Music and Theatre

On one side of a piece of pink paper, roughly 18 x 7.5 cm, cut from an autograph album. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. At the head James has written ' "The Sun-God" W. G. James', with the opening two bars beneath this, beneath which he has written the words 'I saw the master of the Sun -' In the bottom right-hand corner: 'Yrs Sincerely | William G. James'. James's music for Aubrey de Vere's poem was first published in 1921.

On two slips, both 15.5 cm wide, and totalling 59 cm long. Fair, on aged paper, with minor rust marks from a paperclip. The second slip headed with pagination '48', and running title 'Festschrift in Honour of Benjamin Britten'. He is grateful 'for the eerie fog, for the rain, as for the sixth sense, rich imagination and irrepressible humour of this people, as I am for all that has been absorbed of outlandish and exotic rendered proper, of wisdom and experience rendered intuitive - as I am particularly for their having absorbed and adopted me.' With one of Menuhin's compliments slips.

Printed for display, on one side of a piece of paper 24.5 x 49.5 cm. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper, with one closed tear and bottom right-hand corner lacking, causing slight loss to the last letter of Mathews' name at foot of document. Heading in bold type in a variety of point sizes. Giving a 'brief statement of my fourteen years' struggle and of my latest difficulty'.

Irregular (12 x 23.5 cm), 32 pp. In fair condition, aged and lightly worn. In original wraps, with cover design, in a variety of types and point sizes, imitating an early nineteenth-century handbill, stating that 'all Profits for the Benefit of the Deserving Actors' Orphanage. | Free list entirely suspended | Fees payable in advance are 2s. per copy'.

Not bound, 27pp., folio, first and last leaf, and another, loose, others conjoined, somewhat stained, main body presumably lacking leaves but covering the period 18 September 1933 to 24 May 1934, typed title and headings for columnised pages, c.39 entries per page (many names repeated, visitors and members signing in): Date | Visitor's Name | Address | Members Name. A club which catered to the theatre and arts, but usually at the level of people whose fame has not survived them But there are a few interesting names.

12mo, 1 p. Six lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. She will 'keep January free' for him, and they can 'arrange the details of programme later'. She agrees that 'a wholly-Brahms programme might be rather heavy'. See Florence's obituary, The Times, 7 November 1928.

4to, [iii] + 76 pp. In original orange titled wraps. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, in worn and frayed wraps. A three-act adaptation of Collodi's children's classic, with cast of characters, 'Synopsis of Scenes', and 'Musical Contents' listing the plays twenty-six songs.

Surprisingly little is known about this British cinematographic pioneer, and these items are rare survivals, there being no reference to Walford on COPAC. Handbill: 8vo (27 x 21 cm). Printed on both sides. Clear and complete. Aged and creased, with damage at edges. In portrait 8vo on one side, with picture of British Army lancer and border of Union Flags. Headed 'Great Additions with Augmented Change of Artistes since last visit. | The Schoolroom, Watton. | Monday, February 10th.' 'Walford's Royal Military and Naval Warograph & Vocophone Co.

ADVERTISEMENT: 4to, 4 pp. Bifolium. Printed in blue and red, in a variety of fonts and point sizes. Photograph of Sylvester on front page, which has a red border featuring illustrations of entertainments. Royal warrant at head: 'Under the distinguished patronage of his most gracious majesty the late King Edward the Seventh and Queen Alexandra, Sandringham, 1901 and 1902.' The centre pages begin 'W. G. S.

Three pages, 12mo, in bifolium, black-edged, with original envelope, also black-edged,1.5 inch tear to fold, mainly very good. He explains that his father's illness and death (and consequent complicated affairs) delayed his response to Arkwright's letter. He thanks him for his advice as to my Preface & Introduction to Moore's Melodies [underlined; he edited a new standard edition of Moore’s Irish Melodies, 'The Spirit of a Nation' (1911)].

Colour photograph in grey card wallet frame. Dimensions of photograph 13 x 18 cm. Dimensions of frame 18 x 23 cm. In good condition. A head and shoulders shot of a smiling old Ashcroft in overcoat outdoors in the countryside. Captioned by Balcon on frame at foot of photograph 'Peggy Ashcroft at Vine Cottage (called by her "The Tiny Palace")'. Part of Balcon's own collection.

Black and white matt bromide print photograph in card frame with covering flap. Dimensions of photograph 20 x 25 cm. Dimensions of frame 25.5 x 32 cm. A head and shoulders shot of Balcon, staring across the photograph from the right, left hand at right shoulder, with the bust of Day-Lewis facing her from the left. Inscription in pencil on frame beneath photograph: 'London. Mark Gerson. AIBP/ARPS'. Photograph and inscription in excellent condition; frame aged and worn.

12mo, 3 pp. 30 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and creased paper. He sends a 'list of pieces' which he considers 'suitable for a Short Company'. The first piece named is 'The Silver Lining (the St James's Comedy)', in which he says there are 'only 4 Men & 3 women exclusive of Helen Maltravers'.

12mo, 3 pp. On bifolium, with the printed playbill for the 'Benefit of Mr. Chas. Calvert' at the Theatre-Royal, Newcastle, on the recto of the first page (including a performance of Much Ado About Nothing, with Calvert as Benedick and Miss Fanny Alexander as Beatrice. The letter is 42 lines long. She feels that, 'with but one rehearsal', the 'Merchante's Storye will scarcely go', and suggests performing 'Nine Points, The Household Fairy, and Head of the Family' instead, considering it 'a good bill' and 'lighter works for all the company'.

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Stabbed as issued. On good wove paper. The 'New English Drama' is stated to be 'intended to comprise the most popular Theatrical Pieces of every description, in Monthly Parts of superior accuracy and unrivalled embellishment'. The first play, 'embellished with an elegantly engraved portrait of Mr. Kean', is Massinger's 'New Way to pay Old Debts'. The second leaf of the bifolium carries details of a further four works.

Leaf detached from album, some staining, complete and clear. On one side a photographic portrait of jan Kubelik which he has signed and which has been annotated with the above place and date. Overleaf appear the signatures of Phyllis Neilson-Terry, actress and the Russian tenor, Stefan Bielina, dated by him 9/12 1921.

Page detached from album, stained but writing clear and complete. The plain signature of Jean Vallier, French Bass, is followed by the title Ave Maria followed by two or so bars from the song, with words (A-ve Ma-ri-a gra-ti-a ple-na), itself followed by Best wishes from | Percy B. Kahn Stoke Jan 21st 1921. Note: His most noted composition was the song Ave Maria with accompaniment by piano, and violin obbligato.

Page detached from album, some wear and tear but no losses, which contained numerous autographs provided at performances in Stoke mainly in the 1920s. One side of the leaf has the signatures of Agnes Nicholls Harty, Hamilton Harty, an illegible, and Frank Mullings, while overleaf are the signatures of John Booth, Margaret Balfour and Andrew Clayton.

Printed Programme, 4pp., 8vo, blue, not bound, staining on fold marks, mainly good condition. Elena Danieli has signed top left of front cover. It gives the Programme of music with performers and a list of President and Vice-Presidents of the Choir..

Page detached from an album, 17 x 14cm, slightly foxed, mainly good condition, inscribed Every good wish | Paul Robeson | [Mar?] 1930 | Lawrence Brown. Note from wikipedia: Robeson and his accompanist and arranger Lawrence Brown were the first to bring spirituals to the concert stage; their association lasted through four decades.

Page detached from album, 17 x 14cm, good condition, headed Kedroff Quartet, with signatures, as far as I can make out, T. Kasakoff, Const Kedroff, J.. Denisoff, N. Kedroff, dated 19.1.1926.

Page of album, 17 x 14, good condition, signed as follows: Souvenir from | Luisa Tetrazzini | Stoke on Trent 9th Dec. 1921 [underlined]. On the same page, the signature Ivor Newton [pianist] who accompanied her.

Deatached page from album, 17 x 14cm , good condition, yours sincerely | Florence Austral [underlined], with image of head and shoulders cut from magazine and laid down.

Detached album leaf, c.17 x 14cm, good condition, on one side signed Fritz Kreisler | 2/XI 1922, the other Nellie Melba | 1923. A small image of Kreisler, extracted from a magazine, is below the signature.

For more information about Stephen Manton Bradbury, or Stephen Manton as he was known professionally, see his obituary in The Times, 8 September 1970. The collection is in good condition, on aged paper. The correspondence from various figures in various BBC music departments, both London and regional, and in a variety of formats from 4to down to 12mo, breaks down to the following number of items per year: 1944, 8; 1945, 5; 1946, 30; 1947, 34; 1948, 32; 1949, 22; 1950, 11; 1951, 15; 1952, 1.

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. 12 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He would 'much like' to show him a song he has written for 'Exeter Hall', and proposes dinner the following day. In a postscript asks if he has 'learnt anything about R. J. S. Stevens'.

12mo, 1 p. 10 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The recipient 'had better be in Town for the Choral Meeting on the 4th. June'. Gives details of when the recipient will 'generally find' Hullah there.

Oval sepia photograph of the head and shoulders of Hullah, looking to his right in double-breasted jacket. Faded and on aged card, with traces of mount adhering to reverse. The sitter - who by comparison with other photographs is definitely Hullah - is named as 'JOHN HULLAH' in a contemporary hand on the card beneath the laid-down photograph, and as 'Mr Hullah' in pencil on the reverse. Not present in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, which only holds three images of the composer.

Four pages, 4to, bifolium, stains and small closed tears on fold marks, mainly good condition, comprising: Facsimile of Heber's words for the Hymn commencing "From Greenland's Icy Mountains" and concluding ([p.2]) "Redeemer, King, Creator, in bliss returns to reign" (Note at foot of p.[2] "The obliterations in the second and Fourth Verses are caused by the Printer's file"; p.[3] For the story of the writing of the hymn (see http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/r/fromgrim.htm); p.[4] Typed Letter Signed "Ellis Lever", "coal contractor", Brooklawn, Southport, April 8th, 1899, explaining to the ad

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'.