| Performance Title | Savage Club Entertainment and Costume Ball, in aid of a Club Scholarship at the Royal College of Music |
| Performance Date | 11-12 July 1883 |
| Performance Day | Wednesday |
| Performance Time | 19:30 |
| Main Performers | Mr Lionel Brough,
Mr Edward Terry,
Henry Pyatt,
Mr Maybrick,
J H Brockbank,
Bernard Lane - vocals
Mr G Grossmith,
Mr John Proctor,
Mr J McLean,
Mr Harry Paulton,
Charles Warner,
Brandon Jones,
Mr G W Anson,
Mr J E Soden - actors
F H Cowen,
Visettie,
Eaton Faning,
J Farmer,
Theodore Drew,
A D Duvivier,
C J Hargitt - pianos |
| Secondary Performers | Edwin Bending - piano, organ |
| Orchestra or Band | A full Orchestra from the Royal Italian Opera, the Crystal Palace etc,
Sixth Thuringian Regiment of German Infantry Band,
Messrs Charles Coote and Tinney's Band |
| Conductors | F H Cowen,
G Jacobi,
Eaton Faning,
C J Hargitt |
| Set List | Entertainments - songs and recitations,
Dinner,
Procession of the Red Skins,
Pipe of peace offered to the "Great Father" the Prince of Wales,
'Buffalo Dance',
Costume Ball |
| Royal Presence | HRH The Prince of Wales (Honorary Life Member of The Savage Club),
HRH The Princess of Wales,
HRH The Duke of Albany,
HRH The Duchess of Albany,
HRH The Princess of Saxe-Meiningen,
HRH The Duke of Connaught,
HRH The Duchess of Connaught,
HRH The Princess Alice of Hesse |
| Performance Notes | *Language Warning: This record contains racist language.. For historic accuracy we have chosen not to remove or hide contentious language but instead retain and address its inclusion..
The Savage Club was founded in 1857, a bohemian gentleman's club for the pursuit of happiness and continues today. The ball was filled with members who went to great lengths to ensure their costumes were authentically as Native American as possible, peace pipes were smoked and wild dancing went on until dawn.
Price of admission included a champagne supper, wine and refreshments. The boxes and amphitheatre stalls were available for visitors who preferred to appear in evening dress and not to join in the costume ball. The doors opened at 7.30pm, the entertainment began at 8.30pm and the Costume Ball at 11pm. (The Times, 4 July 1883)
"Dancing began at 11, but it was not until midnight that the Savages, 20 or 30 of them, performed their famous buffalo dance, for which they were applauded as much as they deserved."
(New York Times, 24 July 1883)
Some of the Savages costumes were genuine Native American Indian clothes lent by Lord Dunraven, Lord Castleton, and others.
"Around 6,000 guests attended which meant dancing was almost impossible and the Hall became extremely hot. Around £3,000 was raised for the Royal College of Music in order to found a Club Scholarship."
(Auckland Star, 15 Mahuru 1883)
"The Albert Hall itself for capacity, grandeur of line, and beauty of proportion is unrivalled in the world for the purposes of a fancy ball. When the dancing commenced in the spacious arena, and while the spectators in costume lingered about the sweeping rows of amphitheatre, stalls, and tiers of boxes, and those in mufti still filled every seat of the vast balcony, the coup-d'oeil was magnificent, and decidedly surpassed that of a Bal de l'Opéra at Paris, even in the days of Napoleon III...The costumes at the ball were probably the most varied ever seen together, and many were remarkably artistic, accurate, and splendid... besides the Savages proper, a Japanese prince, a Chinese mandarin, an Afghan chief...a Californian gold-digger, Turks, Greeks, Albanians...as well as Pierros, Figaros, Mephistopheles, and Punchinellos, nuns, fishwives, and vivandières, matadors, cooks, and cardinals, and a thousand historic and histrionic personages."
(Illustrated London News, 21 July 1883)
"In the private boxes besides many members of the aristocracy were Madame Sarah Bernhardt and Madame Albani.The arena of the huge building was devoted to the purposes of the ball, while the boxes, amphitheatre, and loggia were occupied by spectactors in evening dress....Several new compositions were played by the bands, among them being a barbaric march, by Mr F H Cowen, to accompany the procession of Savages."
(The Manchester Guardian, 12 July 1883) |
| Related Archival Material | Souvenier Book,
Illustration (RAHE/9/1883/1/OS) (RAHE/9/1883/5) (RAHE/9/1883/7) (RAHE/9/1883/8) (RAHE/9/1883/9) |
| URL | https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/gVZgqUrgNX-CT |
| https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/EHdEHfoE0Y3bm4 |
| Code | Name of Performer(s) |
| DS/UK/4211 | Cowen; Sir; Frederic Hymen (1852-1935); British pianist, conductor, composer |
| DS/UK/8203 | Faning; Eaton (1850-1927); English pianist, composer |
| DS/UK/8204 | Hargitt; Charles John (fl 1880s); English pianist, composer |
| DS/UK/5927 | The Savage Club; 1857-; British London-based gentlemen's club |
| DS/UK/8323 | Warner; Charles Lickfold (10 October 1846-12 February 1909); English actor |
| DS/UK/8322 | Pyatt; Henry (fl 1880s); English baritone |
| DS/UK/6282 | Maybrick; Michael (1844-1913); English singer, composer |
| DS/UK/402 | Queen; Alexandra of Denmark (1 December 1844-20 November 1925); Danish-born Queen consort of the UK and Empress consort of India |
| DS/UK/4046 | Edward VII (1841-1910); King; British King, Emperor of India (1901-1910). First British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. |
| DS/UK/6200 | Prince Leopold; Leopold George Duncan Albert (1853-1884); British royal family member |