AUSTRALIAN EPHEMERA COLLECTION FINDING AID DAME CLARA BUTT (1872 – 1936) PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS AND EPHEMERA (PROMPT) PRINTED AUSTRALIANA APRIL 2017 This finding aid lists programs and ephemera which document all aspects of Clara Butt’s career in Australia and overseas. Clara Butt was an English contralto who was celebrated for her sturdy and broad lower range. She achieved musical success in Britain quickly after completing her academic studies. She went on to lead a charmed life, eventually marrying and touring with the prominent baritone Kennerley Rumford, and was sometimes called Clara Butt-Rumford after her marriage. Her fame was founded upon her remarkably imposing voice and a surprisingly agile singing technique and in her appearances on the concert stage as well as at festivals, and she toured Australia regularly. Her main career was as a recitalist and concert singer. See also Digitised Australian newspaper coverage of Clara Butt. Printed materials in the PROMPT collection include programs and printed ephemera such as brochures, leaflets, tickets, etc. Theatre programs are taken as the prime documentary evidence of a performance. The list is based on imperfect holdings, and is updated as gaps in the Library’s holdings are filled. Unless otherwise stated, all entries are based on published programs in the PROMPT collection. The Dame Clara Butt PROMPT files may be accessed through the Library’s Special Collections Reading Room by eCallslip request: http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn3526909 Programs in the National Library’ PROMPT collection are arranged by decade: Performances in the 1910s Performances in the 1920s Performances in the 1930s Then individually listed, chronologically by performance as follows: Date (day and month); City Name of production or performer Headline performers etc. An index to staged productions and appearances by staff performers is provided at the end of the document. This document is also keyword searchable. The National Library’s collection also includes: . Sheet music . Scrapbooks, personal papers in Manuscripts (NB: these manuscript collections may include additional programs) . Pictures . Published works . The J & N Tait PROMPT collection Dame Clara Butt (1872-1936) 2 1902 11 June, Royal Albert Hall, London Special Sunday Concerts Grand Coronoation Concert for King Edward’s Hospital Fund CB with others – note: original filed under PROMPT: Melba, Dame Nellie. 1907 17 September; Melbourne (Victoria) Australasian Tour Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré 1 program 1907 8 October; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Australasian Tour, Second Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré 1 program 1907 10 October; Town Hall, Sydney ( New South Wales) Australasian Tour, Third Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré 1 program 1907 17 October; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Australasian Tour, Sixth Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré 1 program 1907 24 October; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Australasian Tour, Ninth Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré 1 program 1907 30 October; Exhibition Hall, Brisbane (Queensland) Australasian Tour, Second & Final Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl é 1 program 1907 20 November; Town Hall, Adelaide (South Australia) Australasian Tour, Fourth Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré 1 program 1908 14 March; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Australian Farewell Tour Dame Clara Butt (1872-1936) 3 Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré 1 Program 1908 28 March; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Farewell Charity Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré 1 program 1908 6 April; Town Hall, Melbourne (Victoria) Farewell Melbourne Season Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré 1 program 1908 25 April; Exhibition Building, Melbourne (Victoria) Popular Farewell Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Frank Merrick, Carl Barré, the Women’s Exhibition Choir 1 program 1912 14 May; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London (United Kingdom) Dramatic and Operatic Matinee in Aid of the “Titanic” Disaster Fund Starring: Herbert Tree, Madame Sarah Bernhardt, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Sir George Alexander, Clara Butt, Vesta Tilley, Cyril Maude, Allan Aynesworth 1 program 1913 17 May; The Auditorium, Melbourne (Victoria) Australian Tour 1913 First Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, William Murdoch, Mowat Carter, Harold Craxton 1 program 1913 20 May; The Auditorium, Melbourne (Victoria) Australian Tour 1913 Second Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, William Murdoch, Mowat Carter, Harold Craxton 1 program 1913 31 May; The Auditorium, Melbourne (Victoria) Australian Tour 1913 Seventh Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, William Murdoch, Mowat Carter, Harold Craxton 1 program Dame Clara Butt (1872-1936) 4 1913 7 June; Exhibition Building, Adelaide ( South Australia) Australian Tour 1913 First Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, William Murdoch, Mowat Carter, Harold Craxton 1 program 1913 2 July; Little Theatre, Sydney (New South Wales) Matinee Benefit in Aid of the Women’s Hospital Starring: Madame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, Miss Violet Paget, Hugh C. Buckler, Tom Dawson, Paul Gorden, Alberto Marini, Alfred Bristowe, Miss Janet Warden, Miss Eugenie Le Blanc,. Harry Burgess and the American Chorus Girls, The Falon String Quartette 1 program 1913 19 July; Exhibition Hall, Brisbane (Queensland) Australian Tour 1913 Second Concert Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, William Murdoch, Mowat Carter, Harold Craxton 1 program 1913 14 August; His Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat (Victoria) Madame Clara Butt and Mr Kennerley Rumford Starring: Kennerley Rumford, Clara Butt 1 program 1913 16 August; Exhibition Building, Melbourne (Victoria) Australian Tour 1913 Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, William Murdoch, Mowat Carter, Harold Craxton 1 program 1913 21 August; Town Hall, Adelaide (South Australia) Australian Tour 1913 Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, William Murdoch, Mowat Carter, Harold Craxton 1 program 1913 15 December; His Majesty’s Theatre, Hobart (Tasmania) Australian Tour 1913 Starring: Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, William Murdoch, Mowat Carter, Harold Craxton 1 program Dame Clara Butt (1872-1936) 5 1917 3 July; Chiswick Empire, London (United Kingdom) Madame Clara Butt’s Matinee in Aid of the Day Servant’s Hostel, Danvers Street, Chelsea Starring: Madame Clara Butt, Miss Maude Royden, Ben Webster, Miss May Whitty, Madame Elsa Stralia, W.H. Squire, Miss Ellen Terry, William Stack, Harold Craxton 1 program 1918 5 October; Royal Albert Hall, London (United Kingdom) Madame Clara Butt Starring: Clara Butt, Miss Marie Hall, Miss Irene Scharrer, Madame Elsa Stralia, M. Hubert Raidich 1 program See also Digitised Australian newspaper coverage from the 1920s of Clara Butt (including reviews). 1921 6 September; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Third Australian Tour 1921 Starring: Dame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, M. Melsa, Miss Grace Torrens 1 program 1921 13 September; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Third Australian Tour 1921 Starring: Dame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, M. Melsa, Miss Grace Torrens 1 program 1921 15 September; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Third Australian Tour 1921 Starring: Dame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, M. Melsa, Miss Grace Torrens 1 program 1921 21 September; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Third Australian Tour 1921 Starring: Dame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, M. Melsa, Miss Grace Torrens 1 program 1921 22 October; Town Hall, Adelaide (South Australia) Australian Tour 1921 – Second Concert Starring: Dame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, M. Melsa, Miss Grace Torrens 1 program Dame Clara Butt (1872-1936) 6 1921 29 October; Town Hall, Melbourne (Victoria) Australian Tour 1921 – Second Last Concert Starring: Dame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, M. Melsa, Miss Grace Torrens 1 program 1921 5, 7 & 8 November; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Australian Tour 1921 Starring: Dame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, M. Melsa, Miss Grace Torrens 2 programs 1921 26 November; Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Australian Tour 1921 – Good Bye Concert Starring: Dame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, M. Melsa, supported by the NSW State Orchestra 1 program 1921 29 November; Sydney Town Hall, Sydney (New South Wales) Australian Tour 1921 – Second Good Bye Concert Starring: Dame Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, M. Melsa 1 program 1924 8 November; Alexandra Palace, Wood Green, London (United Kingdom) Florence Austral, Joseph Hislop and Backhaus Starring: Florence Austral, Joseph Hislop, Percy Kahn Note: Also lists details of Dame Clara Butt Recital at Albert Hall on following day, 9 November. 1 program 1925 15 April; Exhibition Building, Adelaide (South Australia) Madame Clara Butt and Kennerley Rumford Australian Tour 1925 Also featuring: Marie Antoinette Aussenac, Roy Ellett, Doreen Stoneman 1 program 1925 22 April, Queen’s Hall, Perth (Western Australia) Australian Tour 1925 Also featuring: Marie Antoinette Aussenac, Roy Ellett, Miss Madge Du Boulay 1 program 1925 Commencing 12 September; Auditorium, Melbourne (Victoria) Dame Clara Butt and Mr Kennerley Rumford Concerts Also featuring: Marie Antoinette Aussenac, Roy Ellett 1 flyer/leaflet Dame Clara Butt