If Ever I Cease To Love
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"If Ever I Cease to Love" is a
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
song published by the English ''
Lion comique The ''lion comique'' was a type of popular entertainer in the Victorian music halls, a parody of upper-class toffs or "swells" made popular by Alfred Vance and G. H. MacDermott, among others. They were artistes whose stage appearance, resplenden ...
''
George Leybourne George Leybourne (17 March 1842 – 15 September 1884) was a ''Lion comique'' of the British Victorian music hall who, for much of his career, was known by the title of one of his songs, " Champagne Charlie". Another of his songs, and one that ...
, who was popular in the Victorian music venues, in 1871. It has been performed by several musical artists and theatrical entertainers, including
Lydia Thompson Lydia Thompson (born Eliza Thompson; 19 February 1838 – 17 November 1908), was an English dancer, comedian, actor and theatrical producer. From 1852, as a teenager, she danced and performed in pantomimes, in the UK and then in Europe and soo ...
, who featured the song in her traveling
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
''Bluebeard''. Though Leybourne is best known for his composition "
The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", originally published under the title "The Flying Trapeze" and also known as "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", is a 19th-century popular song about a flying trapeze circus performer, Jules Léotard. ...
", the comedic lyrical content and catchy
melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
of "If Ever I Cease to Love" became tremendously appealing in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
. Since the first
Rex parade Rex (founded 1872) is a New Orleans Carnival Krewe which stages one of the city's most celebrated parades on Mardi Gras Day. Rex is Latin for "King", and Rex reigns as "The King of Carnival". History and formation Rex was organized by New O ...
in 1872, the tune has been ceremoniously played to the
krewe A krewe (pronounced "crew") is a social organization that puts on a parade or ball for the Carnival season. The term is best known for its association with Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, but is also used in other Carnival celebrations ar ...
's figurehead, Rex, who bears the title "King of Carnival" in New Orleans.


Background

Leybourne had begun his career in England's northern
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
s in 1866. Dressed in
formal wear Formal wear or full dress is the Western dress code category applicable for the most formal occasions, such as weddings, Baptism, christenings, confirmations, funerals, Easter traditions, Easter and Christmas traditions, in addition to certain ...
, his performing style helped advance the popularity of entertainers known as ''
Lion comique The ''lion comique'' was a type of popular entertainer in the Victorian music halls, a parody of upper-class toffs or "swells" made popular by Alfred Vance and G. H. MacDermott, among others. They were artistes whose stage appearance, resplenden ...
s'' who parodied upper-class swells. His 1867 compositions " Champagne Charlie" and "
The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", originally published under the title "The Flying Trapeze" and also known as "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", is a 19th-century popular song about a flying trapeze circus performer, Jules Léotard. ...
" furthered the concept of music hall in England and are considered Leybourne's greatest artistic successes. In 1871, he penned "If Ever I Cease to Love", with early editions of the
sheet music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses List of musical symbols, musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chord (music), chords of a song or instrumental Musical composition, musical piece. Like ...
crediting the tune simply as a "comedic song". The song featured a nonsensical
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
that forewarns the listener "If ever I cease to love, if ever I cease to love / May fish get legs and cows lay eggs / If ever I cease to love", which soon became open to other interpretations. Theatrical entertainer
Lydia Thompson Lydia Thompson (born Eliza Thompson; 19 February 1838 – 17 November 1908), was an English dancer, comedian, actor and theatrical producer. From 1852, as a teenager, she danced and performed in pantomimes, in the UK and then in Europe and soo ...
, while performing on the English music hall circuit, was amused by "If Ever I Cease to Love", and adapted it into her
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
, ''Bluebeard''. Thompson's act was spectated by
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia (russian: Алексе́й Алекса́ндрович; in St. Petersburg – 14 November 1908 in Paris) was the fifth child and the fourth son of Alexander II of Russia and his first wife Maria Alex ...
, fourth son of
Tsar Alexander II Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Fin ...
, as she and her troupe, "The British Blondes", embarked on a US tour in 1872. The Grand Duke had been traveling across the east coast and Midwest of the US since the fall of 1871 in reciprocation for the 1867 visit to Russia made by
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. Fa ...
. Notorious for engaging in several scandalous affairs, Alexandrovich took a liking to Thompson after a private dinner party, and attended several more shows to see the performer. The burlesque troupe capitalized on the rumors of the two's supposed relationship, effectively boosting attendance for the latter half of their touring schedule. All the while, the School of Design was formed to add an organized daytime parade on Mardi Gras Day to complement the established Mystick Krewe of Comus, which had held an annual nighttime parade and ball for over a decade since its founding in 1856. Well aware of the Thompson and Alexandrovich gossip, the School of Design invited the Grand Duke to their newly established parade, and fabricated a story that his arrival signaled a continuation of his romantic relationship with Thompson. In reality, Alexandrovich's had his eyes set on actress
Lotta Crabtree Charlotte Mignon "Lotta" Crabtree (November 7, 1847 – September 25, 1924), also known mononymously as Lotta, was an American actress, entertainer, comedian, and philanthropist. Crabtree was born in New York City and raised in the gold mining ...
who was involved in a traveling company performing the play "The Little Detective". In 1872, the School of Design selected "If Ever I Cease to Love" as the royal anthem to be played for their appointed monarch, Rex, a position which is considered to be one of the highest honors in the City of New Orleans (a different individual is selected every year to reign as Rex and bear the title "King of Carnival" for that year's festivities). Already, the composition was in popular demand among the city's populace for its lighthearted premise, and interpretations by several writers, including columnists in the ''
New Orleans Picayune ''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...
''. In contrast to initial reports, the song was not performed for the Grand Duke's arrival, but rather for the king, Rex, and has become the tradition ever since. The
Russian national anthem The "State Anthem of the Russian Federation" is the national anthem of Russia. It uses the same melody as the "State Anthem of the Soviet Union", composed by Alexander Alexandrov, and new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov, who had collaborated with ...
was played, instead, for Alexandrovich.


References

{{authority control 19th-century songs Year of song unknown Mardi Gras songs