SINGERS

[Scottish singers of the nineteenth century.] Printed Circular regarding proposed ‘Monument to the Scottish vocalists Templeton, Wilson, & Kennedy’, by David Pryde, James Crichton and John Walker, officers of the Edinburgh Burns’ Club.

Author: 
Edinburgh Burns’ Club: David Pryde, President; James Crichton, Hon. Sec.; John Walker, Acting Sec. [the Scottish singers David Kennedy (1825-86), John Templeton (1802-86), John Wilson (1800-49)]
Publication details: 
1887, Edinburgh Burns' Club.
£80.00

The plaque referred is ‘attached to the rock face fronting Regent Road immediately to the east of the steps leading from the end of Waterloo Place to Calton Hill’, and was unveiled in 1894. The entry with Canmore ID 302221 gives some detail, but has no mention of the present appeal. 1p, 4to. On recto of first leaf of bifolium of laid paper. Discoloured and worn, but with text intact and clear. The authors are named as: ‘DAVID PRYDE, M.A., LL.D., / President of the Edinburgh Burns’ Club. / JAMES CRICHTON, Hon. Secy. / JOHN WALKER, Acting.

Letterbook of Arthur Poyser, Master of the Lord Mayor's Players and Singers, founder of the Lord Mayor's Own 1st City of London B.P. Scouts, containing letters from a number of notable individuas, drawings, programmes, cuttings and other ephemera.

Author: 
Arthur Poyser, International Commissioner for Music, Master of the Lord Mayor's Players and Singers [the Boy Players], and founder in 1908 of the Lord Mayor's Own 1st City of London B.P. Scouts
Publication details: 
Dating from between 1904 and 1938.
£450.00

Poyser was the author of the first 'Official Song-book of the Scout Movement', 'The Scout Song Book' (1912). He published a history of the Tower of London in 1908, 'when I was Master of the Music of the Collegiate Church of Allhallows Barking-by-the-Tower, City of London'. For more information, see The Times, 3 August 1964 ('Roll of Honour for Scouts'). 125 items, including letters, programmes, drawings, postcards, invitations, newspaper and magazine cuttings, relating to the Boy Players and 1st City of London Scout Troop.

[ The 'Alpine Singers', Switzerland, 1840. ] Autograph 'Signatures of the Alpine Singers': Henri Augustin, 'Ferdinand Augustin aus Tirol', Wilhelm Schmidt.

Author: 
The 'Alpine Singers', Switzerland, 1840: Henri Hellwig, 'Ferdinand Augustin aus Tirol'q, Wilhelm Schmidt
Publication details: 
Torquay [ Devon, England ], 17 January 1840.
£50.00

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. The whole page is filled in an attractive way, with the three signatures in different styles of handwriting: 'Henry Hellwig.' (in Gothic style, surrounded by flourishes), 'Ferdinand Augustin aus Tirol.' (in a modern cursive hand), 'Wilhelm Schmidt, <?>' (in a German style, the last four words not deciphered). At the foot of the page: 'Signatures of the Alpine Singers | Torquay Jany 17th 1840.'

[ Cuthbert Kelly and the New English Singers. ] Autograph Signatures of the six members of the ensemble, including Dorothy Silk, Nellie Carson Mary Morris and Kelly himself.

Author: 
Cuthbert Kelly, Director, The New English Singers; Dorothy Silk (1883-1942); Nellie Carson; Mary Morris
Publication details: 
Place not stated. 2 March 1934.
£120.00

On one side of an 11.5 x 17.5 cm page removed from an album, dated 2 March 1934 and headed 'THE NEW ENGLISH SINGERS'. In good condition, lightly aged. To the right of the page are the signatures of 'Dorothy Silk' and 'Nellie Carson' (sopranos), and 'Martin ' and 'Mary Morris'; to the left are those of 'Vernon and 'Cuthbert Kelly' (bass). According to Chapter One of 'The Travel Diaries of Peter Pears, 1936-1978' (1999), titled 'American Tour with the New English Singers (1936)', the ensemble was 'a vocal sextet specializing in Elizabethan madrigals and English folksongs.

The Royal Carl Rosa Opera Co. Aberdeen - April, 1934: 16 signatures of members on detached album page.

Author: 
The Royal Carl Rosa Opera Co.
Publication details: 
Aberdeen - April 1934
£120.00

Detached album leaf, 17.5 x 11.5, good condition, headed "The Royal Carl Rosa Opera Co. | Aberdeen- April, 1934. Names : Eric Warr ("Conductor"); Kingsley Lark; Mabel Baker; Redvers LLewellyn; Betty Thompson; Ivor John; Ronald Stear; Helen Ogilvie; Leyland White ("Figaro"); Howell Glynne; Godfrey Stirling ("Almaviva"); John Wright; Gladys Parker; Charles Draper; Pauline Maunder.

Signatures of c. 30 performers at the Royal National Eisteddfod. 1939 Denbigh

Author: 
[The Royal National Eisteddfod. 1939 Denbigh]
Publication details: 
[Denbigh, 1939].
£180.00

Two leaves extracted from an album, each 20 x 16cm, with approximately 30 signatures (a few with additional words like "Sincerely") of performers at the Denbigh Eisteddfod. More readable signatures include the soprano Isobel Baillie, Oswald Rees Owen, Haydn Morris, Morris T. Williams (the nationalist printer presumably), Nesta Harris, Joseph Carl, Gomer Jones, Josephine Jones, T. Hopkins Evans, John Parr (bassoonist), Ivor Hughes, John Fullard (tenor, perfoming with the Tredegar Orpheus Choir as Baillie above), Reginald Goss-Custard (organist and composer), Francis Russell, Ivor Hughes.

Typed Letter Signed ('Hector Charlesworth') from the Canadian writer Hector Willoughby Charlesworth to the English diplomat Ernest Francis Gye, concerning Mme Albani, the latter's mother,

Author: 
Hector Charlesworth [Hector Willoughby Charlesworth] (1872-1945), Canadian writer [Dame Emma Albani (1847-1930), Canadian soprano; Ernest Frederick Gye (1879-1955), diplomat]
Publication details: 
On his Toronto letterhead; 1 June 1945.
£90.00

1 p, 4to. 20 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and creased paper. In response to a letter from Gye states that he did not hear Albani sing 'until her last two Canadian tours when she was approaching 50', when he 'thought her best in her singing of Mozart, which revealed her rare vocal finesse'. Charlesworth was told by the 'late Edwin R. Parkhurst, a Toronto music critic, 30 years my senior who had heard her frequently in his younger days in London', that 'these appearances gave no adequate idea of how glorious her voice had been in the seventies'.

Manuscript Letter, written for publication in a 'valuable periodical', signed by 'Uno dell'Antica Scuola', containing 'observations' for 'students of the Vocal Art'. ['The art of Vocalization', with especial reference to Italian opera.]

Author: 
'Uno dell'Antica Scuola' [Italian Opera; vocalisation]
Observations' for 'students of the Vocal Art'
Publication details: 
Undated. [England, 1880s?
£95.00
Observations' for 'students of the Vocal Art'

4to, 4 pp. Bifolium. 87 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with wear to extremities and a spike hole to one corner. Written in ink in a Victorian hand, and with three changes in pencil. Docketed at head 'The art of Vocalization'. Towards beginning writes that the subject is one which he has 'studied many years in close connexion with the most eminent Masters of Italy, most of whom I may rank among my personal friends, and the pith of whose conversations, added to my own experience I propose embodying in a few short essays upon the Formation of the Voice'.

Two Autograph Notes Signed ('Louise M Earle' and 'Lue Hamilton Earle') to Arthur Poyser.

Author: 
'Louise Dale' [stage name of Louise Mary Delany (d. 1954), singer, who married Ronald Hamilton Earle (1874-1919), bass singer; and then Sir Henry Mulleneux Grayson (1865-1951), shipping magnate]
"Louise Dale", singer, Letters
Publication details: 
The first: 26 December [1923], on letterhead of 3 Herbert Crescent, Hans Place.The second: 8 Jan [1924?]; 3 Herbert Crescent, Hyde Park, on cancelled letterhead of 91 Gloucester Terrace.
£35.00
"Louise Dale", singer, Letters

Both letters are tipped in on a captioned sheet removed from an autograph album. Both items lightly-aged, but good. Item One: 12mo, 1 p. Inviting him to 'a small dance for Hubie' at a location 'lent by Miss Constable'. 'You need not dance!' Item two: 12mo, 1 p. Asking him to 'come fairly early' the next day, and to 'stay on after the children have gone & have supper - of a sort'. Refers to 'H's party'.

The autographs of the four members of the Gresham Singers.

Author: 
The Gresham Singers; Hatherley Clarke; Charles Flinn; Greeves Johnson; Leonard Salisbury; Arnold Stoker [English musicians' autographs]
Publication details: 
17 August 1923; Eastbourne.
£150.00

On a leaf (roughly 11 x 17 cm) removed from an autograph album. Good, on lightly spotted paper. Reads 'All good wishes from The Gresham Singers | 17 Aug. 1923 | Eastbourne | Hatherley Clarke | Charles Flinn | Greeves Johnson | Leonard Salisbury'. Signature of 'Arnold Stoker | 7/3/1919' on reverse. Stoker was winner of the Guildhall Gold Medal in 1919.

Autograph Signature ('Frank Barrington Foote').

Author: 
Francis Barrington Foote [Frank Barrington Foote] (born c.1850; fl. 1911), English singer
Publication details: 
Undated.
£30.00

On piece of laid paper (roughly 13 x 11 cm). Aged and chipped. Reads 'Yours truly | Frank Barrington Foote'. Chipping to the outer edge, very close to the last couple of letters of the signature. Foote, who frequently sang with Adelina Patti at Covent Garden, ended his days destitute in New York City.

Autograph Signature on fragment of letter.

Author: 
Charlotte Helen Sainton-Dolby
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£25.00

English contralto singer (1821-85). Signature on piece of paper of irregular shape (practically oval): roughly nine centimeters by four centimeters at the widest points. In poor condition: on paper discoloured by age and glue from previous mounting, and with hole and closed tear slightly affecting signature. Reads 'Your's very truly | Charlotte H Dolby', so presumably predating the singer's marriage in 1860.

Autograph Letter Signed to Egerton Grey.

Author: 
Teresa del Riego
Publication details: 
12 January 1937; on letterhead '18, HOLLYCROFT AVENUE, N.W.3. | TEL: HAMPSTEAD 0055.'
£75.00

British composer (1876-1968) of light classical music and singer. 16mo. 2 pages. In good condition, with one neat vertical crease and one dog-eared corner. She thanks him for the 'charming lyrics'. 'I don't think I had better embark on any more at present, as I find it increasingly difficult to get things published, & my Store of MSS. is very large!' The two letters of his that she has are signed 'Grey' and she will be interested to see his 'real signature'. She wonders whether he has a spare copy of 'A recall'.

Autograph Letter Signed to 'Mr. Maitland'.

Author: 
Erminia Rudersforff
Publication details: 
Monday morning'; on letterhead '15, Marlborough Road, | St. John's Wood, | N.W.'
£75.00

Anglo-German soprano vocalist, mother of Richard Mansfield. 2 pages, 16mo. Grubby and creased, but in good condition overall. Written in purple ink in a small tight hand. She wonders whether the Maitlands have 'set me down by this time as the most illmannered and ungratefull of all beings', or if they know what she has been doing since they sent her 'the information about Liverpool'. After the evening they spent together she 'had the children home, your kind information came and I discussed the matter with Harry'.

Syndicate content