The Carlyle Cousins were a British female close harmony vocal trio, popular in the 1930s. They formed in 1931, after singer and

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

student Cecile Petrie ( Thornton; born in

Nairn Nairn (; gd, Inbhir Narann) is a town and royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nairn enters the Moray Firth. It is the tradit ...

, Scotland, 1910–1983) saw the Brox Sisters perform in a film and decided to adopt a similar style in England. She formed a duo with fellow student Pauline Lister, and they began performing harmony duets on stage. To make up a trio, they added pianist and singer Lilian Taylor, so establishing the Carlyle Cousins. After some time, Pauline Lister left, to be married in India, and was replaced by Helen Thornton, Cecile Petrie's sister. John Scott-Taggart, "How They Began", ''Wireless and Television Review'', 1935, p.124
/ref> Denis Gifford, ''The Golden Age of Radio'', B.T. Batsford Ltd, London, 1985, , p.45 The trio began performing with bandleader

Ambrose Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...

, and made their first broadcast in 1932, performing "syncopated songs". Search, Carlyle Cousins, ''Radio Times'', BBC Genome
Retrieved 15 March 2021 They were an immediate success, making more broadcasts for the BBC in 1932 than any other act, and retained their popularity through the 1930s. Their radio programmes included ''Songs from the Shows'', and they also toured as part of George Black's variety shows. They recorded for the

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

label. Cecile Petrie also recorded as a singer with the Carroll Gibbons Orchestra. Nathan Davis, "Carroll Gibbons & his Boyfriends – A Discography", ''78rpm Community''
Retrieved 15 March 2021

References

External links

* British musical trios {{UK-band-stub