Jessie Rose

Jessie Kate Rose (18 November 1875 – 27 May 1928) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for her performances as principal mezzo-soprano in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. From 1896 to 1899 she originated several mostly smaller roles in Savoy operas and then continued to play a variety of smaller and larger roles in repertory with the company. She was its principal mezzo-soprano from 1904 to 1909.

Life and career Early life and career Rose was born in Uxbridge, Middlesex, to Henry Rose, a tinsmith, and his wife Ellen (née Masters). She was educated at Ealing and was given music lessons. In 1893 she enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music, earning a bronze medal in singing. and in February 1897 she created another small part, Helena, in His Majesty (1897). In August of that year, she married the composer and violinist Percy Elliott (1870–1932), a fellow alumnus of the Royal Academy of Music; they had a daughter, born in 1898, and a son, born in 1900. At the Savoy, Rose continued to perform in the chorus in the company's repertory productions and also originated the minor roles of Margery in Old Sarah (1897–1898) and Oasis (and sometimes covered Princess Laoula) in The Lucky Star (1899). In revivals, she played Amelie in The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein (1897–98), and Vittoria in The Gondoliers (1898). and originating the substantial part of Scent-of-Lilies in The Rose of Persia (1899–1900).

Rose left D'Oyly Carte for a year and a half, but rejoined the company on tour from 1901 to 1902 as Lady Rosie Pippin in The Emerald Isle. She also understudied and occasionally played the leading roles of Yum-Yum in The Mikado, and the title role in Princess Ida. In May 1903 her husband abandoned her and their two small children and went to South Africa. The couple divorced in 1908. A review of Rose noted that she "acted and sang charmingly as Phoebe. ... s Iolanthe [she was] especially good and sang splendidly and in faultless tune." In Bob, she appears to have switched to the role of Lady Mabel. She then returned to the company's repertory touring schedule in all her Gilbert and Sullivan roles. In the company's second London repertory season (1908–09), she played Pitti-Sing, Hebe, Iolanthe, Edith, Tessa and Phoebe. She then continued to tour with the company as principal mezzo-soprano until June 1909.

Rose returned to the Savoy under the management of C. H. Workman, originating the roles of Annette in The Mountaineers (September to November 1909) and Zayda in Fallen Fairies (December 1909 to January 1910). They had one son, born in 1911. Rose's last known public performance was in the role of Iolanthe in a single performance at a charity "Gilbert and Sullivan Pageant" at Cassiobury Park, Hertfordshire in 1919.

She died in Sunningdale, Berkshire in 1928 at the age of 52.