Great! Thanks JJ re "sprechstimme". It had been driving me crazy. Now I can sleep, at last! ,-)

And Rex Harrison's 'sprechstimme' is of course the famous example, yes. But - a lesser-known fact, perhaps! - he does a not-too-bad-at-all rendition of a few songs in an old wartime movie called 'Night Train to Munich' (1940). It's worthwhile getting hold of just to hear him sing just those few ditties!! He really can hold a tune fairly well; certainly more 'tunefully' than he did in 'My Fair Lady'. Apparently, though, he felt he didn't have the voice/ confidence to do more than 'sprechstimme' in 'MFL'. Shame...

BTW, it's only the first few lines in 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' that are sung 'sprechstimme', from the first line "After one whole quart of brandy" to "Put me on the blink" It kind of works as a segue from the script to the lyrics, an introduction to the song, while the singer is gathering their thoughts. Then the song loses the speech-sing & launches into into the true melody at "I'm wild again!"At least, that's the way I was taught it by a jazz singing tutor. Maybe that was just his style!

Thanks again

M.W.