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Collection Description
Collection name Sullivan Archive (1871-1995)
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Description A collection of programmes from performances of Sullivan’s works, 1871 to 1895. The programmes are part of the research materials acquired by Arthur Jacobs while researching Arthur Sullivan. The collection includes press cuttings and lecture programmes.

The collection contains programmes where Sullivan featured as conductor, as well as programmes where his music was performed. Temporally, the collection falls into two parts. Part of the collection includes items produced Sullivan’s lifetime, roughly dating from 1871 to the late 1890s. A number of these items are photocopies of items not held in this archive. The second part of the collection is chiefly from the 1980s and first half of the 1990s.

The programmes from the nineteenth century largely feature Sullivan’s non-stage works. The collection includes a programme from a London Ballad Concert. This was held at the Queen’s Hall, and entitled “Grand Sullivan Concert”. There is a programme from a Saturday concert held at Crystal Palace, which includes a cantata by the composer. There are also programmes from the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. These include performances of medleys from Gilbert and Sullivan stage works, which took place at various promenade concerts held at the theatre. These performances were sanctioned and conducted by the composer. These programmes include performances of a medley from HMS Pinafore in 1878: these are widely credited with increasing audiences for the stage show of the work, whose initial run was taking place at the time. There are programmes from staged performances of Sullivan's incidental music for plays. There are also a few programmes from staged performances of Sullivan’s works, including provincial performances of his opera Ivanhoe given by the Carl Rosa Company in 1895.

The programmes from the nineteenth century include a number of programmes where Sullivan was conductor. These include nine programmes from the Leeds Triennial Musical Festival – also known as the Leeds Musical Festival – from 1895 and 1898. Concerts took place in the Town Hall.

The programmes from the twentieth century include many concerts from Sullivan’s orchestral and solo song repertoire. These include concerts given at Crystal Palace, Sir Jack Lyons Theatre (Royal Academy of Music), St. Mary le Bow (church) and a concert given by the Royal Philharmonic Society as part of a Shakespeare festival, at an unspecified venue. There are also programmes from Sullivan festivals. There are programmes from Sullivan festivals organised by the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society, which took place on the Isle of Man and in York. There is a festival pack from a Gilbert and Sullivan festival given by Kentucky Opera in 1988 – allegedly the first such festival given in the United Stated. The festival includes a concert of Victorian song given at the Bomhard Theater. In addition, there are three programmes from concerts organised by the BBC at the Ulster Hall, Belfast. These included substantial orchestral works by Sullivan in multi-composer programmes, and were performed by the Ulster Orchestra.

There are a small number of programmes from professional productions of Sullivan’s stage works with Gilbert. These include programmes from the New D’Oyly Carte Company, Welsh National Opera and English National Opera. As well as London and provincial performances, New D’Oyly Carte material also covers performances in Segerstrom Hall, Orange County, in 1990.
Date range 1871 - 1995
Associated People and Organisations Leeds Triennial Music Festival - BBC Symphony Orchestra - Royal Opera - Carner, Mosco - English Bach Festival - Hammond, Arthur - English National Opera - Promenade concerts - Korbay, Francis - Gilbert, William Schwenck - Carl Rosa Opera Company - Leeds Musical Festival - Sullivan, Arthur - Atkins, John - London Ballad Concerts - Welsh National Opera - Royal Philharmonic Society 1813 - Jacobs, Arthur - Kentucky Opera - Leeds Triennial Musical Festival - New D'Oyly Carte Opera Company - Saturday Concerts, Crystal Palace - Ulster orchestra 1966 -
Associated Places Crystal Palace Town Hall, Leeds St. Mary-le-Bow Church EC2 Bomhard Theater, Kentucky Queen's Hall, London Royal Academy of Music: Sir Jack Lyons Theatre Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa St. Mary-le-Bow Church EC2 Theatre Royal, Covent Garden
Associated Times 19th century - mid Victorian 1851-1875 20th century - late 1971-1999 20th century - mid 1931-1970 19th century - late Victorian 1876-1899
Associated Content Annotations Analytical Notes Press Cuttings
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Royal Academy of Music, Library
Marylebone Road London NW1 5HT Open Map
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Website http://www.ram.ac.uk
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Collections Overview Books; printed music; sound recordings; choral sets; orchestral sets; manuscripts; early printed music & books; undergraduate & research
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