Harry Greenbank
Encyclopedia
Harry Greenbank was an English author and dramatist best known for contributing lyrics to the successful series musicals produced at Daly's Theatre
by George Edwardes
in the 1890s.
Greenbank first placed one of his works, Captain Billy
, at the Savoy Theatre
, set to music by the company's musical director François Cellier
. The piece was staged as a curtain-raiser to The Nautch Girl
beginning in 1891. He continued to write such small-scale pieces over the following couple of years, both for the Savoy (Mr. Jericho
in 1893 and Old Sarah
in 1897) and for the Lyric Theatre
, where Horace Sedger asked him to supply the English lyrics to F. C. Burnand's adaptation of the French operetta Le Coeur et la main (Incognita).
After that, George Edwardes
put Greenbank together as lyricist with music director Sidney Jones
and dramatist Owen Hall
to create the hit musical comedy A Gaiety Girl
in 1893. After the worldwide success of that piece, the three stayed together and subsequently formed the backbone of the team which produced the famous series of very successful series of Daly's Theatre
musicals, including An Artist's Model
(1895), The Geisha
(1896), A Greek Slave
(1898), and San Toy
(1899).
At the same time, Greenbank also provided lyrics for two of the most successful of the lighter shows produced by Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre
The Circus Girl
(1896) and A Runaway Girl
(1898). He also ventured twice as librettist-lyricist, once with an original musical, Monte Carlo, and once with an adaptation of Lecocq's La Petite Mademoiselle as The Scarlet Feather. He also contributed additional lyrics for The Bric à Brac Will (1895) and, posthumously, a song for the London production of A Chinese Honeymoon
(1901), "Roses Red and White".
Greenbank was often in ill health, and during the production of A Greek Slave, he moved with his wife and son to England's southern coast in an attempt to regain some strength. He died there while writing lyrics for San Toy, and the piece was completed by Adrian Ross
, who, with Greenbank, was largely responsible for establishing the post of lyricist (as opposed to librettist, or co-writer) in the modern musical theatre.
He died in Boscombe
, Bournemouth
, Hampshire
at the age of 33.
Daly's Theatre
Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937.-Early years:...
by George Edwardes
George Edwardes
George Joseph Edwardes was an English theatre manager of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond....
in the 1890s.
Life and career
Harry Greenbank was born Henry Harveston Greenbank in London, England and had an extraordinarily productive, but short, life.Greenbank first placed one of his works, Captain Billy
Captain Billy
Captain Billy is a one-act comic opera with a libretto by Harry Greenbank and music by François Cellier. It was first performed at the Savoy Theatre on 24 September 1891 until 16 January 1892, as a curtain raiser to The Nautch Girl, and from 1 February 1892 to 18 June 1892, as a curtain raiser to...
, at the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
, set to music by the company's musical director François Cellier
François Cellier
François Arsène Cellier , often called Frank, was an English conductor and composer. He is best known for his tenure as music director and conductor of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company during the original runs and early revivals of the Savoy operas.-Life and career:Cellier was born in South Hackney,...
. The piece was staged as a curtain-raiser to The Nautch Girl
The Nautch Girl
thumb|right|250px|Solomon , with Gilbert and Sullivan irate at his success at the SavoyThe Nautch Girl, or, The Rajah of Chutneypore is a comic opera in two acts, with a book by George Dance, lyrics by Dance and Frank Desprez and music by Edward Solomon...
beginning in 1891. He continued to write such small-scale pieces over the following couple of years, both for the Savoy (Mr. Jericho
Mr. Jericho
Mr. Jericho is a comic opera in one act with words by Harry Greenbank and music by Ernest Ford.The work was first performed at the Savoy Theatre, London, on 18 March 1893 as a curtain raiser to Arthur Sullivan's Haddon Hall in March and April 1893, and to Ford's Jane Annie in June and July 1893,...
in 1893 and Old Sarah
Old Sarah
Old Sarah is a one-act comic opera composed by François Cellier with a libretto by Harry Greenbank.The piece was first produced at the Savoy Theatre from 17 June to 31 July 1897 and from 16 August to 20 November 1897 as a companion piece to The Yeomen of the Guard, from 10 December 1897 to 12 March...
in 1897) and for the Lyric Theatre
Lyric Theatre (London)
The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster.Designed by architect C. J. Phipps, it was built by producer Henry Leslie with profits from the Alfred Cellier and B. C. Stephenson hit, Dorothy, which he transferred from the Prince of Wales Theatre to open...
, where Horace Sedger asked him to supply the English lyrics to F. C. Burnand's adaptation of the French operetta Le Coeur et la main (Incognita).
George Edwardes
George Joseph Edwardes was an English theatre manager of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond....
put Greenbank together as lyricist with music director Sidney Jones
Sidney Jones
James Sidney Jones , usually credited as Sidney Jones, was an English conductor and composer, most famous for producing the musical scores for a series of musical comedy hits in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods....
and dramatist Owen Hall
Owen Hall
Owen Hall was the pen name of the Irish-born 19th and early 20th century theatre writer and theatre critic James Davis when writing for the stage...
to create the hit musical comedy A Gaiety Girl
A Gaiety Girl
A Gaiety Girl is an English musical comedy in two acts by a team of musical comedy neophytes: Owen Hall , Harry Greenbank and Sidney Jones . It opened at Prince of Wales Theatre in London, produced by George Edwardes, on 14 October 1893 and ran for 413 performances. The show starred C...
in 1893. After the worldwide success of that piece, the three stayed together and subsequently formed the backbone of the team which produced the famous series of very successful series of Daly's Theatre
Daly's Theatre
Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937.-Early years:...
musicals, including An Artist's Model
An Artist's Model
An Artist's Model is a two-act musical by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones, with additional songs by Joseph and Mary Watson, Paul Lincke, Frederick Ross, Henry Hamilton and Leopold Wenzel. It opened at Daly's Theatre in London, produced by George Edwardes and...
(1895), The Geisha
The Geisha
The Geisha, a story of a tea house is an Edwardian Musical Comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and James Philip....
(1896), A Greek Slave
A Greek Slave
A Greek Slave is a musical comedy in two acts, first performed on 8 June 1898 at Daly's Theatre in London, produced by George Edwardes and ran for 349 performances. The score was composed by Sidney Jones with additional songs by Lionel Monckton and lyrics by Harry Greenbank and Adrian Ross. The...
(1898), and San Toy
San Toy
San Toy, or The Emperor's Own is a "Chinese" musical comedy in two acts, first performed at Daly's Theatre, London, on 21 October 1899, and ran for 768 performances...
(1899).
At the same time, Greenbank also provided lyrics for two of the most successful of the lighter shows produced by Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre
Gaiety Theatre, London
The Gaiety Theatre, London was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was established as the Strand Musick Hall , in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. It was rebuilt several times, but closed from the beginning of World War II...
The Circus Girl
The Circus Girl
The Circus Girl is a musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and Walter Apllant , with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and Adrian Ross, music by Ivan Caryll, and additional music by Lionel Monckton....
(1896) and A Runaway Girl
A Runaway Girl
A Runaway Girl is a musical comedy in two acts written in 1898 by Seymour Hicks and Harry Nicholls. The composer was Ivan Caryll, with additional music by Lionel Monckton and lyrics by Aubrey Hopwood and Harry Greenbank...
(1898). He also ventured twice as librettist-lyricist, once with an original musical, Monte Carlo, and once with an adaptation of Lecocq's La Petite Mademoiselle as The Scarlet Feather. He also contributed additional lyrics for The Bric à Brac Will (1895) and, posthumously, a song for the London production of A Chinese Honeymoon
A Chinese Honeymoon
A Chinese Honeymoon is a musical comedy in two acts by George Dance, with music by Howard Talbot and additional music by Ivan Caryll and others, and additional lyrics by Harry Greenbank and others...
(1901), "Roses Red and White".
Greenbank was often in ill health, and during the production of A Greek Slave, he moved with his wife and son to England's southern coast in an attempt to regain some strength. He died there while writing lyrics for San Toy, and the piece was completed by Adrian Ross
Adrian Ross
For the NFL player see Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes , better known under the pseudonym Adrian Ross, was a prolific writer of lyrics, contributing songs to more than sixty British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
, who, with Greenbank, was largely responsible for establishing the post of lyricist (as opposed to librettist, or co-writer) in the modern musical theatre.
He died in Boscombe
Boscombe
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth. Located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne, It developed rapidly from a small village as a seaside resort alongside Bournemouth after the first Boscombe pier was built in 1888...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
at the age of 33.