Amanda Christina Elizabeth Aldridge, also known as Amanda Ira Aldridge (10 March 1866 – 9 March 1956), was a British opera singer and teacher who composed love songs, suites,

samba Samba () is a broad term for many of the rhythms that compose the better known Brazilian music genres that originated in the Afro-Brazilians, Afro Brazilian communities of Bahia in the late 19th century and early 20th century, It is a name or ...

s, and light orchestral pieces under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

of Montague Ring. Born into an artistic family, the Aldridge legacy included her father who was a successful African-American Shakespearian actor, Ira Frederick Aldridge. He was dubbed the ‘African Roscius' when he first starred as Othello at the Royalty Theatre in London. Her mother, Amanda Brandt, was a Swedish opera singer. Amanda’s sister, Luranah Aldridge was a star operatic contralto in Europe and the United States. A vocal injury of laryngitis cut Amanda’s vocal career short, but she pursued a career as a pianist, teacher, and composer.

Early life and education

Amanda Aldridge was born on 10 March 1866 in

Upper Norwood Upper Norwood is an area of south London, England, within the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borough of Croydon, Croydon, London Borough of Lambeth, Lambeth and London Borough of Southwark, Southwark. It is north ...

, London, the third child of

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

actor

Ira Frederick Aldridge Ira Frederick Aldridge (July 24, 1807 – August 7, 1867) was an American-born British actor, playwright, and theatre manager, known for his portrayal of William Shakespeare, Shakespearean characters. James Hewlett (actor), James Hewlett and Ald ...

and his second wife, Amanda Brandt, who was Swedish. She had two sisters, Rachael and Luranah, and two brothers, Ira Daniel and Ira Frederick. Aldridge studied voice under

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria Lind (Madame Goldschmidt) (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in ...

and

George Henschel Sir Isidor George Henschel (18 February 185010 September 1934) was a German-born British baritone, pianist, conductor, composer and academic teacher. First trained as a pianist, he was a concert singer who sometimes sang to his own accompanime ...

at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) 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 pe ...

in London, and harmony and counterpoint with

Frederick Bridge Sir John Frederick Bridge (5 December 1844 – 18 March 1924) was an English organist, composer, teacher and writer. From a musical family, Bridge became a church organist before he was 20, and he achieved his ambition to become a cathedral ...

and

Francis Edward Gladstone Francis Edward Gladstone (2 March 1845 – 6 September 1928)
, reprint of obituary in ''RCM Magazine'' 24/3 (1928 ...

Career

After completing her studies, Aldridge worked as a concert singer, piano accompanist, and voice teacher. A throat condition ended her concert appearances, and she turned to teaching and published about thirty songs between the years 1907 and 1925 in a romantic

parlour A parlour (or parlor) is a reception room or public space. In medieval Christian Europe, the "outer parlour" was the room where the monks or nuns conducted business with those outside the monastery and the "inner parlour" was used for necessar ...

style, as well as instrumental music in other styles. Among her pupils were the children of London's politically-active Black middle-classes, including Amy Barbour-James, daughter of John Barbour-James, Frank Alcindor son of Dr. John Alcindor, and composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's sister Alice Evans. Her notable students included African-American performers

Roland Hayes Roland Wiltse Hayes (June 3, 1887 – January 1, 1977) was an American lyric tenor and composer. Critics lauded his abilities and linguistic skills demonstrated with songs in French language, French, German language, German, and Italian langu ...

Lawrence Benjamin Brown Lawrence Benjamin Brown (August 29, 1893 – December 25, 1972) was an American singer, composer and pianist born in Jacksonville, Florida. He is best known for his arrangements of Negro spirituals, many of which he performed as accompanist for P ...

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United S ...

and

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...

, and Bermudian-British actor Earl Cameron. In 1930, when Robeson performed as

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

in the West End, Aldridge was in attendance, and gave Robeson the gold earrings that her father

Ira Aldridge Ira Frederick Aldridge (July 24, 1807 – August 7, 1867) was an American-born British actor, playwright, and theatre manager, known for his portrayal of William Shakespeare, Shakespearean characters. James Hewlett (actor), James Hewlett and Ald ...

had worn as Othello. Aldridge also took the singer

Ida Shepley Ida Shepley born Ida Mary Humphrey (9 December 1908 – 12 March 1975) was a British actress and singer. She began as a singer and worked with the BBC before expanding her career into acting appearing on the London stage and television. Life Shepl ...

under her wing and converted her from a singer to a stage actor. In 1951, African-American weekly magazine ''Jet'' reported that she was still giving piano and voice lessons aged 86. Amanda cared for her sister, the opera singer Luranah Aldridge (1860 – 1932), when she became ill, declining an invitation in 1921 from

W. E. B. Du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois ( ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relativel ...

to attend the second Pan-African Congress, with a note explaining: "As you know, my sister is very helpless. … I cannot leave for more than a few minutes at a time." At the age of 88, Aldridge made her first television appearance in the British show ''Music For You'', where

Muriel Smith Muriel Smith may refer to: * Muriel Smith (politician) * Muriel Smith (singer) {{hndis, Smith, Muriel ...

sang Montague Ring's "Little Southern Love Song". After a short illness, she died in London on 9 March 1956, a day before her 90th birthday.

Legacy and influence

In the Autumn 2020 edition of ''The Historian'', Stephen Bourne assessed the composer's life and career in an illustrated feature "At home with Amanda Ira Aldridge". Bourne had previously written Aldridge's article for the ''

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'') ...

''. In 2022, Google honoured Aldridge's memory with a

Doodle A doodle is a drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract art, abstract lines or shapes, generally w ...

Style

Aldridge ended her singing career to compose and teach music after

laryngitis Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under 2 weeks. Causes Laryngitis is cat ...

damaged her throat. Her compositional career spanned from approximately 1906 to 1934. She mainly composed Romantic

parlour music Parlour music (or parlor music) is a type of popular music which, as the name suggests, is intended to be performed in the parlours of houses, usually by amateur singers and pianists. Disseminated as sheet music, its heyday came in the 19th century ...

, a type of popular music performed primarily in parlours of the middle-class homes, frequently by amateur singers and pianists. Her music was published under the pseudonym Montague Ring. Under this name, she gained recognition for her many voice and piano compositions, including love songs, suites, sambas and light orchestral pieces, in a popular style that was infused with multiple genres.

Works

Selected works include: * "An Assyrian Love Song," words by F. G. Bowles. London: Elkin & Co., 1921. * "Azalea," words and music by M. Ring. London: Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew, 1907. * "Blue Days of June," words by F. E. Weatherly. London: Chappell & Co., 1915. * "The Bride," words by P. J. O'Reilly. London: Chappell & Co., 1910. * "The Fickle Songster," words by H. Simpson. London: Cary & Co., 1908. * "Little Brown Messenger," words by F. G. Bowles. London: G. Ricordi & Co., 1912. * "Little Missie Cakewalk," words by Talbot Owen; banjo accompaniment by Clifford Essex. London: Lublin & Co., 1908. * "Little Rose in My Hair," words by E. Price-Evans. London: Chappell & Co., 1917. * "Two Little Southern Songs. 1. Kentucky Love song 2. June in Kentucky," words by F. G. Bowles. London: Chappell & Co., 1912. * "Love's Golden Day," words by E. Price-Evans. London: Chappell & Co., 1917. * "Miss Magnolia Brown," words and music by M. Ring. London: Francis, Day & Hunter, 1907. * "My Dreamy, Creamy, Coloured Girl," words and music by M. Ring. London: Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew, 1907. * "My Little Corncrake Coon," words by Talbot Owen. London: Lublin & Co., 1908. * “On Parade,” London: Boosey & Co., 1914. * "Simple Wisdom," words by H. Simpson. London: Lublin & Co., 1908. * "A Song of Spring," words by P. J. O'Reilly. London and New York: Boosey & Co., 1909. * "Summah is de Lovin' Time. A Summer Night," words by P. L. Dunbar. London: Chappell & Co., 1925. * "A Summer Love Song," words by I. R. A. London and New York: Boosey & Co., 1907. * * "Supplication," words by P. J. O'Reilly. London: Leonard & Co., 1914. * "Through the Day. Three Songs. 1. Morning 2. Noon 3. Evening," words by P. J. O'Reilly. London and New York: Boosey & Co., 1910. * "'Tis Morning," words by P. L. Dunbar. London: Elkin & Co., 1925. * "When the Coloured Lady Saunters Down the Street," words and music by M. Ring. London: Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew, 1907. * "Where the Paw-Paw Grows," words by

Henry Francis Downing Henry Francis Downing (c. 1846 – 19 February 1928)Jessica Salo"Downing, Henry Francis (1846-1928)" BlackPast.org was an African-American sailor, politician, dramatist and novelist. His cousin was Hilary R. W. Johnson, the first African-born p ...

. London: Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew, 1907.

References

External links

Aldridge Collection, 1846–1959
via

Northwestern University Library Northwestern University Libraries is the main academic library system of Northwestern University. Northwestern Libraries host a total of 8,198,268 printed or electronic volumes. In addition, its libraries contain 229,198 maps, 211,127 audio fi ...

...And We Were Heard. "On Parade: Quick March by Amanda C.E. Aldridge ed. by Kaitlin Bove."
Retrieved 29 October 2024 - via Boulanger Initiative Wikithon. {{DEFAULTSORT:Aldridge, Amanda Christina Elizabeth 1866 births 1956 deaths 19th-century Black British women singers 19th-century British classical composers 19th-century British classical musicians 19th-century British women composers 19th-century British women opera singers 19th-century British women singers 20th-century Black British women singers 20th-century British classical composers 20th-century British women composers 20th-century British women opera singers 20th-century British women singers Alumni of the Royal College of Music Classical composers of African descent Black British classical musicians British music educators British women classical composers British women music educators English people of African-American descent English people of Swedish descent People from Upper Norwood Pseudonyms Singers from the London Borough of Croydon