Music and Theatre

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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'.

Green printed paper wraps, 40pp. used, 8vo, contents detached and loose, but complete. First page headed Programme followed by (1) Puss in Boots, with brief narrative with dialogue of nine slides, 2.5 pp.

4to, 1 p. Fourteen lines, in pencil. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. In envelope addressed by Holloway to Inglis. He apologises for his 'rudeness' in not answering earlier: 'I plead rush of work'. He would be delighted to sit for her, but 'the trouble is that I may have to leave town on Monday to produce a play in the country and then on to S[tratford]-on-A[von] for the 7 weeks Festival'. Suggests a later meeting.

4to, 1 p. 15 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. In green ink. He is pleased that her 'footsteps are treading in high places', and hopes that this 'leads to as much golden reward as it seems to suggest'. He will see her friend 'Mr. Kennerley', but he cannot be 'encouraging' as he is not at present 'casting any picture', and will not be doing so for 'a month or so'. His 'activities now never seem to bring [him] to Hampstead', he hopes she will see him when she visits his 'neighbourhood'.

Three pages, 12mo, good condition. She expresses delight at receiving a bouquet from "Her Royal Highness" and wishes her thanks for the latter's "kindness and consideration for me" to be conveyed to the Queen, an her appreciation expressed.

Small 4to, 4 pp. Bifolium. Text clear and complete. Fair, on browned high-acidity paper. Neat strip of stub from mounting in album still adhering to inner margin of verso of second leaf. Headed 'Words.' All but first chorus in double-column. A mixture of the original 'House that Jack built' with 'Jack and Jill'. Begins with 'Chorus. - "This is the house that Jack built."', the first lines of which are 'Our labours are done, our recompense won, | And anger has been on no back spilt, | So now with one voice we'll laugh and rejoice | As this is the house that Jack built.' Characters are: Mr.

12mo, 1 p. Eight lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Asking if Webster requires a seat at a celebratory dinner for George Washington, 'Tickets not to exceed one Guinea'.

16pp., 8vo, blue printed wraps, some staining, cobver and contents slightly askew, mainly good condition. Someone has added "First" before the word "Judgment" on wraps as well as the title-page. The writer gives a history of Drury Lane to explain the fact that Daunay was a "new renter" (subscriber) asserting privileges, Chatterton being the Theatre Manager.

Piece of paper, c. 13 x 8cm, splodge of a black seal, botton left, other marks but text clear and complete: '"Lucia di Lammermoor" | Regnava nel silenzio . . . | Maria Piccolomini'. The recipient has written on the verso: "from herself | recd 26 May 1859 | [signature not deciphered].

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Fair, on aged paper. He begins 'Print the farce', and gives two conditions, ending 'There that's definite'. He will have the farce published after it is performed in London, 'at a good theatre of course'. 'But get on with it and lets have the proofs.' He will 'most likely' play it himself 'at Manchester and somewhere else, when I will put all this stage business &c in'. Ends 'Toole wants to do it. | Yours Tooley - I mean Truly'. In one of two postscripts he hopes Lacy has 'a good supply of Billy Taylor. Hopewood & Crew publish it.'

4to, 4 pp. Bifolium. Printed in brown on watermarked laid paper. Fair, on aged paper. An exercise in Wardour Street English, foreshadowing in some respects the Leadenhall Press with its mish-mash of fonts and point sizes, and its antiquated decorative rules. The fair will be opened by 'Maister Christophere Sykes, Member of Parlymente for ye East Ryding of ye Countie of Yorkshire'. Names of the great and good expected to attend. Vignettes of a tudor fair, three medieval women, two jousting knights, a posy, chairmen, two men in eighteenth-century garb, a dinner table.

12mo, 8 pp. Fair, on aged laid paper. On four leaves removed from a pocket book, with two leaves numbered in manuscript '41' and '42'. Apparently a first-person draft of information for an appeal by the oldest surviving member (from the inception of the group) for a stipend. Begins 'Depuis le commencement de l'an 1760 que j'ai ete recu a la Musique du Roi, j'ai été en exercice jusqu'en 1792, avec 222. sujets qui s'y sous dont 40 vivant encore au 18 Janvier 1815. [...]'.

4to, 1 p. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper. He has been 'asked by the firm in Braunschweig' to give his opinion on two questions relating to 'Concave Sharps'. He puts the questions to Richter, adding that the Sharps are 'a special patent of Grotrian Steinweg', adding that Richter will 'see from the enclosed leaflet [not present] the reception they found in the musical circles in Berlin'. He asks Richter for his own opinion.

Filmscript, 190pp., 4to, soft-covered ("Chas. K. Feldman Productions), sl. worn and chipped, contents good. Copyright stetment on title: Charles K. Feldman | Famous Artists Productions | 9441 Wilshire Boulevard | Beverly Hills, California.

4to, 4 pp. 43 typed lines, and two-line manuscript postscript. Signed in pencil 'Sincerely | Dollie & Troy.', with the name of the troupe typed over this. Text clear and complete on discoloured and creased paper. Chatty and humorous letter. 'By the time you read this letter we will have either left a terrible stench in the Theatre or else the Manager will be satisfied. [...] JANUARY 11, FLASH!!!!

Both items on 'Bebe' letterheads, and both with signature 'Bebe' incorporating a drawing of a stick figure with hat. Letter One: 12mo, 1 p. Twelve lines. Good, on lightly-aged paper. With addressed envelope. She is sorry they missed one another 'at the station, especially after all the trouble you went through to get there'. Gives news of show: 'Boy, it will be good to get back to town again. | I have enjoyed the tour but as you know travelling nowadays isn't what it used to be, by a long shot.' Letter Two: 8vo, 1 p. 21 lines.

12mo, 2 pp. 19 lines of text. Clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. Begins 'Just a line to tell you we miss you like mad & hope you are well & happy. Praises a 'dinner at Mary's'. They hope to call on Colleano when passing through London on 'Sunday Nite'. Ends 'Well honey, keep us in mind & we will see you soon - Our very best to Bonar Jr. [Colleano's son the film actor Bonar Colleano]' Postscript 'Billy sends his best'. Coogan was married to Ann McCormack, his third wife, from 1946 to 1951. From the Colleano Family archive.