No 1 -- 1975 Edited by Michael Walters
MARTYN GREEN. The death of Martyn Green a couple of weeks ago serves to remind us, if we did not already know, that a new era in the annals of Gilbert & Sullivan is dawning. Green was, if not the last, certainly one of the last of the "old school". Peter Zavon writes to me from Boston in a letter dated 18 February: "I expect it will put a bit of a damper on the Centennial celebrations. It certainly will over here, for he was G & S incarnate to most people here". It is sometimes difficult to remember just how much Martyn Green meant to those in the States, in view of the fact that here he was simply one, and not necessarily the greatest, of the mid-century performers. Indeed, I have heard a number of people say that they did not even particularly like him. History will surely remember him, if not as the greatest G&S performer, certainly as one of the greats. It is sad that his passing occasioned so little comment in the English press, no doubt the American press was kinder and I hope to see some of the reports in due course. [But I didn't! Ed. 1998]
PEOPLE. No 1. IAN ELLIS. I first saw Ian Ellis nearly six years ago on the stage of the Northcote Theatre, Exeter, as the most wonderful Koko I have ever seen. He was then a student at Exeter University. At the party, which followed that production, I insisted on being introduced to him, and as a result we became firm friends. Ian has performed no more since then, for he is a chap of such diverse interests and enthusiasms that each facet of his interest received only a percentage of his time. He has been in the States for close on three years, doing teaching and postgraduate at University in Louisville, Kentucky, where, he tells me, nobody has HEARD of Gilbert & Sullivan, and he feels G & S starved.
BESSIE JONES. We learn with deep regret of the death of Bessie Jones at the age of 87, in Barry, South Wales, where she had lived for some years. She was in many of the first complete recordings of Gilbert & Sullivan, and sang the principal soprano role in the first recording of Merrie England, having been specially chosen by Sir Edward German. She made a great many records for H.M.V., mainly in the acoustic period, and gave many stage performances in Opera. One of her most treasured memories was the night she stood in during a performance of Aida at Covent Garden in which Caruso was singing Radames. Richard Ault and I visited her about two years ago and found her to be a charming old lady. A tape-recording exists of that afternoon's meeting. I feel this will prove to be an important historical document.
VIOLET ESSEX. Brian Rust, the discographer, is collecting information on this lady, who was also on many of the early recordings of Gilbert &, Sullivan, and who had a distinguished career in Musical Comedy. If any readers have any information about her, and/or any records (other than the complete Gilbert & Sullivan H.M.V. recordings) I would be interested to hear, and will pass on any such information to Mr. Rust.
Web page created 7 September 1998