Crossley, Ada Jemima (1871 - 1929)

Contralto singer Madame Ada Crossley studied piano under Mrs Hastings of Port Albert and later Signor Zelman. She then sang with Madame Fanny Simonsen of Melbourne. Prior to leaving Australia in March 1894, to study in Europe, she gave farewell concerts in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. With Percy Grainger a member of her entourage, she toured Australia and New Zealand, returning to England via South Africa (1903-1904). Crossley returned to Australia for a series of concerts in 1908-1909. Once again Grainger was a supporting artist. During the First World War she sang at benefit concerts. After the war she reduced her professional engagements. Ada Crossley died on 17 October 1929 at Woodlands Park, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire.

• Muecke, Ada (married name, 11 April 1905 - )

Chronology

November 1889	Performed with the third Philharmonic Subscription Concert at the Melbourne town hall
January 1892	Debuted in Sydney
March 1894	Left Australia to study with (Sir) Charles Santley in London and later in Paris with Madame Marchesi
May 1895	Made her London debut at the Queen's Hall
1902 - 1903	Toured the United States of America, during which she recorded for the Victor Gramophone Companies Red Seal Celebrity series
1903	She claimed a repertoire of 500 sacred songs and ballads, ranging from Gluck and Handel to Richard Strauss, and she sang in English, German, French, Italian, Norwegian, Danish and Russian
September 1903 - February 1904	Engaged by J C Williamson to visit Australia and New Zealand, she returned to England via South Africa
11 April 1905	Married Dr Francis Frederick (1879-1945), throat specialist,
1908 - 1909	Revisited Australia

Related Corporate Bodies

• The Austral Salon of Music, Literature and the Arts (1890 - )

Related People

• Castles, Amy Eliza (1880 - 1951)

  Made an appearance at a St James's Hall concert with Amy Castles and Clara Butt

  [1901 - ]

Book Sections

• Missen, Margery, 'Crossley, Ada Jemima', in Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 8, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic.. [ Details... ]

See also

• Arnold, John and Morris, Deirdre (eds), Monash Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century Australia, Reed Reference Publishing, Port Melbourne (Vic.), 1994, 568 pp. [ Details... ]