THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

James Sydney (1879-81, 1882-84)

[Born Middlesex c.1850, died 1898]

James Sydney (born Sidney James King) was principal tenor for several D'Oyly Carte touring companies between September 1879 and December 1884. His stage career began prior to 1876 and included a tour in America followed by an 1877 appearance in Richard D'Oyly Carte's own Happy Hampstead.

He toured first with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "Second London" Company (Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, September 1879-February 1880), then with "D" (later "E") Company (Alexis in The Sorcerer and Ralph, March -December 1880, and Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, December 1880-July 1881), and "D" Company (Duke of Dunstable in first provincial production of Patience, August-December 1881).

When "D" Company was disbanded in December 1881, Sydney left the D'Oyly Carte organization briefly to appear in London as Frank Brown in Richard Mansfield's musical sketch Ten Minutes for Refreshment (Olympic and Royalty Theatres, January-February 1882). He was back on tour with D'Oyly Carte in March, however:once more as the Duke, this time with Carte's No. 1 "Patience" Company. When this tour ended in December 1882 he remained with D'Oyly Carte, appearing as Ralph and Frederic with Carte's "Pinafore" and "Pirates" Company between January and March 1883. This was followed by another tour as the Duke with No. 1 "Patience":March-December 1883, and another as Ralph and Frederic with "Pinafore" and "Pirates":December 1883-February 1884. His final role with the Carte organization was Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe with Carte's No. 1 "Iolanthe" Company, March-December 1884.

In 1887 Sydney was engaged as a business manager by D'Oyly Carte. He served in that capacity for Carte's "A" Company (January-February 1887), "C" Company (March-December 1887), "E" Company (December 1887-December 1888), "B" Company (January 1889-March 1890), "C" Company again (March 1890-July 1891), and finally Company "B" (July 1891-December 1892).

Sydney was married to D'Oyly Carte soprano, later contralto, Ethel McAlpine. Their son, who went by the stage name of Sidney McAlpine, was for a time a D'Oyly Carte chorister.

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