Miss Amalia sings ‘Dolly Varden,’ early 1870s

Miss Amalia (1859-1911), English actress, singer and dancer, as she appeared in the early 1870s singing G.W. Hunt’s song, ‘Dolly Varden,’ which was inspired by the character of that name in Dickens’s novel, Barnaby Rudge.
(carte de visite photo: G.J. Tear, 12 Clapham Road, London, SW, probably 1871)

Amalia, usually billed as Mdlle. Amalia or Miss Amalia, was one of the daughters of Scipion Brizzi (1835?-1899), a commercial traveller and sometime clerk to a parliamentary agent, and his wife Annie (née Michael), who were married in London in 1856. Miss Amalia’s daughter, Ethel Constance Brizzi, who was born in 1882, married in May 1911 at St. George’s, Hanover Square, Thomas Robinson Stavers (1877-1957). She died in 1940.

* * * * *

‘Mr. G.W. Hunt, the popular composer of comic songs, has just written a new and original song for Mdlle. Amalia, entitled ”Dolly Varden,”’
(The Era, London, Sunday, 8 October 1871, p. 9d)

‘MDLLE. AMALIA, the Celebrated Juvenile Burlesque Actress, Vocalist, Pianiste and Danseuse, OXFORD THEATRE OF VARIETIES, BRIGHTON, To-morrow, Twelve Nights. Metropolitan, London (Six Weeks) to follow. Royal Princess’s Theatre, Christmas. Niblo’s Garden, New York, next August. Sole Agents, Messrs. Parravicini and Corbyn. ”Dolly Varden” (Copyright) will shortly be published.’
(The Era, London, Sunday, 29 October 1871, p. 16a)

Metropolitan music hall, London, November 1871
‘Miss Amalia, who is a new comer here, is in great favour. She looks a bewitching little woman as ”Dolly Varden,” and as a smart Prince causes much amusement by singing of ”Promenading the Spa,” imitating Mr. George Leybourne’s manner of rendering the strain ”After the Opera is over,” and by other clever vocal efforts. As usual, she dances excellently and charmingly.”
(The Era, London, Sunday, 19 November 1871, p. 12c)

‘NEW MUSIC … Dolly Varden, By G.W. Hunt… . Dolly Varden, founded upon a pretty waltz melody has already become very popular, and, together with Amalia’s comical singing, is found wonderfully attractive just now. Many other singers are also adopting the air in the various Music Halls.’
(The Era, London, Sunday, 14 January 1872, p. 4c)

The East London music hall, week beginning Monday, 3 November 1873
‘Miss Amalia, whose good looks and ability increase with her years, on the evening of our visit appeared first as a pretty little ”Dolly Varden,” and secondly in the garb of a bewitching representative of that honest-hearted race over whose lives a sweet little cherub has been specially appointed ”up aloft” to keep watch. She not only sang well, but danced in a style which somewhat astonished us. She, too, retired amid well-merited marks of approbation.’
(The Era, London, Sunday, 9 November 1873, p. 11c)

* * * * *

‘AMALIA, MISS, burlesque actress, made her début on the London state at the Surrey Theatre, December 26, 1869, in the pantomime of St. George and the Dragon. She subsequently played in other pantomimes, securing, conjointly with Miss Violet Cameron, the full honours of the evening on December 27, 1873, at Drury Lane Theatre, ”for her acting and singing in a ballad called ‘Buttercup Green,”’ introduced into the burlesque opening. More recently Miss Amalia has been engaged at the Gaiety, and has played in many of the extravaganzas of Mr. Byron on which that theatre mainly, and for the most part profitably relies as its principal attraction.’
Charles E. Pascoe, editor, The Dramatic List. A Record of the Performances of Living Actors and Actresses of the British Stage, London, 1880, p. 3)

George Leybourne

George Leybourne (1842-1884),
English music hall ‘Lion Comique’ and originator of ‘Champagne Charlie’
(photo: unknown, probably London, late 1870s)

”’Champagne Charlie.”
‘(London Letter.)
‘George Leybourne has just gone over to the majority, and his life well illustrates the ups and downs of a professional career. George Leybourne, the ”Lion Comique,” as he was called, was well known as the originator of the famous ”Champagne Charlie” song, as well as a hots of other of a similar type. Commencing life in a factory, he developed at an early age a taste for ”sing-song” and ”free-and-easy” entertainments. This led him on to the Music hall stage, until, step by step, he got to London, where ”Champagne Charlie” made him famous, as much to his own as to others’ surprise, probably.
‘The song was about as silly a song as ever was sung; but as rendred [sic] by the ”Lion Comique” it produced quite a furor [sic] among the many-headed, and the singer was in great request directly at all the leading music halls. He had so many ”engagements” every evening that he had to arrange his ”turns” with the nicety of a time-table, driving from one hall to another in his brougham, and singing at seven or eight different places every night. At one time he made 120 pounds sterling every week merely by singing his inane ditties; but he was a swell off as well as on the stage, and, lightly as the money came, it went still more lightly. He made no provision for a rainy day; and when he began to grown stale, when the Music hall public turned to newer and brighter stars, he soon fell into pecuniary difficulties. He managed to obtain engagements now and then, but his popularity diminished, and it is said that his last few months of life were passed in abject poverty. He died at last of consumption, and all the public of the future will know of him can be summed up in a line: ”He sang of Champagne Charlie.”’
(Newark Daily Advocate, Newark, Ohio, Monday, 27 October 1884, p. 3c)

Louie Sherrington (fl. 1860S/1870s)
English music hall singer and serio-comic
as she sang ‘The Dancing Belle’,
also sung by Kate Garstone, Harriett Coveney and Emma Alford.

‘Yes! They call me the dancing belle,
A fact you may all see well,
The way I now dance, you’ll see at a glance
That I am the dancing belle.’

(song sheet cover with lithograph portrait of Miss Sherrington
by Alfred Concanen, probably after a photograph,
printed by Siere & Burnitt, published by C. Sheard, London, mid 1860s)

‘Of the tavern concert-rooms [in London], one of the earliest to burst its chrysalis state, and emerge into the full-grown music hall, was the Grapes, in the Southwark Bridge Road. This establishment was also one of the first to style itself a music hall in the modern sense of the term, and under the description of the Surrey Music Hall was well known to pleasure-seekers early in the [eighteen] forties. The hall, which was prettily decorated, was capable to seating as many as a thousand persons, and in the upper hall might be seen a valuable collection of pictures, which the enterprising proprietor, Mr. Richard Preece, had secured from M. Phillips, a French artist whom he was instrumental into introducing to the British public. The hall was provided with an excellent orchestra under the direction of Mr Zéluti, while the arduous position of manage was filled with great credit by Mr T. Norris. The clever Vokes Family were among the many well-known entertainers who appeared here. The company here used on an average to cost about £30 a week. Louie Sherrington sang here on many occasions, and Willie and Emma Warde were very successful in their song “The Gingham Umbrella,” besides whom Pat P. Fannin, a smart dancer, and Mr and Mrs Jack Carroll, negro banjoists and dancers, were rare favourites with its patrons.’
(Charles Douglas Stewart and A.J. Park, The Variety Stage, T. Fisher Unwin, London, 1895, pp. 47 and 48)

* * * * * * * *

‘Early women stars were Georgina Smithson, Louie Sherrington and Annie Adams. The last two were contemporaries and mostly sang versions of the songs of Vance and Leybourne, adapted for women. For instance, “Up In A Balloon, Boys,” became “Up In A Balloon, Girls.” Louie Sherrington was a very lovely women with a delightful voice; a predecessor of Florrie Forde, Annie Adams was of the majestic type then so admired, she was “a fine woman” – there was a lot of her, with a bust to match. With her very powerful voice, rich personality, a jolly, laughing face and manner, she banged her songs across the footlights and made the house rise at her.’
(W. Macqueen Pope, The Melodies Linger On, W.H. Allen, London, 1950, p. 314)

Louie Sherrington (fl. 1860S/1870s)
English music hall singer and serio-comic
as she sang ‘The Dancing Belle’,
also sung by Kate Garstone, Harriett Coveney and Emma Alford.

‘Yes! They call me the dancing belle,
A fact you may all see well,
The way I now dance, you’ll see at a glance
That I am the dancing belle.’

(song sheet cover with lithograph portrait of Miss Sherrington
by Alfred Concanen, probably after a photograph,
printed by Siere & Burnitt, published by C. Sheard, London, mid 1860s)

‘Of the tavern concert-rooms [in London], one of the earliest to burst its chrysalis state, and emerge into the full-grown music hall, was the Grapes, in the Southwark Bridge Road. This establishment was also one of the first to style itself a music hall in the modern sense of the term, and under the description of the Surrey Music Hall was well known to pleasure-seekers early in the [eighteen] forties. The hall, which was prettily decorated, was capable to seating as many as a thousand persons, and in the upper hall might be seen a valuable collection of pictures, which the enterprising proprietor, Mr. Richard Preece, had secured from M. Phillips, a French artist whom he was instrumental into introducing to the British public. The hall was provided with an excellent orchestra under the direction of Mr Zéluti, while the arduous position of manage was filled with great credit by Mr T. Norris. The clever Vokes Family were among the many well-known entertainers who appeared here. The company here used on an average to cost about £30 a week. Louie Sherrington sang here on many occasions, and Willie and Emma Warde were very successful in their song “The Gingham Umbrella,” besides whom Pat P. Fannin, a smart dancer, and Mr and Mrs Jack Carroll, negro banjoists and dancers, were rare favourites with its patrons.’
(Charles Douglas Stewart and A.J. Park, The Variety Stage, T. Fisher Unwin, London, 1895, pp. 47 and 48)

* * * * * * * *

‘Early women stars were Georgina Smithson, Louie Sherrington and Annie Adams. The last two were contemporaries and mostly sang versions of the songs of Vance and Leybourne, adapted for women. For instance, “Up In A Balloon, Boys,” became “Up In A Balloon, Girls.” Louie Sherrington was a very lovely women with a delightful voice; a predecessor of Florrie Forde, Annie Adams was of the majestic type then so admired, she was “a fine woman” – there was a lot of her, with a bust to match. With her very powerful voice, rich personality, a jolly, laughing face and manner, she banged her songs across the footlights and made the house rise at her.’
(W. Macqueen Pope, The Melodies Linger On, W.H. Allen, London, 1950, p. 314)