| Main Performers | Ruth Vincent,
Kirkby Lunn,
Ben Davies,
Walter Kingsley - vocals,
H L Balfour - organ |
| Orchestra or Band | Orchestra of Railway Men (180 instruments) |
| Choirs | Male Voice Choir of Railway Men (670 voices) |
| Conductors | Mr W Johnson Galloway (choir),
Hubert Bath,
Landon Ronald |
| Set List | Organ Recital (H L Balfour),
Guard of Honour for Royal Party (Royal train inspectors and guards),
Presentation of bouquet to HM The Queen and Princess Mary (Miss Hambro, Miss Mary Martin-Smith),
Trumpet Fanfare for Royal Party,
'God Save the King' (The National Anthem) (Orchestra),
'Overture' from Meistersinger, Wagner,
Song: 'I Heard A Sweet Song', Dorothy Forster (Ruth Vincent)
Cantata for Male Voice Choir, Baritone Solo and Orchestra: 'Landerkennung', Grieg (Walter Kingsley),
Song with Orchestra: 'So Fare Thee Well' (Doris), Cellier (Ben Davies),
Tone Poem: 'Finlandia', Sibelius,
Song: 'O Lovely Night', Landon Ronald (Kirkby Lunn),
'Miserere Scena' (Il Trovatore), Verdi (Ruth Vincent, Ben Davies),
Part Songs: 'The Beleaguered', Sir Arthur Sullivan,
'Stars of the Summer Night', W A C Cruickshank,
'The Men on the Line', W J Galloway Hubert Bath
INTERVAL
'Egypian Ballet Suite, Op.12', Luigini,
Song with Orchestra: 'Waltz Song' (Tom Jones), Edward Germa (Ruth Vincent),
Part Songs: 'O Peaceful Night', Edward German,
'The Goslings', Sir Frederick Bridge,
Song with Orchestra: 'My Dreams', Tosti (Ben Davies),
Chorus with Orchestra: 'Viking Song', S Coleridge Taylor,
Recit and Aria with Orchestra: 'Slumber, Dead Maid' (Ombra Mai Fu), Handel (Kirkby Lunn),
'Grande March and Chorus' from Tannhauser, Wagner,
'God Save the King' (The National Anthem) (Choir, Kirby Lunn) |
| Royal Presence | HM King George V,
HM Queen Mary,
HRH The Prince of Wales,
HRH Princess Mary,
HRH Prince Albert,
HRH Prince Henry |
| Performance Notes | The event was interrupted by Suffragettes (WSPU).
"SUFFRAGISTS EVERYWHERE.
The King and Queen and other members of the royal family were present at the concert in aid of the Railway Benevolent Institution at the Albert Hall last Saturday. Shortly after the interval there occurred what the Daiy Telegraph describes as "an incident of a kind that has become almost habitual at certain functions." A Suffragist rose in the stalls directly beneath the royal box and commenced addressing the audience. The organ was almost immmediately played in order to drown her speech, and she was ejected. Two other women near her scattered leaflets among the audience. They were also hustled away."
(Votes for Women, 6 March 1914)
"SUFFRAGETTE DISTURBANCE.
Shortly after the interval, during which the conductor, the principal artists, and officials of the concert were preseneted to their Majesties, occurred an incident of a kind that has become almost habitual at certain functions. The orchestra had just finished Luigini's 'Eygptian Ballet Suite' when from a seat in the stalls close by the Royal box a woman arose and addressed some inaudible remarks in the direction of the King.
Considerable indignation was felt at the unseemly interruption, and some little excitement was being aroused when the organist promptly set up the strains of the 'Wedding March' fortissimo, which had the double effect of drowning the hubbub and restoring the good humour of an audience that was obviously out as much to enjoy the good things in the programme as to take part, as it were, in proceedings in which a large proportion of them were personally interested. The incident, however, lasted but a few minutes, and the woman, accompanied by several others, was escorted from the building. No arrest was made."
(The Daily Telegraph, 2 March 1914)
"RAILWAY CONCERT.
VISIT TO ALBERT HALL.
SUFFRAGETTE SCENE.
INTERRUPTOR DROWNED BY THE ORGAN.
The King and the Queen were present last night at the concert held in the Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Railway Benevolent Insitution, and for an hour and a-half listed with obvious interest and enjoyment to the music of a male coice choir and orchestra composed entirely of railwaymen and numbering respectively 670 voices and 180 insturmentalists, under the conductorship of Mr W Johnson Galloway, a director of the Great Eastern Railway.
..The staircase and the corrdiors leading from the Royal entrance to the Royal box were lined by a guard of honour composed of the inspectors and guards in uniform who are on duty with the Royal trains, and the King regarded the men with close attention. A bouquet was presented to the Queen by Miss Hambro and Miss Mary Martin-Smith presented a bouquet to Princess Mary.
The Royal box had been prettily decorated with masses of pink tulips, roses and amilax.
...INAUDIBLE SUFFRAGETTE.
An episode which aroused deep indignation occurred early in the second part of the concert. The orchestra had just finished Luigini's Egyptian Ballet Suite when a woman, occupying a seat in the stalls immediately beneath the Royal box, rose, and turning in the direction of the King, uttered discordant cries, of which the meaning was quite unintelligible, at any rate to the great majority of the audience."
(The Observer, 1 March 1914)
'The Men on the Line', Hubert Bath, lyr. W J Galloway, was the first musical composition ever written specially for railwaymen.
Lady Desborough, Earl Granville, Mr E W Wallington and Vice-Admiral Sir Colin Keppel were in attendance. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1914/10),
Handbill (attached to Programme) |