Sir Winston Churchill played his most famous recording over and over again during the darkest hours of the Second World War.

The song was Keep Right On To The End Of The Road, the singer Sir Harry Lauder.

Sir Harry was one of the first "gramophone stars", along with other immortals of early recording, such as Caruso and Dame Clara Butt.

Harry wrote all the songs he sang and was in many ways the Elton John of his day.

Elton's finest songs will always be around and Harry's finest compositions have never left us.

I Love A Lassie, Roamin' In The Gloamin' and The End Of The Road are his best known tunes but Harry was first and foremost a music-hall star and many of his songs such as Stop Yer Tickling Jock and Wee Doch And Doris are highly amusing ditties.

Perhaps his success could be traced back to his younger days when he spent ten years at the coal face.

So many great voices have developed in the dark and dangerous world underground.

-Michael Parker, Brighton