15 Facts About Lionel Monckton

Lionel John Alexander Monckton was an English composer of musical theatre.

Lionel Monckton became Britain's most popular composer of Edwardian musical comedy in the early years of the 20th century.

Lionel Monckton was educated at Charterhouse School and Oriel College at Oxford University, graduating in 1885.

Lionel Monckton initially joined the legal profession at Lincoln's Inn and began to practise law, but gained part-time work as a songwriter and a theatre and music critic, first for the Pall Mall Gazette and later for the Daily Telegraph.

Lionel Monckton soon became a regular composer of songs for the very successful series of frothy musical comedies performed at London's Gaiety Theatre, under the management of George Edwardes, which premiered throughout the 1890s and into the first decade of the 20th century.

Lionel Monckton then added popular tunes to Caryll's scores for The Circus Girl in 1896 and A Runaway Girl in 1898.

The "Girl" musicals were followed by a number of "Boy" musicals, again with hit songs by Lionel Monckton, including The Messenger Boy in 1900 and The Toreador in 1901.

Lionel Monckton starred in many of Monckton's shows, and he wrote some of his most popular songs for her, although their marriage was not a happy one for many years.

Lionel Monckton later sought a divorce from Monckton, which he refused.

Lionel Monckton's music was generally arranged and orchestrated by theatre conductor Carl Kiefert.

Lionel Monckton continued to contribute successful songs to other musicals, including The Orchid in 1903 at the Gaiety.

Lionel Monckton was discouraged by Edwardes's death and unwilling to adapt his style of writing to the newly popular syncopated American dance rhythms, ragtime, and other "noisy numbers" that were heard in theatres.

Lionel Monckton's music remained popular in Britain until after World War II, when American musicals took over the stage and even into the later half of the 20th century, in the case of his most popular shows.

Lionel Monckton died in his London home at the age of 62; he is buried in Brompton Cemetery.

The first CD recording dedicated to selections of Lionel Monckton's works was released by Divine Art in 2003: The Lionel Monckton Album by Theatre Bel-Etage, conductor Mart Sander.