Thursday, February 17, 2011

Another Little Mystery

Another curious recording has found its was from the Sherlock Holmes Collections to the U Media Archive. It is short, just under three minutes, and with an unidentified male voice reading Vincent Starrett's poem "221B". There are three different readings in this short recording, the first ending with the bark of a dog (which might make you jump if you're not expecting it; or smile if you are). The voice does not appear to be that of E. W. McDiarmid (who is heard on the other side of this tape). Perhaps it was another Norwegian Explorer, or Starrett himself?? We don't know. Any ideas? Does the voice sound familiar to anyone of an older generation?

The only other idea I have is that it may, indeed, be McDiarmid but that there was some fault with his recording equipment. I haven't played with the pitch in the recording. But there's something about the reading that says to me that this isn't the case, that it is someone else reading the poem. But who?

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