Bridget D'Oyly Carte
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Dame Bridget D'Oyly Carte DBE (; 25 March 1908 – 2 May 1985) was head 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. The ...
from 1948 until 1982. She was the granddaughter of the impresario
Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...
and the only daughter of
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 hotelie ...
. Though as a child she was not enthusiastic about
Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...
, after her father's death in 1948 Bridget D'Oyly Carte inherited all her family's business interests, including the opera company, which performed year-round and controlled the copyrights to the joint works of
W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...
and
Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...
. She had begun to assist her father in managing the
Savoy Hotel The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 1 ...
in 1933 and remained active in the hotel business, of which she was a major shareholder, until her death. She also undertook child welfare work. Carte engaged Frederic Lloyd as general manager of the opera company in 1951 and took steps to keep the
Savoy opera 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 imp ...
s fresh, with new productions and redesigned costumes and scenery. After the copyrights to the Gilbert and Sullivan works expired in 1961, she transferred the company to a charitable trust, which she headed. In the 1970s, the company experienced mounting losses. These, together with the refusal of the
Arts Council An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts; mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing arts events. They often operate at arms-length from the government to prevent pol ...
to provide a grant, forced the closure of the company in 1982, although it re-formed after Carte's death and mounted productions up to 2003 and occasionally thereafter. In 1972 Carte founded the D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust to support charitable causes in the fields of the arts, medical welfare and the environment. She was created a DBE in 1975. With no children or surviving siblings, she was the end of her family line.


Life and career

Bridget Cicely D'Oyly Carte was born at Suffolk Street, Pall Mall, London. Her father was
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 hotelie ...
, and her mother was the former Lady Dorothy Milner Gathorne-Hardy (1889–1977), the youngest daughter of the 2nd Earl of Cranbrook.Obituary notice, ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', 3 May 1985, p. 11
Her grandfather was
Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...
, who founded 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 ...
. All his children and grandchildren, including Bridget, were given his forename, D'Oyly. She was educated privately in England and abroad. In 1926, when she was 18, Carte married her first cousin,
John Gathorne-Hardy, 4th Earl of Cranbrook John David Gathorne-Hardy, 4th Earl of Cranbrook (15 April 1900 – 22 November 1978) was a British hereditary peer and archaeologist. Early life and education Cranbrook was the son of Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 3rd Earl of Cranbrook and Lady Dor ...
. They soon separated and finally divorced in 1931;"High Court of Justice", ''The Times'', 13 January 1931, p. 6 she relinquished her title and resumed her maiden name by
deed poll A deed poll (plural: deeds poll) is a legal document binding on a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an intention or create an obligation. It is a deed, and not a contract, because it binds only one party. Etymology Th ...
in 1932, dropping the name Cicely, which she disliked."D'Oyly Carte, Dame Bridget"
''Who Was Who'', Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 30 March 2011
She then resumed her education, enrolling at
Dartington Hall Dartington Hall in Dartington, near Totnes, Devon, England, is an historic house and country estate of dating from medieval times. The group of late 14th century buildings are Grade I listed; described in Pevsner's Buildings of England as ...
in Devon from 1931 to 1933, a school with a long musical tradition, taking courses in dance, teacher training, art and design. There she met the designer Peter Goffin who became a lifelong friend.Taylor, C. M. P
"Carte, Dame Bridget Cicely D'Oyly (1908–1985)"
''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
'' (2004), Oxford University Press, accessed 20 June 2009.
The death of her only brother, Michael (1911–1932), in a car crash made Carte the heir to her father's hotel and theatre interests. As a child she had been reluctant to be part of the family's heritage. She later told ''
The Gramophone ''Gramophone'' (known as ''The Gramophone'' prior to 1970) is a magazine published monthly in London, devoted to classical music, particularly to reviews of recordings. It was founded in 1923 by the Scottish author Compton Mackenzie who continue ...
'' magazine: From 1933 to 1939 Carte was an assistant to her father at the
Savoy Hotel The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 1 ...
, taking responsibility for furnishing and interior decoration, for which she had training and aptitude. On the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
she undertook child welfare work and continued with it until her father's death in 1948. The family home was Coleton Fishacre, a house that her parents had built in
Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
between
Paignton Paignton ( ) is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon, England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority, borough of Torbay which was created in 1968. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the Engli ...
and
Kingswear Kingswear is a village and civil parish in the South Hams area of the English county of Devon. The village is located on the east bank of the tidal River Dart, close to the river's mouth and opposite the small town of Dartmouth. It lies within ...
in 1925. The house is still known for its design features and garden with exotic tropical plants. Shortly after Rupert's death Bridget sold Coleton Fishacre, which is now owned by the
National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
. In 1949 she bought Shrubs Wood,
Chalfont St Peter Chalfont St Peter is a large village and civil parish in southeastern Buckinghamshire, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts which also includes Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont. The villages lie between High Wycombe a ...
, Buckinghamshire, an
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
country house designed by the architects
Erich Mendelsohn Erich Mendelsohn (); 21 March 1887 – 15 September 1953) was a German-British architect, known for his expressionist architecture in the 1920s, as well as for developing a dynamic functionalism in his projects for department stores and cinem ...
and
Serge Chermayeff Serge Ivan Chermayeff (born Sergei Ivanovich Issakovich; ; 8 October 1900 – 8 May 1996) was a Russian-born British architect, industrial designer, writer, and co-founder of several architectural societies, including the American Society of Pl ...
. There she pursued her love of gardening and gave summer parties for disadvantaged or disabled children.


Managing the family interests

When Rupert D'Oyly Carte died in 1948, his daughter inherited all his interests including the Savoy Hotel group and the opera company, which presented 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 imp ...
from 1875 to 1982. In a 2020 history of the Savoy Hotel, Bridget D'Oyly Carte is described as "the reluctant heiress". She did not seek to succeed her father as chairman of the hotel group, in which she retained a large shareholding, but she became an active director. She moved into a suite in the Savoy Hotel and resumed control of the furnishing and decoration departments. In 1953 she was a member of the committee overseeing the decorations for the Coronation Ball at the Savoy Hotel in honour of the coronation of
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
."Court Circular", ''The Times'', 15 November 1952, p. 10 When the Savoy Group acquired James Edwards, she took interest in the soft-furnishing company; she was also chairman of the royal florists, Edward Goodyear. She became vice-chairman of the Savoy Hotel Group in 1971 and was its president at the time of her death. Looking back in 1962 at taking over the proprietorship of the opera company, Carte wrote: Nevertheless, she was determined to prove herself. One of her early decisions proved unpopular: the engagement as stage director of Eleanor Evans (Mrs
Darrell Fancourt Darrell Louis Fancourt Leverson (8 March 1886 – 29 August 1953), known as Darrell Fancourt, was an English bass-baritone and actor, known for his performances and recordings of the Savoy operas. After a brief concert career, Fancourt join ...
) in 1949. A former chorister and small role player, Evans alienated many company members and imposed rigid production methods, described by the principal comedian,
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 ...
, "as a stereotyped plan that results in a clockwork performance devoid of spontaneity". He left at the end of the 1951 London season, as did Ella Halman, Richard Watson, Margaret Mitchell, Radley Flynn and twenty-two other artistes. The historian Tony Joseph writes, "It was the largest single exodus of performers in D'Oyly Carte history, and that was why the sense of sadness that hovered over the season was so marked. ... August 1951 was the end of an era".Joseph, p. 272 Evans retired as stage director in 1953, the year in which her husband died, but she was engaged to coach new D'Oyly Carte principals in their roles for some years thereafter. A longer-lasting and less contentious appointment made by Carte was the engagement of Frederic Lloyd as general manager of the opera company in 1951, in which position he remained until the company closed in 1982. In running the company Carte took steps to keep the productions fresh, engaging a range of artists to redesign the costumes and scenery. Her old friend Goffin, who had previously redesigned ''
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 ''
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 ...
'' for Rupert D'Oyly Carte, designed a unit set in 1957 to facilitate and reduce the cost of touring. He also produced new settings and costumes for ''
Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...
'' (1957), ''
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 ...
'' (1958 – settings only, most of the celebrated
Charles Ricketts Charles de Sousy Ricketts (2 October 1866 – 7 October 1931) was a British artist, illustrator, author and printer, known for his work as a book designer and typographer and for his costume and scenery designs for plays and operas. Ricketts ...
costumes being retained), ''
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 t ...
'' (1958), ''
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 increasingly used ...
'' (1959), ''
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, w ...
'' (1961), and ''
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 ...
'' (1961). She commissioned new scenery or costumes, or both, from other designers for productions of ''
Princess Ida ''Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant'' is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen; the next was ''The Mikado''. ''Princess Ida'' opened at the Savoy Thea ...
'' (1954), ''The Gondoliers'' (1962 and 1968), ''
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 Gilbert and Sullivan, collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas stor ...
'' (1971), ''
Utopia, Limited ''Utopia, Limited; or, The Flowers of Progress'', is a Savoy opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was the second-to-last of Gilbert and Sullivan's fourteen collaborations, premiering on 7 October 1893 for a ...
'' (1975) and ''Iolanthe'' (1977). The theatre historian C. M. P. Taylor, records, "Bridget D'Oyly Carte oversaw all new productions of the opera company with a keen eye for detail, especially in terms of their design. She claimed that the most important function of the operas, which in later years she advertised rather as musicals, was 'to bridge the generation gap and link serious music to pop'". She was generous with her time for researchers, and contributed prefaces and longer introductory chapters to books by numerous authors. In 1950 Carte concluded an agreement with the film producer
Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)
giving him the right to use songs and scenes from the Savoy Operas; she co-operated in the making of his film, ''
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan ''The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan'' (also known as ''Gilbert & Sullivan'' and ''The Great Gilbert and Sullivan'') is a 1953 British musical drama film dramatisation of the collaboration between Gilbert and Sullivan. Librettist W. S. Gilbert an ...
'' (1953), giving the director and co-author advice and full access to Carte family documents. Carte held the copyrights to the Savoy Operas, which were due to expire at the end of 1961. In 1958, concerned that this would enable other British producers to present the operas with alterations and without the traditional D'Oyly Carte staging, some Gilbert and Sullivan enthusiasts collected half a million signatures on a petition to parliament to extend the copyright and with it the D'Oyly Carte monopoly of the performance rights. Carte firmly dissociated herself from that campaign, and even considered disbanding the company when the copyright lapsed, but instead she instituted major changes to secure its future. In 1960 the company's own touring orchestra was formed to replace the ''ad hoc'' recruitment of players at each venue, and the following year Carte set up the charitable D'Oyly Carte Opera Trust to continue to present the operas. She endowed the trust with the company's scenery, costumes, band parts, recording rights and other assets, together with a cash endowment of £30,000. She formed Bridget D'Oyly Carte Ltd to manage the opera company, with herself as chairman and managing director. Between 1964 and 1973 the D'Oyly Carte company televised and made films of some of the operas; Carte engaged
Sir Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated include ...
and
Sir Charles Mackerras Sir Alan Charles MacLaurin Mackerras (; (17 November 1925 – 14 July 2010) was an American-born Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. He was long associ ...
as guest conductors for some London seasons and promoted eight tours of North America between 1950 and 1978. In 1975 she presented a centenary season at the Savoy Theatre; she made a rare public speech at the first night, alongside the then prime minister,
Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx (11 March 1916 – 23 May 1995) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1964 to 1970 and again from 197 ...
. in 1977 the company gave a
Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...
at
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...
, and in 1979, for the first time, toured Australia and New Zealand.


Later years

In 1972 Carte founded the D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust – entirely separate from the D'Oyly Carte Opera Trust and the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company – supporting charitable causes in the fields of the arts, medical welfare and the environment. In 2001, the trust endowed the D'Oyly Carte Chair in Medicine and the Arts at
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
with £2 million. In 1974 she was elected an Honorary Member of the
Royal Society of Musicians The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain is a Charitable organization, charity in the United Kingdom that supports musicians. It is the oldest music-related charity in Great Britain, founded in 1738 as the ''Fund for Decay'd Musicians'' by a ...
of Great Britain, and in 1975 was created a DBE. In the 1970s, Carte became the tenant of the semi-ruined
Barscobe Castle Barscobe Castle is a 17th-century tower house in Balmaclellan, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. It is a typical house of a country laird, and according to a panel above the entrance, was built in 1648. The L-plan tower was constructed using stone t ...
,
Balmaclellan Balmaclellan (Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile Mac-a-ghille-dhiolan'', meaning town of the MacLellans) is a small hillside village of stone houses with slate roofs in a fold of the Galloway hills in south-west Scotland. To the west, across the Ken River ...
, a small seventeenth-century fortified house in south-west Scotland, which she restored. Always shy, old-fashioned and formal, Carte appreciated simplicity and avoided parties and social events as much as possible. For her ''
Who's Who A Who's Who (or Who Is Who) is a reference work consisting of biographical entries of notable people in a particular field. The oldest and best-known is the annual publication ''Who's Who (UK), Who's Who'', a reference work on contemporary promin ...
'' entry she listed her recreations as, "country living and gardening; reading, theatre and music." Rising costs led to mounting losses which, together with the refusal of the Arts Council to provide a grant, forced the closure of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1982. Even after it closed, however, the company's productions and style continued to influence the productions of other Gilbert and Sullivan companies around the world.


Death and legacy

A heavy smoker, Carte died of lung cancer at Shrubs Wood in 1985, aged 77. Her remains were cremated. She left a fortune of £5,479,888. With no children of her own or surviving siblings, she was the end of her family line. The Savoy Hotel group continued under the control of her trustees until 1994.Prynn, Jonathan
"Savoy 'up for sale' as Saudi owner's billions dwindle"
, 16 April 2009.
The group's hotels remained among the most prestigious in London, with the ''
London Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free of charge in London, England. It is print ...
'' calling the Savoy "London's most famous hotel" in 2009. A legacy of £1 million from her private fortune enabled a new opera company, using the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company name, to begin operations in 1988. From 1988 to 2003 the new company produced short seasons each year, mounting productions of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas on tour and in London, as well as operettas by Offenbach, Lehár and
Johann Strauss Johann Baptist Strauss II (; ; 25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas as well as a violinist. He compose ...
. It did not employ many of the members of the original company and did not follow its performing traditions, even staging some "concept" productions of the operas. Once again, costs outran receipts, public subsidy was denied by the Arts Council, and the company suspended productions in May 2003. It continued to rent scores, and has participated in co-productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operas. The Gilbert and Sullivan operas, nurtured by the Carte family for over a century, continue to be produced frequently today throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. By keeping the Savoy operas popular for so long, the Carte family influenced the course of the development of modern musical theatre throughout the 20th century.Jones, pp. 10–11


Notes, references and sources


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * with four supplements published in 1966, 1971, 1976, and 1983, * * *


External links


D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carte, Bridget DOyly 1908 births 1985 deaths 20th-century English businesspeople Cranbrook Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Deaths from lung cancer in England English theatre managers and producers British opera managers People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan British women theatre managers and producers Tobacco-related deaths