Gladys Ripley,accompanied by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by George Weldon, sings 'The Spirit Song' (Hark What I Tell to Thee), recorded in No. 1 Studio, Abbey Road, London, on 28 May 1946.
This side - which I transferred from Australian HMV EB 399 - was a filler for Ripley's recording of 'Sea Pictures,' which I recently uploaded.
From Wikipedia: Gladys Ripley (9 July 1908 - 21 December 1955) was an English contralto.
She was born in Forest Gate, Essex, England, the daughter of Alfred and Amy Ripley, and was educated at St. Edmund Roman Catholic School, East Ham, and at Clark's Business College.
In 1925, she gave her first important concert, singing Elijah at the Royal Albert Hall conducted by Albert Coates). Ripley broadcast continually from 1926 in a variety of programmes: opera, oratorio, musical plays, and light music. She sang with all the leading orchestras, under conductors including Adrian Boult, Malcolm Sargent, Thomas Beecham, Charles Thornton Lofthouse, Serge Koussevitzky, Wilhelm Furtwängler, and Victor de Sabata.
Ripley appeared with the Royal Choral Society and other principal societies. She also performed at major festivals: Three Choirs Festival, Three Valleys Festival, Norwich Festival, and Leeds Festival.
Before the Second World War, she sang for six seasons at the Royal Opera House. In 1940, she toured New Zealand as a guest artist for the New Zealand Centennial celebrations.
During the war she sang for the troops frequently, visiting France in 1940, West Africa in 1942, and Belgium and Netherlands in 1945.
In the 1942 film The Great Mr. Handel, Ripley was the singing voice of the character Mrs. Cibber, played by Elizabeth Allan.
In 1949, she toured New Zealand and Australia. In 1950, she toured the Netherlands.
Ripley married three times:
1928 Harry W. Gilbert giving one daughter, Shirley Anne
1945 Squadron Leader John Price (died 1952)
Flight-Lieutenant E. A. Dick
Her recreations were swimming, gardening, knitting, and ballroom dancing. After the war, she lived in London & Pagham, Sussex.
Ripley died in Chichester of breast cancer on 21 December 1955.
Thanks again to Fan of Heddle Nash for assisting by supplying and processing several photos of Ripley.