LORD LORNE GOES TO THE THEATRE, 1878-1883

James Noonan

This article examines the involvement of Lord Lorne, Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883, and to a lesser extent that of his wife, Princess Louise, in theatre both at Rideau Hall and elsewhere in Ottawa, and in their travels in Canada and the United States. Using Lorne's diary as well as newspapers and magazines of the day, it seeks to recreate the theatre life of the capital during the Lornes' tenure in Canada.

Cet article examine l'intérêt que portaient au théâtre Lord Lorne, Gouverneur-Général du Canada de 1878 à 1883, et dans une moindre mesure sa femme, la Princesse Louise, soit à leur résidence de Rideau Hall ou ailleurs à Ottawa, soit au cours de leurs voyages au Canada et aux États-Unis. Se servant du journal de Lorne ainsi que des journaux et revues de l'époque, l'auteur cherche à recréer la vie théâtrale de la capitale durant le séjour des Lorne au Canada.

The arrival of Lord Lorne as Governor General and his wife Princess Louise at Rideau Hall in 1878 was heralded like the coming of Jack and Jackie Kennedy to the White House in 1960. Like the Kennedys, they were young, attractive, intelligent, and talented. Welcome arches greeted them in the various cities they visited, including two in Ottawa, one on Wellington Street with the words 'Hail Daughter of the Queen,' and the other at Rideau Hall. Lorne was just thirty-three and his wife thirty-one. They had been married seven years but - unlike the Dufferins, who preceded them at Rideau Hall, and the Kennedys - they had no children and would have none. Thus, life at Rideau Hall would be quite different from what it was under the Dufferins.

Lorne involved himself in the cultural life of Canada with enthusiasm and initiative. He was instrumental in founding both the National Gallery of Canada in 1880 and the Royal Society of Canada in 1882. He was also keenly interested in theatre and did much to encourage theatre-going in the fledgling capital. Although no children's plays were produced at Rideau Hall during their tenure, the tradition of performances for large and distinguished audiences continued every year he was in Canada except the last, whether Louise was here or on one of her prolonged absences from the country.

Before the first of the Rideau Hall theatricals was performed, the Lornes attended a Masque in their honour at the Grand Opera House in Ottawa on Monday, 24 February 1879. Entitled Canada's Welcome, it was written and produced by the Dufferins' favourite Canadian playwright F.A. Dixon, with music composed by Arthur Clappé. The musical included soloists representing Canada, an Indian Chief, and the seven provinces that formed the Dominion at the time, as well as a chorus of hundreds of singers who had been rehearsing for several weeks. Canada is represented by an Indian maiden who displaces the Indian Chief and his primeval customs. At first she is afraid of the rough pioneers who settle the land, and hides in the forest; but soon she is drawn out by the provinces who all make her feel welcome. She in turn welcomes the vice-regal party in the royal box and invites all the soloists representing each of the provinces to do likewise.

The 'Words of Welcome' addressed by Canada to Louise were certainly warm, though their effusiveness may have been too much for the timid Princess. Or the quality of the verse might have given her pause to wonder about the ability of Canada's literati; it contains as much repetition as the original version of 'O Canada':

Welcome! Welcome, from heart and hand!
Welcome, fair lady, to our land
No stranger thou; no strange land this to thee;
No stranger to our hearts henceforward be;
Our royal sister from across the sea
Welcome! Welcome, from heart and hand!
Welcome, fair lady, to our land!¹

The masque was given extensive coverage in the Ottawa Citizen, which began its report with a vivid reminder of the uniqueness of the event being celebrated:

The production in Ottawa, which - although the capital of half a continent, is still relatively but a clearing in the primeval forests of America - of a dramatic representation such as used to be prepared to do honor to European kings and nobles three hundred years ago, is, by reason of the historical and literary associations recalled, an event of more than mere passing social interest.²

The review then gives a history of the masque form in European drama and locates Dixon's work within the tradition. And while it praises the work of both Dixon and Clappé, it has reservations about both. The anonymous reviewer writes:

We listened attentively to the music, and were much struck with the brilliancy of the orchestral writing exhibited in the accompaniments. Mr. Clappé's forte seems to lie in taste and originality of arrangement rather than in originality of melodious idea. If the melody of the solos does not cling to us, we must frankly say in justice to Mr. Clappé, that the verses written by Mr. Dixon are not, as a whole, well suited for musical setting, and that while we accord to the words of the solos every praise as literary compositions, and as embodying graceful ideas, we think that, inasmuch as not one word of dialogue appears in the Masque, more consideration might have been given to musical and dramatic requirements, and we think this might have been done without spoiling the allegorical idea.³

In spite of these reservations, the review goes on to praise both Dixon and Clappé, and to remind the Governor-General and his wife of their fate for the next five years:

To Messrs. Dixon and Clappé, the enthusiastic reception the work of their united talents met with last night, must have been gratifying, and we have already expressed our belief that the distinguished subjects of the 'Welcome' must have left the Opera House last night, not only pleased with the representation, but with a kindly feeling towards the people among whom their lot is cast, and who echo every word of courteous and hearty 'Welcome' contained in the Masque.⁴

So popular was the masque that it was repeated in its entirety in the Opera House the following Thursday night. The reviewer again praised the work of the soloists, but showed deep disappointment with some of the choral music as if the singers had become overconfident after the success of the first performance. He writes:

The rendering of the music was not, however, at all equal to that of Monday evening. Whether the failures in the septette and trio were attributed to over-confidence begotten of previous success, we cannot say. An unsteadiness was observable, also, among the chorus throughout, but the success of each and all was so marked on Monday evening, that we would not say one word of discouragement or disparagement, and simply make these brief comments in the hope that none who were present only last night, will carry the impression that the performance was anything like that of Monday, which was beyond all praise.⁵

Janet Hall, a young observer of the social scene in Ottawa who kept a diary throughout most of Lorne's tenure but was never invited to the theatricals at Rideau Hall, did attend the first performance of the masque. In her more terse commentary, she seems to agree with the reviewer: 'Mon 24th Cold. Went with the Cunninghams to see the "Masque of Welcome," it was in honor of the Marquis and Princess who were present. The solos were very well rendered and altogether it was very good....'⁶ Lorne's Diary also reported that it was cold on that Monday evening in February - 'cold weather (23^o below zero)'⁷ - but there could be no doubt about the warmth of the welcome.

The Lorne theatricals were one way they reciprocated this warmth. They carried on the theatrical tradition of Rideau Hall by presenting at least two plays every year from 1879 to 1882. In their last year in Canada there were no Rideau Hall theatricals, though the Lornes patronized two special theatricals presented at the Institut Canadien in Ottawa on 1 May 1883. The plays at Government House were all presented in March or April, except for one performance on 28 February 1881. All were duly noted in Lorne's Diary along with the number of invitations sent - about 400 for each performance - and the names of those invited were published in the local newspaper. Because of the large numbers invited, each play was performed on two nights and separate invitation lists sent for each night. Sometimes the choice of who should attend the opening was determined by where the surname came in the alphabet; sometimes those from A to L came on the first night, those from M to Y on the second, though there was also a category of dignitaries such as the Prime Minister.

The first of two plays at Rideau Hall in 1879 was presented a month after Canada's Welcome, on 15 and 19 March. 'Alone,' subtitled 'an original comedy drama,' was written by J. Palgrave Simpson and Herman C. Mervale. A complicated story of deception, intrigue, a lost daughter, a recognition scene and the union of lovers, 'Alone' was based on an old French tale that had been adapted for the Paris stage by Eugène Scribe as La Lectrice and later for the London stage by T. Haines Bailey as The Daughter before being adapted for the Ottawa stage by Simpson and Mervale. Much of the review consists of a detailed summary of the plot followed by praise for all six members of the cast. Like all the reviews of plays at Rideau Hall, there was little criticism of the actors; invariably the evening was considered a success in all respects.

The Citizen review points out the appropriateness of the décor and the hospitality of the Lornes following the performance:

Though unity of time is disregarded in the piece, unity of place is strictly observed, one decoration, a sea-side view of Mr. Dickinson [sic], beautifully illustrating all the three acts. After the play the large audience found their way into the supper-room, where they did ample justice to the hospitality of His Excellency the Governor General and Her Royal Highness the Princess Louise.⁸

A special feature of this performance was a Prologue written by Lord Lorne and recited by one of the actors paying tribute to the Dufferins for their contributions to Canada and to the theatre tradition of Rideau Hall. Consisting of fifty-six lines in heroic couplets, it is an example of Lorne's more respectable verse. The beginning and end of the Prologue are worth reproducing here:

A moment's pause before we play our parts
To speak the thought that reigns within your heart.
Now from the Future's hours, and unknown days,
Affection turns, and with the Past delays;
For countless voices in our mighty land
Speak the fond praises of a vanished hand;
And shall, to mightier ages yet, proclaim
The happy memories linked with Dufferin's name....
Green as the Shamrock of their native Isle
Their memory lives, and babes unborn shall smile
And share in happiness, the pride that blends
Our country's name with her beloved friends:⁹

Between the acts there was a musical interlude with songs in English, French and Italian, all reproduced in the programme. The Citizen review of the second performance of 'Alone' noted that it 'passed of[f] as successfully as the first,'¹⁰ (apparently the cast did not falter on the second night as did the chorus in Canada's Welcome) and included a list of all those invited.

The second play of that year, 'Woodcock's Little Game,' was presented on Wednesday, 16 April and Saturday, 19 April, in Easter week. Though the Ottawa Free Press devoted a full column to it, the play received scant attention in the Citizen, which noted simply under the heading 'Government House': 'Another of the series of private theatricals took place at Government House last night. There was a large attendance of members of Parliament and their wives, as well as the elite of the city.'¹¹ The Lorne Diary is more informative than usual, taking note of both performances and even straying from its non-committal style to make some critical comment on the play itself: On 16 April it reads: 'First presentation of "Woodcock's Little Game." About 400 people present. Went off very well. Snow nearly gone.'¹² And after the Saturday performance it notes: 'Not so many present as on Wednesday, but the play was again a great success. Her Royal Highness was unable to be present being unwell. The last performance of the season.'¹³

In 1880 three plays made up the Government House theatricals, one on 11 and 13 March, and the other two both on 6 and 8 April. The first was Used Up by Charles Mathews, of which the anonymous reviewer in the Citizen spares us a lengthy plot summary, saying it is so well known that no synopsis is necessary. In fact, much of the four columns devoted to the event do not speak of the play at all, but describe at tedious length the Ottawa winter and the journey and arrival of the guests at Rideau Hall, including the greediness of Ottawa cabdrivers. Where the review is valuable theatre history is in its description of the actors and what constitutes a company of performers who acted regularly at Rideau Hall. This comes out when the reviewer speaks of a young woman who was new to the vice-regal stage and who had joined other experienced actors for the play. It is worth quoting at length:

Place au[x] dames; it is a pleasant task to criticize the fair debutante, who has won universal approval in the naive and attractive part of Mary Wurzel. Mrs. Corbett has proved herself fully competent to sustain the high character of the performances which have made the private theatricals of Rideau Hall justly celebrated and which rendered her position a very difficult one. Comparisons would naturally suggest themselves in which the great and varied excellence of the acting of Lady Dufferin, the vivacity and archness of Miss Fellowes, the natural pathos of Miss Staunton, and the graceful characteristics of many other ladies who have taken part in them would be remembered, but Mrs. Corbett fairly won the hearts of the audience, and there is no hazard in saying that her position as a worthy successor of the accomplished predecessors we have named, is already established. The heavy work fell upon Captain Collins and Captain Chater, who had stage reputations to sustain, and whose performances fully justified our expectations.¹⁴

After noting the Governor-General's hospitality following the performance and describing the departure of the ladies who, 'having swiftly donned their wraps, hurried to their sleighs as if they were so many Cinderellas,' he concludes with further information on the acting company at Rideau Hall:

We venture to congratulate the noble host upon the perfection and entire success of the arrangements, and we are sure that we express the feeling of the whole audience, when we offer our best thanks to his amateur Troupe.¹⁵

The Lorne Diary makes no comment on the quality of the production but it gives us some clue to the rehearsal time put into the plays, and the support received from the Princess herself. Thus, on 18 February, three weeks before the first performance, we read: 'First rehearsal of theatricals,' and on 10 March: 'Dress Rehearsal of "Used Up" at 8.30 - at which Her Royal Highness was present.' though on the days of performance the only information we glean is, 'about 420 present'¹⁶ on opening night. The verbose Citizen reviewer gives us another estimate of the audience as well as the seating arrangement in the ballroom when he writes:

At half-past eight the doors of the theatre are opened, and the seats are soon filled by a throng of more than four hundred and fifty ladies and gentlemen. There is no flurry or confusion. Two rows of chairs are reserved. The first are soon occupied by His Excellency and his suite, and the others by Ministers of the Crown and other dignitaries, and their wives, and their sisters, and their cousins, &c.¹⁷

On this occasion the guests received a bonus in the form of the first public performance of the 'Canadian National Hymn' composed by Lord Lorne and put to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan when he visited Rideau Hall at the end of February that year. It was made up of seven eight-line stanzas with a chorus to be sung after each verse, as follows:

O bless our wide Dominion,
True freedom's finest scene;
Defend our people's union,
God save our Empire's Queen.

The Citizen writer quotes all eight stanzas and then gives his impressions of both the verse and music of the anthem. He suggests that Sullivan's melody is not up to the lyrics of the Governor-General:

The stanzas are gracefully turned, and effective in their simplicity, and rhythmic measure as national lyrics must be, in order to catch the popular memory and sympathy. They interpret the highest spirit of Canadian patriotism, of which loyalty is the essence and stimulus. The music was composed by Sullivan, during his late visit to Government House. It is flowing and melodious, but not equal to the words and thoughts that it is intended to illustrate and enforce. The composer, perhaps, felt constrained to fulfil his share of the work while he was here. No man, however gifted, can command inspiration, and we think the music might be retouched with advantage to its originality and effectiveness. This as a single opinion will probably be in a very marked minority, if round after round of hearty applause may be taken as an indication.¹⁸

Today's readers may well judge that Canadians are fortunate neither the words nor the music were adopted as Canada's national anthem.

The April theatricals were Cool as a Cucumber, a farce in one act, and Checkmate, a comedy in two acts, both on the same programme. The Lorne Diary notes simply that there were about 330 present for the first performance, and about 450 for the second.¹⁹ The Citizen reviewer informs us that the Tuesday performance was marked by the first public appearance of Princess Louise since her sleighing accident in February and that she was greeted by 'a round of enthusiastic cheers which the restraints of the occasion could scarcely repress.'²⁰ His praise of the troupe of actors is also without restraint, and he notes the Ottawa debut of a Toronto actress, Miss Augusta Robinson, 'who adds to the inheritance of a charming voice decided histrionic talent'²¹ in Cool as a Cucumber. He closes the review and the season with a glowing tribute to the company:

We bid adieu to the actors for the season with much regret and many thanks, and one whose sides are yet aching with laughter must be pardoned, if with him the force of criticism can no further go.²²

The theatricals of 1881, presented on Monday, 28 February and on Shrove Tuesday, 1 March, while Princess Louise was on her extended absence from Ottawa, did not receive as much attention from the local Citizen, but were included in an article under the general heading 'Winter Amusements - Theatricals at Government House,' which featured a defence of the Ottawa winter and a description of winter sports and dances at Rideau Hall. The plays were a comedy, Perfection, and a farce in one act, Betsy Baker. Perfection concerns the plight of a young man who falls desperately in love at first sight but is told

that the fair and faultless being he seeks, can neither draw, sing nor play, is imperfectly educated otherwise, and, to crown all her other imperfections, has a cork leg. He has already impulsively committed himself by a declaration, and there is no honorable way of retreat. He leaves her in despair but nobly resolves to keep faith, meets her again and finds that he has been thoroughly mystified; his charmer draws like Millais, sings like a seraph, and being a native Corkonian, has not only one Cork leg, but two, both sufficiently active for a waltz or a galop with the best, in fact that she dances like a sprite.²³

Both plays were applauded by the critic, but most of the praise was given to the actors rather than the plays themselves, especially in the case of the second one:

'Betsy Baker' . . . had the disadvantage of coming after a very well sustained, bright and lively comedy, almost as light as a farce, but it was also a decided success, perhaps more by reason of excellent acting than the merits of the piece itself.²⁴

He lavished praise on all the actors, most of them familiar to devotees of the Rideau Hall theatricals, and in so doing gives further insight into the company of actors assembled there year after year. Concerning the excellent performance of Miss Stuart, who played 'Susan' in Perfection, he tells us that 'she comes by it as a direct inheritance from both parents.' Evidence of this he gives from Betsy Baker, in which Mrs. Stuart played the title role, and he goes out of his way to describe the mother's accomplishments over the years:

Mrs. Stuart never fails to give spirit and life to any part she undertakes, and she made 'Betsy' a character fully as successful as any in the long list in which we have had the pleasure of witnessing her admirable acting. It is not out of place here, we are sure, to express our thanks to her in the name of the many who have been indebted to her year after year for giving them the benefit of talents which are often exercised at much personal sacrifice, and which make her most deservedly, a popular favourite.

One other actor is singled out for special tribute, Captain V. Chater, an aide de camp of Lorne, who was preparing to leave Ottawa and the boards of Rideau Hall:

It was certainly matter of wonder to those who know anything of the arduous duties most thoughtfully performed that have devolved upon Capt. Chater during the winter that he found time to study his part so thoroughly and to prepare himself to render it so well. Everyone will regret that the time is approaching when he must join his regiment, and he will take with him, wherever he goes, the kindly wishes and remembrances of hosts of Canadian friends.

The review ends with gratitude for the 'sumptuous supper' served in the Tennis Court room after the plays, and the guests'

pleasant recollections of entertainments for which they are indebted to the most courteous and thoughtful of hosts, who we trust will pardon us for a feeble attempt to render justice to himself and to those who have volunteered, by taking part in the theatricals, to second his unwearied endeavors to promote our enjoyment.²⁵

More soberly, Lorne's Diary records that on the first night there were '350 people present' in spite of 'Snow all day. Heavy snowstorms during the night and frost,' and on the second 'about 342 present' with a 'Small dinner party.'²⁶

The theatricals of 1882, also given in Louise's absence, were Old Soldiers, a comedy in three acts, and 'The Area Belle,' a farce in one act. The performances were noted in two issues of the Citizen on 19 and 21 April, the day after each double-bill; on this occasion the guest list was divided over the two nights. This Citizen account is the shortest of any during Lorne's term; no plot summary is provided but the talents of some of the actors are described, notably Major Short in Old Soldiers, who 'ably withstood the temptation to merely make the part that of the traditional stage Irishman.' Once again the Stuarts are prominent, with Mrs. Stuart taking roles in both plays, Miss Stuart in 'The Area Belle,' and Lt. Col. Stuart in Old Soldiers. Of his performance we are told, 'The Major Fong of Lt. Col. Stuart was played with an ease and finish which bear token that this gentleman must have had considerable experience behind the footlights,' a statement that coincides with the comment the previous year about Miss Stuart's inheriting her dramatic talents from both parents. But again it is Mrs. Stuart who receives the warmest praise for her role as 'Mrs. Major Moss, widow and woman of the world,' in Old Soldiers, where she was 'the embodiment of an intrigueing [sic] susceptible widow, and proved what has oftentimes been proved before, that in her Ottawa possesses a comedienne of the highest order.'

The reviewer informs us that 'The Area Belle' was 'somewhat cut down, the business at the supper table being especially curtailed, and the celebrated song introduced by J.L. Toole of "An 'orrible Tale," being omitted altogether. This was probably owing to the length of the programme,'²⁷ possibly so that the guests might get to their own supper following the theatricals, though we are not told of any supper party after these performances. The Lorne Diary is particularly laconic describing these nights, noting simply '1st night of Theatricals' and '2nd night of Theatricals,' with 'about 400 present' on the first night.²⁸

The Diary, which inexplicably ends on 28 February 1883, makes no mention of any theatricals that year, nor does the Citizen describe any in the months of March, April, or May, during which time Parliament sat until its prorogation on 25 May after a session of five weeks and two days, the longest up to that date since Confederation. Since the theatricals under the Lornes were always held while Parliament was in session, it is unlikely they were held at any other time that year. Lorne and Louise did, however, give two state balls at Rideau Hall in that period, on 10 and 14 May, which were described in the local press.

It may have been that with the imminent departure of the Lornes from Canada that year, and the many social and political functions they had to attend, including the tributes from both houses of Parliament, they simply did not have time or energy to organize any dramatic entertainment. They did, however, lend their support to a night of amateur theatricals given at the Institut Canadien on York Street in Ottawa on 16 May. The Citizen account, obviously by a different person from the flamboyant reviewer of the Rideau Hall theatricals, shows that the type of plays chosen followed the format of those on the vice-regal stage, a comedy in three acts followed by a farce. The headline reads, 'The Princess at the Canadian Institute Last Night,' though Lorne was there as well; obviously the affection of the Citizen for Louise had not been dampened by her long absence from the city. Though the stage manager was a Major Anderson, the performers are not among the familiar members of the Rideau Hall company. The first play, 'Married for Money,' is described as 'a sparkling comedy, well fitted for amateurs, and which [sic] was remarkably well cast.' The drawing room of the comedy is described as 'the best piece of stagesetting ever seen in the building.' Among the actresses two Misses Bell are singled out since 'Miss Bell's "Mrs. Mopus" would have done credit to a professional, and her sister's "Mrs. Simpkins" was equally good.' Of the second play we are told, "'That Rascal, Pat" was a really good farce, and well put on. "Pat," by himself, was rich and his Irish jig brought down the house. Miss Brymner as "Nancy" had an unthankful task to perform, but made the best of a trivial part.'²⁹ Both plays were repeated at the Grand Opera House the following Saturday for the benefit of a wider circle of Ottawa theatregoers.

The French Canadian Institute Hall was a favourite of Lord Lorne in Ottawa. He attended plays and lectures there since both he and Louise were stimulated by the French culture they met in Ottawa and by the opportunity to show their knowledge and awareness of French. On another occasion, on 16 March 1880, he attended a performance there of the French comic opera, Le Farfadet by Adolphe Adam, with the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec. The opera is described as 'a new feature in entertainment of this kind and will be found an agreeable departure from the usual and ordinary programme of amateur concerts.' In this article on the day of the performance, the Citizen gives us some idea of the size of the theatre in the Institut Canadien ('There are three hundred reserved seats from which a good view can be had to all parts of the stage') and of the way in which the local paper encouraged and advertised dramatic presentations at that time ('Over two hundred have been sold already, and parties desiring to be present would do well to secure reserved seats without extra charges at Messrs. A. & S. Nordheimer's').³⁰ We are also informed of the price of those seats: reserved seats, 50 cents, parquette and gallery, 25 cents. Lord Lorne's patronage was reinforced by the fact that the Governor-General's Foot Guard band provided the orchestra for the performance.

Lorne was a seasoned theatregoer. All in all, according to his Diary and local newspaper reports, he attended some forty dramatic presentations in Ottawa outside Rideau Hall. This is a remarkable number in view of the fact that he took up residence each summer in the Quebec Citadel and toured various parts of Canada and the United States at other times during his term. Sometimes when Louise was in Ottawa she accompanied him to the theatre; sometimes she did not. When Louise was not with him, we read that the Governor-General and his suite attended the performances. His suite ranged from his sister, Lady Frances Balfour, to visiting friends and dignitaries and members of his household. But the frequency of his attendance shows that Lorne had a genuine love of theatre, that he cultivated popular productions from Shakespeare to Gilbert and Sullivan, from pantomime to melodrama and French comedy, and that he had favourites among international and local actors and actresses such as Mary Anderson, E.A. Sothern, Mrs. Scott-Siddons, Mrs. C.J. Watson, and Mr. Boardman.

Following the masque, Canada's Welcome, the dates of Lorne's theatregoing in Ottawa extend from 21 March 1879 when he and Louise attended an adaptation of Dickens' David Copperfield entitled Little Em'1y, to 24 April 1883 shortly before they left Ottawa for good, when both of them went to 'The Mighty Dollar' one week after Louise got back from Bermuda. Like most of the plays they attended in Ottawa, these were presented at the Grand Opera House, which had been built in 1874 and was thus quite new on their arrival. Frequently Lorne attended one play per week, sometimes two, and occasionally plays on two or three successive nights. In May 1882, when Sothern was performing in Ottawa, Lorne went to the Opera House three nights in succession to see Our American Cousin, David Garrick, and RipVan Winkle, and had Sothern to lunch on the second day.³¹ Lorne's choices included French plays such as Le Gendre de M. Poirier (on 24 February 1881) and 'La Mascotte' (on 21 March 1882). There are few comments on the plays in the Diary, 'La Mascotte' being among the very few to receive a poor rating, which was simply 'very badly played.'³² He had a particular fondness for Gilbert and Sullivan, and saw H.M.S. Pinafore (in 1879), The Pirates of Penzance (in 1880), The Sorcerer (in 1882), and Patience, the play which parodies Oscar Wilde in the character of Bunthorne, on 20 March 1882, just two months before Wilde's lecture in Ottawa in the same Opera House. Though Lorne was quite happy to see Bunthorne in Patience, he had no desire to see Wilde in person, as will be explained below. Lorne also saw Pinafore in Halifax on 31 January 1880 as he waited for Louise's ship to dock on her return to Canada, and Pirates at the Academy of Music in Montreal in the company of Louise on 26 May 1880, just one week after he had seen it in Ottawa without her.

Perhaps his favourite actress was Mrs. Scott-Siddons, whose reading he attended on 9 March 1880, and whom he invited to lunch at Rideau Hall the following day. In November of the same year he went to hear her again in Ottawa reading the part of Juliet. Lorne may have been partial to her because of the high opinion she had expressed of Canadian audiences. In a speech in Montreal in 1879, he noted, 'Only the other day Mrs. Scott-Siddons told me that she found her Canadian audiences more enthusiastic and intelligent than any she had met.'³³ Mrs. Watson's readings he attended three times in Ottawa; and in Quebec, in the company of Louise and her brother Prince Leopold, he went to what the Diary calls 'Mrs. Watson's theatricals.'³⁴

Another popular pair was the husband and wife team known as The Florences, whose play 'The Mighty Dollar' the Lornes saw twice in Ottawa, once on 26 April 1880 and again on 24 April 1883. Since this was so popular in the capital city, it is worth quoting the review that appeared in the Citizen both for its comments on the play and the performers, and on the welcome and prestige that greeted any play attended by the Governor-General:

Rarely has the Grand Opera House held a larger, and assuredly never a more brilliant, audience than that which assembled last night to see the ever popular Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Florence in 'The Mighty Dollar.' Notwithstanding that the prices were slightly higher than usual, it was with difficulty that even standing room could be obtained on the floor of the house. His Excellency the Governor-General and Her Royal Highness the Princess Louise (Marchioness of Lorne), occupied the royal box, and both on entering and leaving, were greeted with a perfect storm of cheers. Lords Dunsmore and Harvey were also present.
    The old drama, familiar to every Ottawa theatre goer, seems to improve with age.... Improbable and exaggerated as the whole play certainly is, it at the same time strikes at the root of a too frequent evil in political life across the line, and perhaps is more popular there than here. If so, the audiences must have some special means of evincing their interest, for more applause than Mr. and Mrs. Florence met here would be difficult to conceive. It is to be regretted that their engagements do not permit of their giving a second performance, but Ottawa must be content with the hope that they will re-visit the Capital at a very early date.³⁵

Lorne's travel in Canada and the United States gave him little opportunity to attend plays, but when he took up summer residence in Quebec he could avail himself of the opportunity to go to the theatre there. Not to be outdone by Ottawa's masque, Canada's Welcome, Quebec arranged a Cantata of Welcome to greet the new Governor-General during his first residence in the city. The music on this occasion, 11 June 1879, was composed by Calixa Lavallée, the composer of 'O Canada,' with words by the poet Napoléon Legendre. It was a busy day for the vice-regal couple. In the morning Princess Louise laid the foundation of the Kent Gate, a gift of Queen Victoria to the city. In the evening the spectacular Cantata was presented in the skating rink; it closed with the simultaneous singing of 'God Save the Queen,' 'Vive la canadienne,' and 'Comin' thro' the Rye.'³⁶

It is almost two years later before we read of Lorne attending any more performances in Quebec. When Louise was there with him, they often spent time painting or riding or fishing, as in the summer of 1879, 1880 and 1882. So it may be that during the one summer of 1881 that she was not in Canada at all, Lorne felt freer to go to the theatre more often. Fortunately, he found plays of great variety and high quality at hand: Madame Janauschek's company in Schiller's Mary Stuart and Macbeth, and several plays by French companies - Sardou's Nos Intimes, as well as L'Etrangère, Le Sphinx, and Les Deux Orphelins. In July he went see the Vokes family.³⁷ On at least three occasions Lorne attended military entertainments in Quebec. The first was in 1879, when he and Louise went to an entertainment by the officers and men of 'B' Battery in the Citadel.³⁸ The second, in 1881, was 'The Pirates of Hog's Back,' a version of the Gilbert and Sullivan musical, presented in the Citadel, after which he 'went to the officer's mess for a short time.'³⁹ The third, unnamed, he attended at the Music Hall in the company of Louise in 1882; it is the only play recorded in the Diary during their residence in Quebec that year.⁴⁰

Though they attended balls and other social events in Montreal, the only performance recorded there besides The Pirates of Penzance was an entertainment given by the Social and Dramatic Club of Montreal.⁴¹ The diary speaks of no plays they attended in Toronto, and only two in Western Canada: 'The Magic Dole' in Victoria,⁴² and 'on ship theatricals by the Police Jackets on Board' at Yale, B.C.⁴³ One of two performances recorded during their travels in the United States was in San Francisco, where they went to the Chinese Theatre Restaurant and Joss House,⁴⁴ probably the same one patronized by the Dufferins during their visit six years earlier. The harshest comment made in the Lorne Diary was levelled at a production of the Bijou Comic Opera Company in Santa Barbara; it is described simply as 'a very bad performance.'⁴⁵

Two events the Lornes were not involved in should be mentioned in any account of their cultural activities. The first was the lecture by Oscar Wilde which was given in Ottawa on 16 May 1882 at the Opera House. Though Lorne did attend other lectures there and elsewhere, and often had the lecturer to lunch or dinner at Rideau Hall, he seems to have avoided any part in Wilde's visit to the Capital, which was part of a North American tour in 1882. It is clear that Wilde expected to see Lorne in Ottawa - Louise was abroad at the time - for he wrote in a letter to his friend Norman Forbes-Robertson from Montreal, where he lectured on 15 May, 'Tomorrow night I lecture Lorne on dadoes at Ottawa.'⁴⁶ He did, in fact, deliver one of the three lectures on the tour entitled 'The Decorative Arts,' but Lorne was not there, nor was he interested in seeing Wilde on either of the two days he was in Ottawa. Wilde did dine with Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, and had a privileged seat on the floor of the House of Commons where he listened to the debates for half an hour. Lorne preferred to go golfing and riding on the day of Wilde's departure. At that time Wilde was not accepted by the British upper class, and had not written any of the works for which he became famous. Had Lorne attended his lecture, Wilde would have received much more attention and sympathy in Ottawa and in Canada than he did, such was te influence the mere presence of the Governor-General could have on the people or causes he supported.⁴⁷

Another story that needs clarification is that while in Canada Princess Louise composed an operetta based on life in the Gaspé region, where the Lornes holidayed each summer they were in Canada. It is an attractive story that has been repeated as late as 1955 in MacNutt's book on the Lornes, where he writes:

The Princess, being a lover of the arts, dabbled in the popular pastime and wrote an operetta of her own. The theme was of the simple fishermen of Gaspesia whom she had met during her summers on the Restigouche and the plot was a modified version of Enoch Arden. The suit of the comely widow ended with the return of her husband, who had been presumed lost with the mackerel fleet, and the triumphant gurgles of the baby in the cradle. The ballads were written in the Jersey patois spoken throughout the Gaspé region.⁴⁸

The manuscript of such a drama has not been located, and lest scholars expend time and energy looking for it, they should read the denial of its ever having been written by Annie Howells Fréchette, wife of Achille Fréchette, the French-Canadian poet and translator in the House of Commons, and sister of the American writer William Dean Howells. In an article entitled 'Life at Rideau Hall,' written during the Lornes' tenure there, she goes out of her way in a section on the popularity of the Rideau Hall theatricals to state:

... just here I am reminded to say that the announcement that the Princess has written a play founded upon scenes and amongst the fishermen of Gaspé Bay is quite untrue. No such play has been written, or, at least, not by Her Royal Highness.⁴⁹

However one might wish she had written such a play, it seems that in those days of 1881 Louise was more interested in the spas of Germany and Switzerland than the waters of the Restigouche.

Many addresses and tributes were made to the Lornes prior to their departure from Canada in late October 1882. Several were made when Lorne convened both Houses of Parliament in the Senate Chamber on 25 May to prorogue that session and to bid farewell to the many members he had come to know. John A. Macdonald's address was among the more restrained and straightforward. He lauded the contribution of the Lornes to the cultural life of Canada while stressing his belief in the imperial presence in Canada:

The warm personal interest which your Excellency has taken in everything calculated to stimulate and encourage intellectual energy amongst us, and to advance science and art, will long be gratefully remembered. The success of your Excellency's efforts has fortified us in the belief that a full development of our national life is perfectly consistent with the closest and most perfect connection with the Empire.⁵⁰

Frederick Dixon, who had written the Canada's Welcome for the Lornes on their arrival, and had become a close friend, penned some lines of farewell. Neither these nor any other he wrote won him a place in the canon of Canadian literature, yet they represent the strength of his and of many other Canadians' feelings. The last three of the eleven stanzas are as follows:

No wasted years were these you spent
We know your rule has made us glad,
No word you ever spoke but had
Some kindly aim, some wise intent.
And you, our Princess, wise as good,
We hold you dear for all your Worth,
And heart unspoiled by pride of birth,
And all your grace of womanhood.
We ever hold you, all will tell,
True hearted and unselfish friends;
And Canada this message sends
'God speed your lives,' and so farewell.⁵¹

Lord Lorne's influence on Canadian life and culture is still felt over a hundred years after he sailed from Canada's shores. While his contribution to theatre is less obvious than his contribution to art and to the Royal Society, his interest in stage arts in Ottawa and elsewhere no doubt had an impact on the Canadian people. It helped make theatre-going an activity which Canadians could respect and emulate for the satisfaction it could bring to their lives just as it brought to his.
 

Notes

LORD LORNE GOES TO THE THEATRE, 1878-1883

James Noonan

1 Citizen, Tuesday 25 Feb 1879 p 2 col 3
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2 Ibid col 2
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3 Ibid
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4 Ibid col 4
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5 Citizen, Tuesday 25 Feb 1879 p 2 col 3
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6 KOBUS DE BOER ed, The Diary of Janet Hall, 1876-1882 (Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit 1983) p 97
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7 Lorne Papers, Diary and Engagement Book PAC RG7 G18, vol 115, 24 Feb 1879. Herafter cited as Lorne Diary
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8 Citizen, Monday 17 Mar 1879 p 3 col 4
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9 'Programme. Theatricals at Government House, March 1879,' PAC MG28 1 139, vol 8
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10 Citizen, Thursday 20 Mar 1879 p 2 col 3
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11 Citizen, Thursday 17 Apr 1879 p 2 col 4
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12 Lorne Diary, 16 Apr 1979
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13 Lorne Diary, 19 Apr 1979
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14 Citizen, Monday 15 Mar 1880 p 1 col 5
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15 Ibid
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16 Lorne Diary, 18 Feb; 10, 11 March 1880
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17 Citizen, 15 Mar 1880 p 1 col 4
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18 Ibid
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19 Lorne Diary, Tuesday 6 Apr and Thursday 8 Apr 1880
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20 Citizen, Friday 9 Apr 1880 p 4 col 2
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21 Ibid
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22 Ibid col 3
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23 Citizen, Wednesday 2 Mar 1881 p 1 col 4
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24 Ibid
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25 Ibid col 3-4
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26 Lorne Diary, 28 Feb and 1 Mar 1881
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27 Citizen, Wednesday 19 Apr 1882 p 1 col 7
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28 Lorne Diary, Tuesday 18 Apr and Thursday 20 Apr 1882
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29 Citizen, Thursday 17 May 1883 p 4 col 5
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30 Citizen, Tuesday 16 Mar 1880 p 2 col 4
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31 Lorne Diary, 11, 12, 13 May 1880
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32 Lorne Diary, Tuesday 21 Mar 1882
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33 Quoted in J E COLLINS, Canada under the Administration of Lord Lorne (Toronto: Rose 1884) p 423
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34 Lorne Diary, Tuesday 25 May 1880
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35 Citizen, Tuesday 24 Apr 1883 p 1 col 6
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36 HELMUT KALLMAN, History of Music in Canada (Toronto: University of Toronto Press 1960) p 137
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37 Lorne Diary, 16, 18, 25 May; 14, 15, 18 June; 11 July 1881
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38 Lorne Diary, Wednesday 30 Jan 1879
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39 Lorne Diary, Tuesday 8 Mar 1881
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40 Lorne Diary, Thursday 15 June 1882
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41 Lorne Diary, Friday 28 May 1880
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42 Lorne Diary, Friday 17 Nov 1882
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43 Lorne Diary, Saturday 30 Sept 1882
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44 Lorne Diary, Friday 15 Sept 1882
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45 Lorne Diary, Friday 5 Jan 1883
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46 RUPERT HART-DAVIS ed, The Letters of Oscar Wilde (London: Rupert Hart-Davis 1962) p 117
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47 KEVIN O'BRIEN has a detailed account of Wilde's visit to Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada in his book Oscar Wilde in Canada: An Apostle of the Arts (Toronto: Personal Library 1982)
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48 W STEWART MACNUTT, Days of Lorne (Fredericton: Brunswick Press 1955) p 208
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49 ANNIE HOWELLS FRECHETTE, 'Life at Rideau Hall,' Harper's New Monthly Magazine vol 63 no 374 July 1881 p 219
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50 COLLINS p 486
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51 Quoted in COLLINS p 335
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