| Performance Title | Christmas in Wartime, in aid of the Professional Classes War Relief Council |
| Performance Date | 10 December 1915 |
| Performance Day | Friday |
| Performance Time | 11:00 |
| Secondary Performers | G O'Connor Morris,
Lily Fairney,
E. Thornley Dodge,
Gwendolen Brogden,
Morris Harvey,
Fay Compton,
Mabel Russell,
Kenneth Douglas,
May Leslie-Stuart,
P Gordon Cleather,
Phyllis Bedells,
Dorothy Varick,
Henry Ainley,
Harry Death,
Winifred Barnes,
Donald Calthrop - performers,
H Price - cornet |
| Orchestra or Band | Band of the Royal Engineers |
| Conductors | Neville-Flux |
| Set List | 15:00-16:00: Entertainment by prominent members of the theatrical profession in the Entertainment Hall
Piano Solo (G O'Connor Morris),
Song (Lily Fairney),
Caricaturist, (E Thornley Dodge),
Song (Gwendolen Brogden),
Imitations of Popular Actors (Morris Harvey),
Song (Fay Compton),
'The Fife and the Drum (The Only Girl) (Mabel Russell, Kenneth Douglas),
Song (May Leslie-Stuart)
15:30-21:00: Teas and Entertainments by the Representative Committees of the Allied Nations in the Boxes and Cafes Chantants
16:30-17:30: Entertainment by prominent members of the theatrical profession in the Entertainment Hall
Piano Solo (G O'Connor Morris),
Song (May Leslie-Stuart),
Imitations (Morris Harvey),
Songs from his Repertoire (P Gordon Cleather),
New Dances (Phyllis Bedells),
The English Diseuse, in Selections from her Repertoire (Dorothy Varick),
Recitation (Henry Ainley),
Song (Harry Dearth),
Duet from 'Betty' (Winifred Barnes, Donald Calthrop)
19:30-21:00: Music (Band of the Royal Engineers)
Pas Redouble: 'L'Entente Cordiale', Allier,
Overture: 'Maritana', Wallace,
Valse Des Fleurs: 'Casse Noisette', Tschaikowsky,
Serenade Berceuse: 'Quand tu Chantes', Gounod (H Price),
Fantasia: 'La Vie pour le Czar', Glinka
INTERVAL
Selection: 'Rigoletto', Verdi,
Intermezzo (strings): 'Douce Caresse', Gillet,
Japanese Scene: 'Ke-sa-ko', Chapuis,
Suite: 'Old Flemish Folk-Songs', Greef,
Finale: 'La Ritirata Italianna', Drescher,
Anthems of the Allied Nations
'God Save The King' (National Anthem) |
| Royal Presence | HRH Princess Alexander of Teck,
HRH The Princess Royal,
HRH Princess Arthur of Connaught,
HRH Princess Victoria,
HRH Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein |
| Performance Notes | 'Christmas in Wartime' in aid of War Relief; divided the hall into sections such as 'Hospital Comforts' - Clothing, Sick Room Furniture, Nurses' Needs; Fighting Forces - Books, Music, Made-Up Parcels for 5 + 10 shillings and £1; Made by the Wounded; British Prisoners of War - Smokes, Edibles and Made-Up Parcels.
The Hall boxes were rented to institutions and business firms and there was also character reading and palmistry and a lightening sketch artist.
The sections were:
Hospital Comforts:
Clothing,
Amusements and Sundries,
Sick Room Furniture,
Nurses' Needs,
Dairy Produce, Game,
Flowers.
Fighting Forces:
Clothing,
Necessaries,
Books,
Music,
Made-Up Parcels,
Edibles.
Made by the Wounded
Prisoners of War:
Sundries,
Smokes,
Edibles,
Made-Up Parcels.
Dependants, or Christmas Presents suitable for those at home:
Children's Corner,
Clothing,
Needlework,
Handicrafts,
Bric-a-brac,
Pictures.
"At the Albert Hall yesterday Princess Alexander of Teck, who was accompanied by the Duchess of Albany, opened a monster entertainment called 'Christmas in Wartime'. The affair has been arranged, under the patronage of the Queen, Queen Alexandra, and several other members of the Royal family, in aid of the Funds of the Professional classes War Relief Council.
The professional classes have suffered very severely in many cases through the conditions imposed by the war, and it was very pleasant to see so large and clearly generous minded a crowd of people present. But then, charity apart, the Albert Hall is well worth visiting just now for its own sake; and the Christmas in Wartime will have been so widely talked about by now that still larger crowds may be expected there today and to-morrow between the opening at 11 in the morning and the closing at 10 at night.
The great floor is covered in stalls and booths full of interesting things to buy and give away for Christmas presents. The colours of the Allied nations decorate the circles ; in the boxes tea may be had, and luncheon and dinner are served at reasonable prices in the gallery. And all the while, besides the buying and selling and so forth, there is music or entertainment of some kind going on.
Sketches by Famous Artists - this is the section which contains the most interesting stall in the bazaar - Mrs Ralph Peto's collections of drawings and etchings. There are so many choice things here that it would be well worth the while of connoisseurs and collectors to drop in. Mr John S Sargent has (probably for the first time in his career) given sketches from his sketch book to be sold for the good object. There is a drawing by Burne-Jones. there are specimens of Max Beerbohm, some excellent Orpens', a John, a Walter Bayes; drawings by MacEvoy, Muirhead Bone, Albert Rothenstein, John Nash, Pryde, Ned Yates, Harvard Thomas and many other well known artists."
(The Times, 9 December 1915)
Taken from the programme:
Each Day Games and Competitions will be held all day in the Boxes (round the edge of the Floor) Nos. 10, 15, 21, and 27.
Character-Reading and Palmistry in Boxes 1 and 35.
Lightning Sketch Portraits in Box No. 36; also Mr Louis Wain in Box 32.
Embassy and Legation Tea-Rooms. The French, Russian, and Italian Embassy Tea-rooms will be arranged in the First Tier Boxes. (The Belgian and Serbian Legation Tea-rooms will be arranged in the crush rooms on the same floor as the First Tier Boxes).
"The wives of the Ambassadors and Ministers of the Allied countries are taking an active part, and many well-known public entertainers are giving their services. The hall presented a magnificent colour-scheme, of which the principal note was wedgewood-blue and white. No fewer than twenty-six seperate Governments were represented at the different stalls by ladies in national costume."
(The Daily Telegraph, 9 December 1915)
Artist, Louis Wain drew some of his famous cat pictures for the exhibition which were auctioned off for war charities. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1915/41),
Handbill (RAHE/6/1915/),
Digital Poster (IWM) |
| Ticket Prices | 1s (after 17:00)-2s 6d |
| URL | https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/cqcYahcDkzPGk |
| https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/pwpNlmpNT193z |
| https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/0890HtX0X5vf8 |