Marguerite Dunlap (July 20, 1887 – January 7, 1959) was an American

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

opera singer Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

. She is mainly remembered for her recordings for

Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...

from 1904–1928. She recorded a wide range of music from operas to Broadway musicals to sacred music, popular music, and songs from the classical concert repertoire.

Personal life

Dunlap was born on July 20, 1887, in

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South C ...

to Margaret Cunningham Dunlap and Charles J. Dunlap, a former Confederate Army surgeon. Her family subsequently moved to Atlanta. She married Joseph E. Garabrant, a

marine engineer Marine engineering is the engineering of boats, ships, submarines, and any other marine vessel. Here it is also taken to include the engineering of other ocean systems and structures – referred to in certain academic and professional circl ...

, and kept singing under her maiden name. She had a daughter, Margaret G. Derr, and a son, Joseph E. Garabrant Jr. She moved to Montclair in 1920, and retired in the 1920s. Her last address was at 217 Montclair Avenue, Upper Montclair. She was a member of St John's Episcopal Church in Montclair and the

Upper Montclair Country Club Upper Montclair Country Club is an A. W. Tillinghast designed golf course located in Clifton, New Jersey. History The original 18-hole golf course and a brand new Clubhouse opened in 1928. In 1954 Robert Trent Jones Sr. led major course renova ...

. After an operation, she was ill for a long time, and she died at her home on January 7, 1959, aged 71. She had three grandchildren at the time of her death. She was buried in Bloomfield Cemetery, after a service at the Van Tassel Funeral Home.

Career

78 record of Beautiful Ohio ballad-macdonald-mary-earl-olive-kline-marguerite-dunlap gbia0000598a itemimage

Dunlap began to show singing talent early in life, becoming an expert pianist by the age of 16. She sang alto with the First Baptist choir in Atlanta. When she was 18 she went to New York City and in a competitive audition won a scholarship to the Metropolitan Opera school. She studied with Madam Florence Manchester. She made professional recordings as part of the Trinity Choir (at Trinity Church) for Victor Talking Machine Co. She would go on to record 360 records for Victor Records, including being a contralto soloist. In October 1913 she recorded a duet with the Canadian singer (and Victor Records manager)

Harry MacDonough John Scantlebury Macdonald (May 30, 1871 – September 26, 1931) was a Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most ...

of "When It's Apple Blossom Time in Normandy". Dunlap had her debut at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

on January 18, 1907, in the first production of , composed by Puccini, with Enrico Caruso as the lead singer; her last portrayal of this role was on March 2, 1907. In 1911, she was one of the performers in the sextet for ''

Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoo ...

'' in New York, and also recorded " Mighty Lak' a Rose" ("Mighty Like a Rose") by

Ethelbert Nevin Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin (November 25, 1862February 17, 1901) was an American pianist and composer. Early life Nevin was born on November 25, 1862, at Vineacre, on the banks of the Ohio River, in Edgeworth, Pennsylvania.Mulkearn, Lois, p. 62 ...

in 1911. In 1914, she was involved in a production of "Sextet from Lucia" for a record. She performed in Arkansas in 1915, including songs such as "Mammy Song" by Harriet Ware, and "Mighty Lak' a Rose". She and

Olive Kline Olive Kline (sometimes given as Olive Kline Hulihan or the pseudonym Alice Green) (July 7, 1887 – July 29, 1976) was an American soprano who is chiefly remembered for her recordings for Victor Records from 1912 to 1935. She recorded a wide rang ...

made one of the early recordings of "

Beautiful Ohio "Beautiful Ohio" is the official song of the U.S. State of Ohio. History The first lyrics were written in 1918 by Ballard MacDonald and the music by Robert A. "Bobo" King, who used the pseudonym Mary Earl. The melody is partly based on " Song o ...

" in 1919. This song would become the official state song of Ohio. Dunlap sang in the first radio broadcast of the AM radio station WEAF (later called WNBC) in New York in 1922. Dunlap made recordings up to 1928.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunlap, Marguerite 1887 births 1959 deaths American operatic contraltos 20th-century American women opera singers People from Camden, South Carolina People from Montclair, New Jersey Singers from South Carolina Victor Records artists 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopalians from South Carolina