A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Cellier, Alfred

CELLIER, Alfred, born Dec. 1, 1844, at Hackney, of French extraction, was educated there at the Grammar School, and from 1855 to 1860 was a chorister at the Chapel Royal, St. James's, under the Rev. Thomas Helmore. In 1862 he was appointed organist to the church of All Saints, Blackheath. At the age of twenty-one he became Director of the Ulster Hall Concerts, Belfast, succeeding Dr. Chipp, and conductor of the Belfast Philharmonic Society. He was appointed organist to St. Alban's Holborn in 1868. Mr. Cellier has also been conductor at the Prince's Theatre, Manchester (1871–5); Opera Comique, London (1877–9), and joint conductor, with Sir A. Sullivan, of the Promenade Concerts, Covent Garden (1878 and 9), besides holding numerous smaller appointments at the Court, St. James's, and Criterion Theatres. His compositions include a setting of Gray's Elegy, written for the Leeds Festival (Oct. 10, 1883), a Suite Symphonique for orchestra, various songs and PF. pieces, among which latter must be mentioned a charming 'Danse pompeuse,' 1880, dedicated to and frequently played by Mme. Montigny-Remaury. But Mr. Cellier is best known as a composer of light opera or opera bouffe. Besides much incidental music to plays, etc., he has produced the following:—'Charity begins at Home,' Gallery of Illustration, 1870, 'The Sultan of Mocha,' produced at the Prince's Theatre, Manchester, Nov. 16, 1874, with great success, and at St. James's Theatre, London, April 17, 1876; 'The Tower of London,' Oct. 4, 1875; 'Nell Gwynne,' Oct. 16, 1876; 'Bella Donna, or the Little Beauty and the Great Beast,' Apr. 27, 1878, all produced at Manchester; 'The Foster Brothers,' 1876 (St. George's Hall); 'Dora's Dream,' Nov. 17, 1877; 'The Spectre Knight,' Feb. 9, 1878; 'After all,' Dec. 16, 1879; 'In the Sulks,' Feb. 21, 1880, operettas in one act, all produced at the Opera Comique Theatre. 'Pandora,' a grand opera in three acts, words by Longfellow, was produced in Boston in 1881. Few of the larger works obtained other than provincial popularity, in spite of the pleasing and elegant music contained therein, probably owing to weak librettos; but on Sept. 25, 1886, in his opera of 'Dorothy, 'produced at the Gaiety Theatre, a fresh setting of his 'Nell Gwynne' to a new book, Mr. Cellier gained his first real success, thanks to the musical merits of the work, which ran through the entire autumn season, and on Dec. 20, was transferred to the Prince of Wales' Theatre, where it has been performed ever since. A lever du rideau entitled 'The Carp,' was produced at the Savoy Theatre on Feb. 13, 1886, and another 'Mrs. Jarramie's Genie,' at the same, Feb. 14, 1888. On Sept. 21, 1887, the 'Sultan of Mocha' was revived at the Strand Theatre, with a new libretto by Lestocq. Mr. Cellier has of late resided in America and Australia, but returned to England in 1887. (Died Dec. 28, 1891.)

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