Jonah Barrington (journalist)

Jonah Barrington was the pseudonym of Cyril Carr Dalmaine (20 August 1904–21 September 1986) the radio critic of the Daily Express, a British newspaper, during the Second World War.

His first used the term "Lord Haw-Haw" to describe a German radio broadcaster:[1]

“He speaks English of the haw-haw, damn-it-get-out-of-my-way variety, and his strong suit is gentlemanly indignation.[2]

He studied at Eastbourne College, and graduated from the Royal College of Music. He was Music master at Uppington School, and chorus master to the BBC. He composed chamber music,[3] and transcribed cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach for piano.[4]

Jonah Barrington was also a record presenter in the pre-1955 days. He was responsible for the "discovery" of the then deceased Italian tenor, Alessandro Valente. At a time when the great Swedish tenor Jussi Björling's recording of "Nessun dorma" was popular, Barrington played a version by Valente which, he said, was the best he had ever heard. It was instantly popular and Valente enjoyed a posthumous vogue.