials and are almost certainly part of a familiarisation process made necessary by the introduction ofthe new method of making records.

Why Darby ceased to use the his regular indicating letters in 1909 is not known, but it is most likely thatit was because from then he was attached to the London Office and no longer sent on exhausting tours toexotic places. Darby, like the Gaisbergs, was a protégé of Emil Berliner. He arrived in London in 1899after finishing a recording session in St Petersburg, Russia, organised by the Berliner brothers and beforetaking part in the 1899 “six cities” tour which established the Gramophone throughout Europe. In themaking of his regular series of wax cut recordings he travelled extensively all over Europe and beyond,producing a total of over 10,000 records, over 1000 of which came from a visit to the Far East in 1905.Details of his travels and of his output are listed elsewhere on this disc and attention is drawn to MichaelKinnear’s book, listed at the end of the Artist Index for a proper treatment of the visit to India.

In 1990 Darby’s daughter, Miss Kathleen Darby presented a collection of mementoes of her father toEMI. Among the photographs, private records and other material there is a menu card from Pagani’sRestaurant in London, “LUNCH given to WILLIAM SINKLER DARBY on the termination of hisconnection with the Company, by his Colleagues, with whom he was associated for over twenty years.”This is signed by, among others, Fred Gaisberg, Landon Ronald, Peter Dawson and George Baker, and isdated 16th October, 1920.

It seems that after leaving, Darby started his own private recording studio, making records for membersof the general public and being “very good with children”, according to his advertisements. Thecollection contains “Darbycord” records dated from 1921 and 1922 but the project does not appear tohave lasted for very long, since in 1924 he sailed on the Majestic to New York where he joinedBrunswick Records.

William Sinkler Darby was born in Orangeburg County, North Carolina, on 8 th October, 1878 and died in1948.