Reginald Alberto Agrati Stoneham (1879 – 11 March 1942) was an Australian composer and publisher of mostly topical songs, and a musical comedy F.F.F. He was perhaps Australia's leading exponent of jazz and ragtime piano styles in the first decades of the 20th century as both composer and performer. He was also a popular accompanist and recording artist.
Biography
He was born in Carlton, Victoria in 1879, the fifth son of musician William (c. 1833 – 25 March 1913) and Ellen Stoneham (c. 1846 – 10 February 1889) of 210 Madeline Street Carlton.[1]
In 1900 he served in the South Australian Mounted Rifles as a private trumpeter. His trade was listed as "wood turner".[2][3] He was wounded in action at Slobet's Nek.[4]
In 1901 he married Adelaide Minnie "Addie" Lyons (1880–1959).[5] They had a daughter Val Augusta Elsa Stoneham on 10 April 1902.[6] Described as "one of Melbourne's leading florists", she was employed by Harris, Scarfe, Ltd., Adelaide in 1933.[7]
Stoneham is most remembered for the song "Sleepy Seas"[8] and patriotic songs during World War 1, notably the popular "Heroes of the Dardanelles".[8][9]
He lived at St Kilda, Victoria from 1918.[10] In 1920 he composed the musical comedy, F.F.F., styled as a "mystery musical comedy", with a book and lyrics by C. J. De Garis, was underwritten by Hugh D. McIntosh. It starred Maggie Moore and Charles H. Workman, among others. The "mystery" centred on the meaning of the enigmatic title, for which solutions were solicited and a prize offered. The show played at Adelaide's Prince of Wales Theatre for a successful season, followed by a week in Perth and a fortnight in Melbourne, where the "Argus" critic praised the songs but lambasted the play.[11] It has not been revived.
In November 1929 the baritone Robert Nicholson recorded "Ballarat the Fair" and "Back to Warrnambool", accompanied by Stoneham. In March 1930 he recorded "Mildura (Home of Mine)".[12]
In 1932 he conducted a radio orchestra in Adelaide.[13]
Ill and unemployed, with an invalid wife and daughter to support, he petitioned for bankruptcy in 1936.[14]
He was buried with the ritual of the Returned Services League[15]
Other compositions
- All for Australia
- Albury for The Weekly Times newspaper 1932
- The Attack (on Zeebrugge) [16]
- Back Home [17]
- Back to Warrnambool [18]
- The Bells of Peace [19]
- Bendigo for The Weekly Times newspaper 1932
- Come to Mildura – the Land of Winter Sunshine[20]
- Coral Isles c. 1923 [21]
- Distant Memories Waltz 1914 [22]
- The Drover 1912 [23]
- (Those) Foolish Wives 1922 [24]
- Football Song and Chorus Commissioned by West Adelaide Football Club 1911
- For God and St George, 1914 [25] used as a recruiting song during World War I[26]
- Frivolina c. 1916 [27]
- Garden of Rosy Dreams [28] featured in Hugh D. McIntosh's revue "Bubbly"
- Golden Dreams 1924 [29]
- Heroes of the Dardanelles 1915 [30] recording by Peter Dawson and John Ralston
- Home Fireside [31]
- Home to Ballaarat [32]
- Jazzin' the Blues [33]
- King of the Air 1913 [34][35][36] as recorded by Malcolm McEachern
- Lolita 1928 [37] recorded by Jack Lumsdaine
- Love [38] featured in Hugh D. McIntosh's revue "Bubbly"
- Maryborough for The Weekly Times newspaper 1932
- Mellow Mersey Moon for "Come to Tasmania" carnival 1927 [39]
- Memories of a Lovely Lei (with Barronne Kuva) [40]
- Mildura (Home of Mine)
- The Murray Moon c.1922 with C.J. De Garis [41]
- Peace and Glory [42]
- Pride of the Nation: The National March of Australia [43]
- Princess Betty's Lullaby 1927 [44] for Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II
- (My) Ragtime Drummer Boy [45]
- A Road To Anywhere "Between 1920 and 1932" [46]
- Sleepy Seas[47]
- Sun-Raysed Waltz [48] for Australian Dried Fruits Association of Mildura, Victoria.
- The Tango Rag 1914 [49]
- Tantalising Eyes [50] featured in Hugh D. McIntosh's revue "Lads of the Village"
- The Tintex Girl 1924 [51]
- That Was a Perfect Night [52]
- The Wabash Moon c. 1922 [53]
- Waikiki Moon [54]
- The Warrnambool Waltz Song [55]
- When the Wattles Bloom Again (with Dan Leahy) [56]
- What'll we do when the wattle blooms again?[57]
- Commerce and Heart a radio play[58]
- as "Alberto Agrati"
Critical reception
Reginald Stoneham is mentioned in Australian newspapers as a well known and respected music creator.[62][8]
His work 'For God and St George' featured in a charity concert to support Belgians at the outbreak of the Great War.
Further reading
- Van Straten, Frank Play it Again Reg in Theatre Heritage Australia: on stage part 1. in Vol.11 no.3 WINTER 2010 p. 10; part 2 in Vol.11 no.4 SPRING 2010 p. 42
- Van Straten, Frank. The Riddle of 'FFF', A Forgotten Australian Musical Comedy Australasian Music Research, No. 6, 2002: 105–119. Availability: http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=755888837969038;res=IELHSS ISSN 1325-5266
- Hill, Jennifer, "Stoneham, Reg(inald) A. A.)", in Oxford Companion to Australian Music (ed. Warren Bebbington) (Melbourne: OUP, 1997), p. 532
References
External links
- His copyright stamp
- Access online audio recordings at National Film and Sound Archive of Australia [1]
- Australian Variety Theatre Archive [2]