Peerless Quartet

One of the most commercially successful American vocal groups of the early 20th Century. Active from the 1890s until 1928, they initially formed to record for the Columbia label where they were credited as the Columbia Quartet and Columbia Male Quartet. From ca. 1907, when they began to record for record labels other than Columbia, they were more widely known as the Peerless Quartet. They went though multiple lineup changes and peaked in popularity from 1910-1918. Starting in 1904, the group's personnel became more stable. It consisted then of tenors Albert Campbell and Henry Burr, baritone Steve Porter, and bass and leader Frank C. Stanley. In 1909, Arthur Collins replaced Steve Porter, who continued to make solo recordings. Stanley's death in 1910 necessitated yet another change: John H. Meyer took over Stanley's bass position while Henry Burr became the quartet's new leader. When baritone Collins left in 1918, he was succeeded by bass Frank Croxton. From Columbia matrix 510. "Lead, kindly light": Tim Brooks' introduction to volume one of the Brooks/Rust set notes that the Columbia and Climax Quartettes were the same ensemble. In this case, the Peerless and Maple Leaf Quartettes, as well as the Trinity Glee Singers, may be the same ensemble under a different name. However, it is not known what ensemble is responsible for the recordings that are unattributed here. Brooks/Rust notes that masters 448 through 459 "were by male quartettes with similar membership; Frank C. Stanley or Henry Burr take the lead on many of them." (https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000136197/510-Lead_kindly_light)