Uploaded July 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Here's The Cobblers Song sung by Robert Easton Bass from a 78 rpm shellac record released in 1932.
Robert Easton (8 June 1898 in Sunderland, England – 26 May 1987) was a British bass of the mid-twentieth century.
He sang in his local church choir in Sunderland. He joined the BEF in 1915, and was severely wounded while on service in Flanders. He had a long convalescence, and had a leg amputated. After that he wore an artificial leg. He claimed to have drifted into singing, eventually studying in London with Bozelli, Norman Notly, Harry Plunket Greene and Dinh Gilly.
Easton was a versatile singer, equally successful in opera, oratorio, recitals and as a concert artist. He was a true basso profondo, with a highly individual, instantly recognisable, dark timbre and rapid flickering vibrato. His range was from F# above middle C, down to a low Bb below bottom C.
He was one of Columbia’s exceptional trio of ‘profondos’ in the inter-war years, along with Norman Allin and Malcolm McEachern. He recorded for Vocalion between 1923 and 1925 and then for Broadcast and Regal Zonophone. For these labels he had to use pseudonyms, so he also appears as Robert Merlyn, Robert Raymond and Graham Stewart.
After 1940 Easton confined himself to broadcasts, concerts and oratorios and during the 2nd World War made concert tours with ENSA and CEMA, appearing in France, Belgium and Germany, as well as in Britain. A 1969 broadcast showed him to have lost no vocal quality over the years and he continued to make occasional concert appearances as late as 1985, mainly for the Council of Music in Hospitals. He was a frequent festival adjudicator, on one occasion according a prize to Janet Baker.
He freely gave of his time for all kinds of charity recitals and when Owen Brannigan was severely injured in a car crash took over many of his engagements, in spite of being in his seventies. He spent his later years at his home in Haslemere, Surrey with his wife of 60 years, and his daughter Margaret.
Here's The Cobblers Song sung by Robert Easton Bass from a 78 rpm shellac record released in 1932.
Robert Easton (8 June 1898 in Sunderland, England – 26 May 1987) was a British bass of the mid-twentieth century.
He sang in his local church choir in Sunderland. He joined the BEF in 1915, and was severely wounded while on service in Flanders. He had a long convalescence, and had a leg amputated. After that he wore an artificial leg. He claimed to have drifted into singing, eventually studying in London with Bozelli, Norman Notly, Harry Plunket Greene and Dinh Gilly.
Easton was a versatile singer, equally successful in opera, oratorio, recitals and as a concert artist. He was a true basso profondo, with a highly individual, instantly recognisable, dark timbre and rapid flickering vibrato. His range was from F# above middle C, down to a low Bb below bottom C.
He was one of Columbia’s exceptional trio of ‘profondos’ in the inter-war years, along with Norman Allin and Malcolm McEachern. He recorded for Vocalion between 1923 and 1925 and then for Broadcast and Regal Zonophone. For these labels he had to use pseudonyms, so he also appears as Robert Merlyn, Robert Raymond and Graham Stewart.
After 1940 Easton confined himself to broadcasts, concerts and oratorios and during the 2nd World War made concert tours with ENSA and CEMA, appearing in France, Belgium and Germany, as well as in Britain. A 1969 broadcast showed him to have lost no vocal quality over the years and he continued to make occasional concert appearances as late as 1985, mainly for the Council of Music in Hospitals. He was a frequent festival adjudicator, on one occasion according a prize to Janet Baker.
He freely gave of his time for all kinds of charity recitals and when Owen Brannigan was severely injured in a car crash took over many of his engagements, in spite of being in his seventies. He spent his later years at his home in Haslemere, Surrey with his wife of 60 years, and his daughter Margaret.
