Cast details are taken from a review in the Scotsman (28 March).
"Julius Benedict's Lily of Killarney is nowadays somewhat unjustly classed with operas which are no longer important. The form in which the work is cast, with its mixture of dialogue, ballads and concerted pieces, probably hampered the free exercise of Benedict's talent, just as that of his teacher, Weber, was hamprered when he wrote Oberon for the British stage. In spite of the artificialities of the form, however, and of the fact that the composer occasionally makes his Irish peasants express themselves in the language of conventional grand opera, there is much in the music of The Lily of Killarney that is wonderfully true to the subject, while even at its most conventional is always remarkably effective."
"...Mr E. C. Hedmondt was last night, as Myles, the central figure. He sang the characteristic music of the role with all his old taste and expression, and the humours of the character were portrayed with the accustomed gusto and conviction. Miss Clara Simons made a pleasing Eily, and there was the usual repetition of the beautiful 'I'm Alone.' Mr Frederick Clendon was an excellent Corrigan, doing justice to Mrs Cregan's definition, in the first act, of the Irish country lawyer of the period. The Mrs Cregan of Miss Ida Carton, and the Ann Chute of Miss Florence Carton, while both somewhat light on the dramatic side, were vocally attractive. Mr Hughes Macklin acted and sang well, and with a great deal of distinction as Hardross Cregan. Dramatically, it is not a particularly interesting character, even in the original play, but Mr Macklin succeeded in being the best Hardross seen in Edinburgh for a long time. The Danny Mann of Mr Frank Clarke and the Father Tom of Mr Harrison Cooke were both good. The scene in Eily's cottage in the first act, was well carried out, and the cave scene, reckoned a piece of thrilling sensationalism in the sixties, was satisfactorily managed. Mr Arthur Fagge conducted."
Performances by Carl Rosa Opera in Scotland during 1917 consisted of four weeks at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal then two at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum. The full schedule was as follows:-
w/c Mon 19 Feb Tales of Hoffmann; Tue Madam Butterfly; Wed Lily of Killarney; Thu Faust; Fri Magic Flute; Sat m Madam Butterfly; Sat e Maritana.
w/c Mon 26 Feb Aida; Tue Tales of Hoffmann; Wed Madam Butterfly; Thu Trovatore; Fri Marriage of Figaro; Sat m Cav and Pag; Sat e Bohemian Girl.
w/c Mon 5 Mar Carmen; Tue Trovatore; Wed Magic Flute; Thu Aida; Fri Madam Butterfly; Sat m Tales of Hoffmann; Sat e Faust.
w/c Mon 12 Mar Cav and Pag; Tue Marriage of Figaro; Wed Rigoletto; Thu Madam Butterfly; Fri Carmen; Sat m Faust; Sat e Trovatore.
w/c Mon 19 Mar Tales of Hoffmann; Tue Faust; Wed Madam Butterfly; Thu Carmen; Fri Marriage of Figaro; Sat m Tales of Hoffmann; Sat e Trovatore
w/c Mon 26 Mar Rigoletto; Tue Lily of Killarney; Wed Aida; Thu Tales of Hoffmann; Fri Attack on the Mill; Sat m Carmen; Sat e Maritana.
Six Tales of Hoffmann; Madam Butterfly
Four Faust; Trovatore; Carmen
Three Aida; Marriage of Figaro
Two Cav and Pag; Lily of Killarney; Magic Flute; Maritana; Rigoletto.
One Attack on the Mill
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