Classic banjo in the Music Hall

[Russ Chandler]

I'm interesting in researching the role Classic banjo played in the Music Hall.

There are a few referenced in the standard literature, and a search of the BMG archive pulls up some interesting stuff (God bless text indexed PDF's!)

But does anyone on here have or know of any additional resources that might help me out?

[carrie horgan]

I did some digging on Madeline Rossiter - it was interesting to find out about a black female performer in British music hall (who also played banjo and composed some tunes including Romping Rossie and The Douglas Cakewalk and some songs like On the Promenade: https://bhbmt.org/2021/09/10/madeline-rossiter-millar-known-as-made...

https://footlightnotes.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/madeline-rossiter-1...

[Steve Harrison]

Hi Carrie, I've been a member of the British Music Hall Society for many years and your article is the first time that I've seen any reference to Madeline Rossiter. It would make an interesting feature in one of the BMS quarterly magazine...Steve.

carrie horgan said:

I did some digging on Madeline Rossiter - it was interesting to find out about a black female performer in British music hall (who also played banjo and composed some tunes including Romping Rossie and The Douglas Cakewalk and some songs like On the Promenade: https://bhbmt.org/2021/09/10/madeline-rossiter-millar-known-as-made...

https://footlightnotes.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/madeline-rossiter-1...

[carrie horgan]

There is a feature about her in the Nov 1954 BMG.  

Here are some more photos: 

Steve Harrison said:

Hi Carrie, I've been a member of the British Music Hall Society for many years and your article is the first time that I've seen any reference to Madeline Rossiter. It would make an interesting feature in one of the BMS quarterly magazine...Steve.

carrie horgan said:

I did some digging on Madeline Rossiter - it was interesting to find out about a black female performer in British music hall (who also played banjo and composed some tunes including Romping Rossie and The Douglas Cakewalk and some songs like On the Promenade: https://bhbmt.org/2021/09/10/madeline-rossiter-millar-known-as-made...

https://footlightnotes.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/madeline-rossiter-1...

[carrie horgan]

Olly Oakley playing her tune: Romping Rossie  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOPCjxHP0oI

[Russ Chandler]

Me too, and I totally agree!

How about it, Carrie? 

Steve Harrison said:

Hi Carrie, I've been a member of the British Music Hall Society for many years and your article is the first time that I've seen any reference to Madeline Rossiter. It would make an interesting feature in one of the BMS quarterly magazine...Steve.

carrie horgan said:

I did some digging on Madeline Rossiter - it was interesting to find out about a black female performer in British music hall (who also played banjo and composed some tunes including Romping Rossie and The Douglas Cakewalk and some songs like On the Promenade: https://bhbmt.org/2021/09/10/madeline-rossiter-millar-known-as-made...

https://footlightnotes.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/madeline-rossiter-1...

[carrie horgan]

Hi Mike - wouldn't it be great to have more of a documented history of the banjo in Britain (and the broader British Empire).  As a banjo player, I feel we have a forgotten history and there is so much to learn about performers in music hall and the repertoire for banjo (songs and instrumentals...)  I am not much of a singer so tend to gravitate towards instrumentals - am focusing on tunes by Olly Oakley at the moment.

Mike Bostock said:

I would love to be able to provide an off-the-peg list of resources that will unlock the narrative of all aspects of the early English banjo or even just the banjo in a music hall setting. The hard fact is that no large cache of banjo primary sources exist within any one archive. This is a major reason why this area of banjo development and vernacular music has been continuously neglected. The task is to look for references and mine those references out by original (and creative) research.

I'd be delighted to help you in any way that I can. That help is more likely to be where it is possible to follow up specific references. There is no general template. In my research area local history societies and specific university libraries have been as productive as the official public archives such as the British Library. Gradually building and accessing a reading list of out-of-print contemporary books written from first-hand experience is also a useful strategy.

[Joel Hooks]

My copy of her cakewalk has a different title sheet.

https://archive.org/details/douglas-cake-walk-madeline-rossiter

[carrie horgan]

Thanks Mike - I always keep a look on Ebay in case any interesting sheet music or other items turn up.   There must be a lot of performers who played and sung with banjo who are lost to history.

Mike Bostock said:

Fascinating to read about Madeline Rossiter, Carrie. Thank you.

carrie horgan said:

I did some digging on Madeline Rossiter - it was interesting to find out about a black female performer in British music hall (who also played banjo and composed some tunes including Romping Rossie and The Douglas Cakewalk and some songs like On the Promenade: https://bhbmt.org/2021/09/10/madeline-rossiter-millar-known-as-made...

https://footlightnotes.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/madeline-rossiter-1...