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Ada Crossley

Ada Jemima Crossley (3 March 1871 – 17 October 1929) was an Australian contralto notable as the first Red Seal recording artist engaged in the US by the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1903.

Born at Tarraville, Gippsland, Victoria, she was the daughter of Edwards Wallis Crossley (died 11 April 1902), an ironmonger, and Harriette, née Morris, both from Northamptonshire, England. Ada was the sixth surviving child in a family of twelve children.

She was the principal contralto in the choir of Charles Strong's Australian Church. She made her début performance in Sydney in January 1892, and also became well known there.

On 27 February 1923 she appeared in concert at Wigmore Hall in support of her friend and protégée, the South Australian contralto Clara Serena. The London newspapers gave positive reviews, also praising Serena's accompanist (and husband) Roy Mellish.

Birth and Death Data: Born (Victoria (state of Australia) ), Died October 17, 1929 (London (capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1903

Roles Represented in DAHR: contralto

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]2186 10-in. 4/30/1903 Caro mio ben Ada Crossley Contralto vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]2187 10-in. 4/30/1903 Oh, that we two were maying Ada Crossley Contralto vocal solo, with chimes vocalist, contralto  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]2188 10-in. 4/30/1903 Der Tod und das Mädchen Ada Crossley Contralto vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]2189 10-in. 4/30/1903 Four-leaf clover Ada Crossley Contralto vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]2190 10-in. 4/30/1903 Paysage Ada Crossley Contralto vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]2191 10-in. 4/30/1903 New Year's song Ada Crossley Contralto vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Crossley, Ada," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107542.

Crossley, Ada. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107542.

"Crossley, Ada." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107542

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