THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Thomas Silver

Thomas Silver (m.d., 1881-85, 1887-1902, 1903, 1904-09/a.m.d., 1912)

[Born Sudbury, Suffolk c.1857]

Thomas Silver began has D'Oyly Carte career as a Patience specialist, conducting the aesthetic opera on tour with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's No. 2 "Patience" Company from December 1881 to June 1884 when the Company was disbanded. He toured for a year with Carte's "A" Company (January-December 1885) conducting The Sorcerer, H.M.S. Pinafore, and Princess Ida, then left for a year.

Silver returned to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company organization in January 1887, and for the next fifteen years was musical director for D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "E." During his tenure Company "E" gave the first provincial productions of Utopia Limited (1893), The Grand Duke (1896), The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein (revised version, 1898), The Lucky Star (1899), The Rose of Persia (1900), and The Emerald Isle (1901).

When the Emerald Isle tour ended in May 1902, Silver left the D'Oyly Carte for a spell to conduct Naughty Nancy, a musical comedy at the Savoy (September-November 1902). In March 1903 he returned to Carte's Company "E," serving as its musical director until it was disbanded in December.

He rejoined the D'Oyly Carte organization in July 1904, serving as musical director for the Principal Repertory Company from July 1904-June 1905, in October 1905, from August 1906-September 1907, and from October 1908-March 1909. During the gaps he was replaced by François Cellier.

He left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company again in 1909 or 1910, but conducted at the Savoy and later at the Strand for C. Herbert Workman's production of Two Merry Monarchs (March-May 1910). Silver's final engagement with the D'Oyly Carte organization was a brief stint as assistant musical director in September 1912.

He married D'Oyly Carte soprano Agnes Taylor in 1888.

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