Merle Alcock

Merle Alcock (February 6, 1884 - March 1, 1975) was an American contralto who sang with the Metropolitan Opera in 236 performances from 1919 to 1929, officially signing in with them in 1924.

Alcock's concert debut was in London in 1914. She also sang with the Boston and New York Symphony Orchestras. She found a patron in Mrs. Charles Schwab in 1916. Mrs. Schwab was herself a singer as a young woman. Alcock first sang at the Met in a performance of Verdi’s Requiem Mass on Dec. 14, 1919. Her opera debut was on Nov. 15, 1923, when she sang the role of the fiddler Beppe in L’amico Fritz. Alcock trained other singers in her retirement such as Eileen Farrell.

Alcock was born Merle Tillotson in Andover, Missouri, to Zula and the Reverend Elijah Tillotson. She graduated from Drake University’s Conservatory of Music in 1906. She married Bechtel Alcock, a tenor, in 1914. The two would often perform together. She died on March 1, 1975, and is buried in Wooster Cemetery in Wooster, Ohio.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1890 (Andover, Missouri), Died January 3, 1975 (Phoenix)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1909 - 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: contralto

Notes: Born Merle Tillotson; wife of tenor Bechtel Alcock. Victor ledgers give her address as 42 West 12th Street, New York City.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 76-87 of 87 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Edison 4758 10-in. 6/1/1916 My old Kentucky home Thomas Chalmers Male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Edison 4765 10-in. 6/5/1916 I'm a-longin' fo' you Merle Alcock Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Edison 5629 10-in. 6/18/1917 Bella figlia dell' amore Merle Alcock ; Guido Ciccolini ; Arthur Middleton ; Alice Verlet Mixed vocal quartet (soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass), with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Edison 5770 10-in. 9/7/1917 My ain folk Merle Alcock Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Edison 5774 10-in. 9/10/1917 Let me dream again Merle Alcock Female vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Edison 5787 10-in. 9/14/1917 Sextet : Chi mi frena Merle Alcock ; Enrico Baroni ; Guido Ciccolini ; Arthur Middleton ; Henri Scott ; Alice Verlet Vocal sextet (soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone, and 2 basses), with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Edison 5839 10-in. 10/8/1917 The fields o' Ballyclare Merle Alcock Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Edison 6466 10-in. between 11/12/1918 and 11/27/1918 Voce di donna Merle Alcock Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Edison 6475 10-in. between 11/12/1918 and 11/27/1918 Danny boy Merle Alcock Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Edison 6489 10-in. between 12/2/1918 and 12/11/1918 Largo Merle Alcock Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Zonophone [Zo cat 5737-A] 10-in. Before May 1911 Dear delightful women Merle Alcock ; Henry Burr Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
Zonophone [Zo cat 5753-B] 10-in. Before July 1911 Irish lullabye Merle Tillotson Female vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, contralto  
(Results 76-87 of 87 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Alcock, Merle," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113828.

Alcock, Merle. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113828.

"Alcock, Merle." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113828

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