Charles Manners

Background

Charles Manners was born on December 27, 1857, in Hoddesdon, England.

Education

Manners studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, Royal Academy of Music in London, and then in Florence.

Career

The D’Oyly Carte company recruited him to the chorus in 1882 and he rapidly progressed to leading roles creating the role of Private Willis in Iolanthe later in the year. He left the following year and for a time sang in light opera before joining the Carl Rosa in 1887 as a principal bass. He made his debut at Cork Opera House as King Henry in Lohengrin on August 10, 1887, and followed with Maritana, Masaniello, Don Giovanni, Robert the Devil, Faust, La Juive, and Star of the North. He made 184 Rosa appearances in these operas closing as Peter the Great in Meyerbeer’s Star of the North at the Royal Court Theatre on 24 May 1889.

Later he commenced a hectic professional life together with provincial concerts, overseas tours, and operas in London which included the British premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. In 1898 after a successful concert tour of South Africa Manners together with Fanny Moody formed their own company. They were not the first Rosa artists to go down this road but they were the most successful rivalling the Rosa until the Moody-Manners finally closed in 1916. Charles Manners finally retired to Ireland where he died on May 5, 1935, at Dundrum.

Achievements

• Charles Manners was a recognized musician and opera company manager.

Connections

On July 5, 1890, Charles Manners married Fanny Moody.

Wife:

Fanny Moody

Fanny Moody was the Cornish soprano.