63 See http://genforum.genealogy.com/zabriskie/messages/72.html accessed on 5 November 2005 64 “English CA: 1921 Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang” http://www.sportscarmarket.com/mp/0003-eng.php accessed on 27 October 2002. This website relates to the sale of a 1921 Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, a series o f racing vehicles built and raced by Zborowski’s son Louis during the early 1920s and more recently immortalised by the 1960s film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (based on Ian Fleming’s book of the same name). Zborowski’s son suffered a similar fate to that o f his father, as he was killed in a crash during the
1924 Italian Grand Prix. The Zborowskis were resident in England for some years, as both the Count and an infant son (died c.1893) were interred in the family plot at Burton Lazars, Leicestershire. See
[Untitled] The Times 10 April 1903, 7f.
65 Learmont Drysdale [“Life List to 1901”], Farmer 257, tipped into Dunedin Magazine 3 (1914-15): affixed to p. 14; Zborowski to Learmont Drysdale, 13 January 1898, Box 57.4/4 — Miscellaneous third party correspondence:W-Z, Shaw Collection, HRC
66 Zborowski to Learmont Drysdale, 27 September 1897, Box 57.2/3 — Miscellaneous third party correspondence: W-Z, Shaw Collection, HRC
A7
business agent ), the cancellation allowed him to concentrate his efforts upon arrangements for Red Spider. When a performance of The Oracle was contemplated in
/ o
1912, the score could not be found, a situation which recent searches by the author has not remedied.69
Information regarding Drysdale’s activities around the turn o f the century is sparse. He visited Boulogne with Frederick Pilleau in 1899, a trip which seems to have been
7 n
purely for pleasure. Professionally, he undertook several appointments as a theatre 71 conductor working with Frank E. Tours in the comic opera Melnotte in 1901 and in
77
an unnamed American musical comedy in 1902.
• 77
In late 1900, Drysdale is believed to have been asked by Sir Theodore Martin (an honorary member o f the exhibition’s council74) to write the music for the opening ode of the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901. Janey Drysdale notes that her brother had begun work on the project when some members of the exhibition’s music committee decided they wanted Hamish McCunn to undertake the commission, but Martin stated that if Drysdale was not to write it, he wanted no ode and this edict was
nc
followed. Although no official source has been traced to verify Janey’s version of events, it seems that Drysdale was linked to the project as the press reported his
67 This information appears in a letter from Richard D ’Oyly Carte to Drysdale of 11 October 1897 (CblO- x.497) and although the forename o f this person is not mentioned, it possibly refers to William Lestocq, a dramatist working in London around the turn o f the twentieth century.
68 Robin Legge to Miss Drysdale, 19 April 1912, Fanner 311/2; A. Richardson (Secretary o f D ’Oyly Carte Co.) to Janey Drysdale, 4 June 1912, CblO-x.18/1
69 All library and archive catalogues listed in the acknowledgements to this thesis have been examined. During research, a substantial number of documents relating to this work and Red Spider were discovered at the Harry Ransome Humanities Research Centre in Austin, Texas, but the score for The Oracle was not amongst this material.
70 Learmont Drysdale [“Life List to 1901”], Farmer 257, tipped into Dunedin Magazine 3 (1914-15): affixed to p. 14
71 Kurt Ganzl The British Musical Theatre 2 vols (London: Macmillan, 1986) 1: 1865-1914, 784. A comic opera in two acts also known as The Gardener’s Bride. Premiered at the Coronet Theatre, London and ran to six further performances.
72 Janey Drysdale “Learmont Drysdale” 22
73 Janey Drysdale to Henry Farmer, 19 August 1942, Farmer 249/1942/m. Martin (1816-1909), a well- known lawyer and man of letters, was bom in Edinburgh and attended the Royal High School (See Who
Was Who: 1897-1915 7 vols {London: Black, 1947} 1,477-478). Why he should promote Drysdale’s
work is not known. It has not been possible to trace any link between the parties except that they attended the same school albeit at different times.
74 “Articles o f Association o f the International Exhibition Association o f Industry, Science, and Art: Glasgow 1901”, D644809, Glasgow Room, ML, Glasgow, 8
• • 76 involvement whilst always suggesting that Rudyard Kipling was to supply the text. The exhibition’s Music Committee minutes refer only once to the music for the
• • • 77
opening ode and on that occasion they decided to defer a decision on the matter. Janey’s account o f why the commission was cancelled may be correct, but it is also possible that it was as a the result o f the scaling-down o f arrangements for the exhibition ordered by King Edward VII on the death o f his mother, Queen Victoria, in January o f that year.78 Whatever the reason for the lack o f an ode, M T was unimpressed by the exhibition’s opening ceremony noting that the occasion was “robbed o f much o f its interest from a musical point o f view, by the absence o f choral ’ode”’ whilst explaining rather sardonically that “the [Glasgow] Choral Union supplied some miscellaneous pieces with band and organ accompaniment.”79 Once again, Drysdale had lost a valuable opportunity to further his work although on this occasion it would seem that the failure was through no fault o f his own.
Between 1901 and 1903, Drysdale was particularly active in composition. He composed numerous songs including a number written for several well-known music hall stars o f the time,80 undertook choral settings o f Charles Kingsley’s poem The
Proud Damozel and the ballad Tamlane (which was not completed until 1905), and
began work on four operas o f which only the scores o f the unfinished The Vikings (1902) and Flora Macdonald (1902—3) survive. Janey Drysdale notes that arrangements for the latter’s production were in place but were later cancelled and Drysdale, needing the spur o f performance to retain his motivation, did nothing about the work until the last time he visited London (1908) when he spoke o f it to the Scots scholar and man o f letters Andrew Lang (1844-1912).81 Lang, whose diverse interests included Scottish history, seems to have been eager to work with Drysdale on a new
76 Learmont Drysdale comp. “Press Cuttings o f Learmont Drysdale”, 1896-1907, Farmer 624, f,12v. Cuttings include Musical Opinion, nd; Musical Standard 22 September 1900 and Athenaeum 13 September 1900.
77 “Minutes of the Glasgow International Exhibition Association 1901”, Sub-committee on Music: 12 September 1900, D644809, Glasgow Room, ML, Glasgow, 327
78 Perilla and Juliet Kinchin Glasgow’s Great Exhibitions: J888, 1901, 1911, 1938, 1988 (Glasgow: White Cocade, [1988]) 63
79 “Music in Glasgow” MT 42 (1 June 1901): 408
80 “Music Hall Songs”, tipped into the front cover of Henry Farmer comp. “Press Cuttings — Drysdale”, CblO-y.6. This list contains the names o f a number o f music hall singers including the well-known Florrie Ford and Marie Loftus. However, performances by these singers have not been traced. For further information regarding the Scottish music hall o f the period see: J.H. Littlejohn The Scottish Music Hall
1880-1990 (Wigtown: G. C. Book Publishers, 1990); Paul Maloney Scotland and the Music Hall: 1850- 1914 (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2003).