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Adrian Ross

Arthur Reed Ropes (23 December 1859 – 11 September 1933), 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. He was the most important lyricist of the British stage during a career that spanned five decades. At a time when few shows had long runs, nineteen of his West End shows ran for over 400 performances.

Starting out in the late 1880s, Ross wrote the lyrics for the earliest British musical theatre hits, including In Town (1892), The Shop Girl (1894) and The Circus Girl (1896). Ross next wrote the lyrics for a string of hit musicals, beginning with A Greek Slave (1898), San Toy (1899), The Messenger Boy (1900) and The Toreador (1901) and continuing without a break through World War I. He also wrote the English lyrics for a series of hit adaptations of European operettas beginning with The Merry Widow in 1907.

During World War I, Ross was one of the founders of the Performing Rights Society. He continued writing until 1930, producing several more successes after the war. He also wrote the popular novel The Hole of the Pit and a number of short stories.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 23, 1859 (Lewisham), Died September 11, 1933 (London)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1900 - 1947

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 104 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]52 7-in. 6/2/1900 She never did the same thing twice S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]476 7-in. 10/29/1900 Chinee soje-man Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]477 7-in. 10/29/1900 Pletty little Chinee Dan W. Quinn Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]513 7-in. 11/15/1900 Rhoda and her pagoda S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]514 7-in. 11/15/1900 Chinee soje-man S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]707 7-in. 3/5/1901 Cooee! Mah girlie! S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]709 7-in. 3/5/1901 I mean to introduce it into China S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]710 7-in. 3/5/1901 Six little wives S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]710 10-in. 3/5/1903 Six little wives S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]3169 10-in. 3/5/1901 Coee, my girlie S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]3171 10-in. 3/5/1901 I mean to introduce it into China S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]3172 10-in. 3/5/1901 Six little wives S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]3203 10-in. 3/13/1901 Chinee soje-man S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]3278 10-in. 4/25/1901 Rhoda and her Pagoda Edward M. Favor Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor B-683 10-in. 11/9/1903 Toreador song George Alexander Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Victor C-683 12-in. 11/9/1903 Toreador song George Alexander Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Victor B-3909 10-in. 10/18/1906 Experience Ada Jones Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-7062 12-in. 7/12/1909 Gems from Havana Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-8651 12-in. 2/21/1910 Gems from San Toy Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-9535 10-in. 10/6/1910 Mary Haydn Quartet ; Elizabeth Wheeler Female vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-9594 12-in. 10/31/1910 Gems from The merry widow Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-9798 10-in. 1/13/1911 Long ago in Alcalá Henry Allan Price Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Victor C-10621 12-in. 6/27/1911 Gems from The country girl Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-11059 12-in. 10/5/1911 Gems from The Quaker girl Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-11335 10-in. 12/6/1911 Come to the ball Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
(Results 1-25 of 104 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ross, Adrian," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104143.

Ross, Adrian. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104143.

"Ross, Adrian." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104143

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