Melba's farewell to Covent Garden on 8 June 1926 was recorded by HMV, as well as broadcast. The programme included Act 2 of "Roméo et Juliette" (not recorded because the tenor Charles Hackett was not under contract to HMV), followed by the opening of Act 4 of "Otello" (Desdemona's "Willow Song" and "Ave Maria") and Acts 3 and 4 of "La bohème" (with Aurora Rettore, Browning Mummery, John Brownlee and others). The conductor was Vincenzo Bellezza. At the conclusion Lord Stanley of Alderley made a formal address and Melba gave an emotional farewell speech. In a pioneering venture, eleven sides (78rpm) were recorded via a landline to Gloucester House (London), though in the event only three of these were published. The full series (including both speeches) was included in a 1976 HMV reissue.