Marjorie Eyre-Parker (1897 – 3 December 1987) was an English singer and actress, best known for her performances in the soprano and mezzo-soprano roles of 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 im ...

. She performed with 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. The ...

for more than two decades and later performed with the

J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company James Cassius Williamson (26 August 1845 – 6 July 1913) was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company. Born in Pennsylvania, Williamson moved with his famil ...

. She married another D'Oyly Carte performer, Leslie Rands, in 1926.

Life and career

Marjorie Eyre-Parker was born in

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

, England and studied at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including performanc ...

D'Oyly Carte years

Sydney Granville as Pooh-Bah, Marjorie Eyre as Pitti-Sing and Martyn Green as Ko-Ko in The Mikado

She joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a chorister in 1924, also appearing in the small part of Giulia 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 ...

''. In 1925, she took over her first major role, Yum-Yum 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 ...

'', and two more small ones, Lady Ella 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 face ...

'' and Celia (and also Phyllis, briefly) in '' Iolanthe''. In 1926, she took over the title role in ''Patience'', Rose Maybud in ''

Ruddigore ''Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse'', originally called ''Ruddygore'', is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written tog ...

'' and Gianetta ''The Gondoliers''. In 1928, Eyre continued playing these principal soprano roles (sometimes sharing them), but after the 1928–29 North American tour,

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 ...

decided to assign mezzo-soprano roles to her. In 1929, Eyre studied with a voice teacher to lower her range to prepare for her new assignments and became the company's principal soubrette, playing Cousin Hebe 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, whic ...

'', Edith 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. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 187 ...

'', Saphir in ''Patience'', the title role in ''Iolanthe'', Pitti-Sing in ''The Mikado'', Mad Margaret in ''Ruddigore'', and Tessa in ''The Gondoliers''. She gave up the latter four roles from October 1929 to May 1930, when the popular Nellie Briercliffe rejoined the company for the London season, but Eyre added Constance in ''

The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas story, ''An Elixir of Lo ...

'' at the same time. In 1930, Eyre resumed all her principal soubrette roles, except switching to Lady Angela in ''Patience'' and adding Melissa 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 ...

'' and Phoebe 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 ...

''. She played these roles for the next 15 seasons, until she left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1946.

Later years

In 1949, Rands and Eyre joined fellow senior Savoyards

Richard Walker Richard Walker, Rick, Ricky, or Dick Walker may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Richard Walker (baritone) (1897–1989), English singer and actor Law and politics * Richard Walker (MP) (1784–1855), British Member of Parliament for Bury, 1832 ...

Helen Roberts Helen Florence Roberts (15 July 1912 – 12 December 2010), later known as Betty Roberts and by her married name, Betty Walker, was an English singer and actress, best known for her performances in soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the D' ...

John Dean John Wesley Dean III (born October 14, 1938) is an American former attorney who served as White House Counsel for U.S. President Richard Nixon from July 1970 until April 1973. Dean is known for his role in the cover-up of the Watergate scandal ...

and

Anna Bethell Anna Bethell (1882 – 2 March 1969) was an English actress, singer and stage director. She is best known for her performances in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. After playing other small mezzo-soprano par ...

in Australia, where they were engaged by Frank Tait for a Gilbert and Sullivan tour of Australia and New Zealand with the

. In 1952, Rands and Eyre played the Earl of Essex and Jill-All-Alone in a week's run of '' Merrie England'' for charity in Priory Park,

Chichester Chichester () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publi ...

. Eyre maintained her interest in Gilbert and Sullivan throughout her life. At the time of her death, at the age of 90, she was a Vice-President of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society in London. Eyre died in Brighton.

Recordings

Her recordings with D'Oyly Carte included only Lady Saphir in ''Patience'' (1930) and Pitti-Sing in ''The Mikado'' (1936).

References

* Introduction by

Martyn Green William Martin Green (22 April 1899 – 8 February 1975), known by his stage name, Martyn Green, was an English actor and singer. He is remembered for his performances and recordings as principal comedian of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, in t ...

External links