Who was Amanda Aldridge? Google Doodle celebrates British Opera Singer
Amanda Aldridge Google Doodle: Today on 17th June, Google Doodle is celebrating the renowned Black British composer, singer, and teacher Amanda Aldridge who released dozens of instrumental tracks, parlour music, and more than 30 songs under the pseudonym Montague Ring. Aldridge was born to Ira Aldridge who was a Black American Shakespearean actor and Swedish opera singein 1866. With a family lineage in music, Aldridge started exhibiting her own musical acumen since a young age.
Who was Amanda Aldridge?
Born on 10th March 1866, Amanda Aldridge was an African British opera singer, composer, and teacher who composed several love songs, orchestral pieces, and sambas under the pseudonym Montague Ring.
Aldridge studied under eminent Swedish soprano Jenny Lind while pursing a career as a vocalist at London’s Royal Conservatory of Music.
Aldridge’s singing career was disrupted early on due to a throat injury but she continued to grow as vocal teacher, composer, and piano player.
Aldridge has also taught one of American’s first great opera singers Marian Anderson and the civil rights activist Paul Robeson.
At the age of 88, she appeared for the first time on the British TV Show ‘Music for You’ where she introduced a new generation to her classic compositions.
Amanda Aldridge was a renowned Black British opera singer, teacher and composer who defied early-20th-century music genres.
— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) June 17, 2022
Learn more about how she used West African drum beats and Black poetry to inspire her parlour music compositions —> https://t.co/4AlXVYxHhr #GoogleDoodle pic.twitter.com/cBRup592Ih
Aldridge Music Style
Aldridge was known for using West African drumbeats and black poetry to inspire her parlour music compositions. Her music reflected mixed ethnic heritage where she combined various genres and rhythms with poetry from Black American authors to create romantic Parlour music which was a quite a hit among the middle-class homes.
Aldridge drew her inspiration for the 1913 piano composition ‘Three African Dances’ by West African drumming which became to be one of her famous pieces.
Why is Google Doodle celebrating Amanda Aldridge on June 17?
On 17th June 1911, Amanda Aldridge presented a piano recital at London’s pre-war principal concert venue Queens Small Hall which is the original home of the BBC Symphony and London Philharmonic Orchestras.
