Ada Crossley
Encyclopedia
Ada Jemima Crossley was an Australia
n singer.
Crossley was a daughter of E. Wallis Crossley, a farmer
. She was born at Tarraville, Gippsland
, Victoria
. Crossley's singing in the country met with so much appreciation that she was sent to Melbourne
to be trained, where Sir Frederic Cowen
, who had come from London
to conduct the orchestra at the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1888–9, heard her sing and gave her advice. She studied under Madame Fanny Simonsen for singing, and under Alberto Zelman
the elder for piano and harmony.
Her first appearance was with the Philharmonic Society at Melbourne in 1892. She sang frequently in Melbourne in 1893 at concerts and in oratorio
, and was the principal contralto at the Australian Church. In 1894 she went to Europe and studied under Mathilde Marchesi
for voice production, and under Charles Santley
for oratorio work. Her first appearance in London was at the Queen's Hall
on 18 May 1895, when she had an immediate success. For many years she held a leading place at music festivals and on the concert platform, and she gave five command performance
s before Queen Victoria in two years. She was also successful in America, and on returning to Australia in 1904 her tour was a series of triumphs.
She also visited South Africa
, and her second tour in Australia in 1908 was again very successful. She sang regularly at English festivals until 1913 but retired a few years later, though she made occasional appearances for charity. She never lost her love for her native country and her London house was always open to young singers and artists from Australia. There they received advice, hospitality, and sometimes assistance, without any suggestion of patronage. In 1905 she married Mr Francis Muecke CBE FRCS. There were no children. She died at London after a short illness on 17 October 1929.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n singer.
Crossley was a daughter of E. Wallis Crossley, a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
. She was born at Tarraville, Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. Crossley's singing in the country met with so much appreciation that she was sent to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to be trained, where Sir Frederic Cowen
Frederic Hymen Cowen
Sir Frederic Hymen Cowen , was a British pianist, conductor and composer.-Early years:Cowen was born Hymen Frederick Cohen at 90 Duke Street, Kingston, Jamaica, the fifth and last child of Frederick Augustus Cohen and Emily Cohen née Davis. His siblings were Elizabeth Rose Cohen ; actress,...
, who had come from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to conduct the orchestra at the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1888–9, heard her sing and gave her advice. She studied under Madame Fanny Simonsen for singing, and under Alberto Zelman
Alberto Zelman
Alberto Zelman was an Australian musician and conductor, and founder of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra....
the elder for piano and harmony.
Her first appearance was with the Philharmonic Society at Melbourne in 1892. She sang frequently in Melbourne in 1893 at concerts and in oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
, and was the principal contralto at the Australian Church. In 1894 she went to Europe and studied under Mathilde Marchesi
Mathilde Marchesi
Mathilde Marchesi was a German mezzo-soprano, a renowned teacher of singing, and a proponent of the bel canto vocal method.-Biography:...
for voice production, and under Charles Santley
Charles Santley
Sir Charles Santley was an English-born opera and oratorio star with a bravuraFrom the Italian verb bravare, to show off. A florid, ostentatious style or a passage of music requiring technical skill technique who became the most eminent English baritone and male concert singer of the Victorian era...
for oratorio work. Her first appearance in London was at the Queen's Hall
Queen's Hall
The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect T.E. Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it was the home of the promenade concerts founded by Robert...
on 18 May 1895, when she had an immediate success. For many years she held a leading place at music festivals and on the concert platform, and she gave five command performance
Command Performance
Command Performance is a radio program which originally aired between 1942 and 1949. The program was broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio Network with a direct shortwave transmission to the troops overseas. It was not broadcast over domestic U.S...
s before Queen Victoria in two years. She was also successful in America, and on returning to Australia in 1904 her tour was a series of triumphs.
She also visited South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and her second tour in Australia in 1908 was again very successful. She sang regularly at English festivals until 1913 but retired a few years later, though she made occasional appearances for charity. She never lost her love for her native country and her London house was always open to young singers and artists from Australia. There they received advice, hospitality, and sometimes assistance, without any suggestion of patronage. In 1905 she married Mr Francis Muecke CBE FRCS. There were no children. She died at London after a short illness on 17 October 1929.