Frederick Strafford Moss (1 November 1868 – 1941) was a British

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

and actor. He appeared in the

Savoy operas Savoy opera was a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which impr ...

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

from 1897 to 1913, mainly in touring companies of the

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Th ...

, following which he had a career in

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

on the West End stage until 1931.

Early years: joining D'Oyly Carte

Moss was the son of Ruhamah Moss and civil servant William Burrowes Moss. He made his first appearance with one of the

touring companies from August to December 1897, most likely in the chorus, before taking on the small roles of Leonard Meryll in ''

The Yeomen of the Guard ''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...

'' and Francesco in ''

The Gondoliers ''The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria'' is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances (at that time the ...

''. At the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy Pala ...

Moss sang with the chorus in ''

The Beauty Stone ''The Beauty Stone'' is an opera, billed as a "romantic musical drama" in three acts, composed by Arthur Sullivan to a libretto by Arthur Wing Pinero and J. Comyns Carr. The medieval Faustian story concerns an ugly, crippled girl, who dreams of ...

'' from May to July 1898 and appeared in the leading

role of the Defendant in ''

Trial by Jury A jury trial, or trial by jury, is a legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision or findings of fact. It is distinguished from a bench trial in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions. Jury trials are used in a significant ...

'' in December 1898. On 17 November 1898 he married Edith Helen Woodington (1862–1899) at St. Paul's Church in

Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area expe ...

, London. At that time he registered his occupation as "chorister". With other D'Oyly Carte companies, he toured from July to September 1899 as Oswald in ''

Haddon Hall Haddon Hall is an English country house on the River Wye near Bakewell, Derbyshire, a former seat of the Dukes of Rutland. It is the home of Lord Edward Manners (brother of the incumbent Duke) and his family. In form a medieval manor house, it ...

'' and in October 1899 as Oswald and Leonard. From November 1899 to February 1900 Moss reprised the roles of the Defendant and Leonard, before touring as the Physician-in-Chief in ''

The Rose of Persia ''The Rose of Persia''; ''or, The Story-Teller and the Slave'', is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Basil Hood. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 29 November 1899, closing on 28 June 1900 after a profitabl ...

''.Stone, David
Strafford Moss
Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, 27 February 2003, accessed 16 May 2019 In September 1901 Moss, then a widower, married a widow, Jane Minnie Shale (''née'' Phillips, 1868–1951), at Holy Trinity Church in

Clapham Clapham () is a suburb in south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (most notably Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Early history T ...

, London. Moss toured with D'Oyly Carte companies from July 1901 to May 1902 as Dr. Fiddle

D.D. A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...

in ''

The Emerald Isle ''The Emerald Isle''; ''or, The Caves of Carrig-Cleena'', is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and Edward German, and a libretto by Basil Hood. The plot concerns the efforts of an Irish patriot to resist the oppressive "re-ed ...

''. From 1903 to 1904 Moss played the leading tenor role of Hilarion in ''

Princess Ida ''Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant'' is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen. ''Princess Ida'' opened at the Savoy Theatre on 5 January 1884, for a ru ...

'', the small role of First Yeoman in ''Yeomen'', Francesco in ''The Gondoliers'', the title character, Bob Berkeley, in the Cunningham Bridgeman and

François Cellier François Arsène Cellier (14 December 1849 – 5 January 1914), often called Frank, was an English conductor and composer. He is known for his tenure as musical director and conductor of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company during the original runs ...

curtain raiser ''Bob'' and the Defendant in ''Trial''. He continued to play Hilarion, First Yeoman, Francesco and the Defendant until December 1906 and sang Luiz in ''The Gondoliers'' from July 1904 to January 1905.

Principal tenor

In 1905, the D'Oyly Carte company was performing only on tour. Moss was promoted to the leading roles of Nanki-Poo in ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'', Colonel Fairfax in ''Yeomen'' and Marco in ''The Gondoliers''. From December 1906 to February 1907 he assumed more leading roles, Ralph Rackstraw in ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which ...

'', Frederic in ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 ...

'', the Duke of Dunstable in ''

Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when faced ...

'', Tolloller in ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'' and Cyril in ''

'', in addition to Nanki-Poo, Fairfax and Marco in ''The Gondoliers''. In 1906 he toured South Africa with the D'Oyly Carte company. Moss appeared as Marco at the

in the company's First London Repertory Season 1907 and from July 1907 he was again touring as principal tenor, sharing the role of Defendant and also playing Ralph, Frederic, the Duke, Tolloller, Cyril, Nanki-Poo, Fairfax and Marco. In April 1908 the Company returned to the Savoy Theatre for its Second London Repertory Season, opening with Moss as Nanki-Poo from April to May 1908. From July to October 1908 he appeared as Griffith David in another companion piece, ''

A Welsh Sunset ''A Welsh Sunset'' is a one-act comic opera composed by Philip Michael Faraday, with a libretto by Frederick Fenn. It was produced at the Savoy Theatre from 15 July 1908 and played with revivals of ''H.M.S. Pinafore'' and ''The Pirates of Penzan ...

'', and stood in as Nanki-Poo and Ralph several times in September and October that year. When

Rupert D'Oyly Carte Rupert D'Oyly Carte (3 November 1876 – 12 September 1948) was an English hotelier, theatre owner and impresario, best known as proprietor of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and Savoy Hotel from 1913 to 1948. Son of the impresario and hotelier R ...

revived the touring company in October 1908 Moss appeared as principal tenor, singing the Defendant, Ralph, Frederic, Duke, Tolloller, Cyril, Nanki-Poo, Fairfax and Marco. On the completion of the London season in March 1909, Moss rejoined the main company, but his roles were reduced to the Defendant, Frederic, Duke, Tolloller, Cyril and Fairfax. In the 1912 tour he played Major Murgatroyd in ''Patience'', Fairfax in ''Yeomen'' and Frederic in ''Pirates''. Moss left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in September 1913.

Later career

Moss later appeared in the West End in operettas and musicals such as in ''Mr. Manhattan'' at the

Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

(1916), the Chancellor in '' Arlette'' at the

Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...

(1917), ''As You Were'' at the

London Pavilion The London Pavilion is a building on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street on the north-east side of Piccadilly Circus in London. It is currently a shopping arcade and part of the Trocadero Centre. Early history The first buildi ...

with

Hayden Coffin Charles Hayden Coffin (22 April 1862 – 8 December 1935) was an English actor and singer known for his performances in many famous Edwardian musical comedies, particularly those produced by George Edwardes. Hayden achieved fame as Harry Sh ...

(1918), ''Violette'' at the Lyric Theatre (1918), Dansasch, Master of the Gates in ''

Afgar ''Afgar, or the Andalusian Leisure'' is a musical with lyrics by Douglas Furber, music by Charles Cuvillier and a book by Fred Thompson and Worton David. It is based on Cuvillier's 1909 French operetta of the same name, with words by André Bar ...

'' at the London Pavilion (1919), and Babadagh in ''

The Naughty Princess ''The Naughty Princess'' is an opéra bouffe with music by Charles Cuvillier, book by J. Hastings Turner, and lyrics by Adrian Ross. The work, adapted from ''La reine joyeuse'' by Cuvillier and Andre Barde, depicts a princess with very modern i ...

'' at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

(1920). He recorded two duets with

George Grossmith Jr. George Grossmith Jr. (11 May 1874 – 6 June 1935) was an English actor, theatre producer and Actor-manager, manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies. Grossmith was also a ...

from ''The Naughty Princess'' for Columbia in 1920. Moss was Mr. Bascombe in the musical ''Follow Through'' (1930) at the

Victoria Palace Theatre The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station. The structure is categorised as a Grade II* listed building. History Origins The theatre began life as a small conc ...

. His last role in the West End was in December 1931 at the Adelphi Theatre as King Priam in ''Helen!'',

Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born Theatre director, theatre and film director, theater manager, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he i ...

's adaptation of Offenbach's ''

La belle Hélène ''La belle Hélène'' (, ''The Beautiful Helen'') is an opéra bouffe in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The piece parodies the story of Helen of Troy, Helen's elopement with Paris (myt ...

'', in a production starring

Evelyn Laye Evelyn Laye (née Elsie Evelyn Lay; 10 July 1900 – 17 February 1996) was an English actress who was active on the London light opera stage, and later in New York and Hollywood. Her first husband, actor Sonnie Hale, left her for Jessie M ...

. It had a libretto by

A. P. Herbert Sir Alan Patrick Herbert CH (A. P. Herbert, 24 September 1890 – 11 November 1971), was an English humorist, novelist, playwright, law reformist, and in 1935–1950 an independent Member of Parliament for Oxford University. Born in Ashtead, Su ...

and a revised score by

Erich Korngold Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897November 29, 1957) was an Austrian-born American composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential composers in Hollywood history. He was a noted pianist and compo ...

. Moss died in London in 1941, aged 72.Frederick S Moss
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007, Ancestry.com

References

Sources

* Wearing, J. P.
''The London Stage 1900–1909: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel''
Rowman & Littlefield (2014), Google Books * Wearing, J. P., ''The London Stage 1930–1939: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel'', Rowman & Littlefield (2014), Google Books {{DEFAULTSORT:Moss, Strafford 1868 births 1941 deaths English operatic tenors 20th-century British male singers 19th-century British male singers