‘Maggie from Mayo’……
When you get to my age, there are few surprises that can shock you let alone stir up a national pride. Margaret Burke-Sheridan was one such person and my discovery of her pleased me no end. As you know, I have a soft spot for the West of Ireland and to find such a character as ‘Maggie from Mayo’ greatly surprised me.
Margaret Burke-Sheridan was born in Castlebar, County Mayo in 1889, the daughter of the local postmaster. He was a fine singer and encouraged and taught his daughter to sing. However, when she was left an orphan in 1900 she was sent to Dublin where she became a boarder in a Convent. Her singing greatly impressed one of the nuns who gave her more tuition. She won a Gold Medal at a Dublin Feis Ceoil as well as a bursary to continue her studies in London. There she was seen and heard by none less than Marconi the inventor. He was so impressed with the Soprano that he arranged for her to go to Italy to further her operatic career.
She played many minor roles but became beloved by the Italians. She liked them immensely and they took her to their hearts. In 1918, with only a few days’ notice she made her debut in Rome as Mimi in ‘La Boheme’. She was a brilliant success. She then moved on to La Scale in Milan where she was again taken under the wings of more famous people. She was conducted by Toscanini, trained by Puccini who adored her and partnered with the great Gigli. She was then invited to replace the Australian Dame Nellie Melba at Convent Garden in London. She was top of the world and her career as Soprano was beginning to peak.
She was invited to America and offered fabulous contracts but she declined all offers to go there. It was said that she later regretted not doing so.
She was a great wit but still a lonely woman notwithstanding all her outstanding famous friends. It was said that once she made up her mind to do something, she always stuck to her guns. In 1932 she disappeared from the operatic scene and retired having spent twelve years at the pinnacle. She returned to Ireland and took up residence in Dublin. She was regularly visited by her famous friends but never sang in public again.
She died on 16th April 1958 in a nursing home on the outskirts of Dublin. However, a wit to the end, she discovered that a famous Irish Nationalist had also spent time in the same nursing home prior to his death. She used to boast that everytime she used the toilet, she felt an immense national pride.........
‘Maggie from Mayo’ captured the hearts of many famous operatic personalities of her time. Puccini was said to be spellbound by her moving interpretation of his Madame Butterfly. Gigli chose her as his leading lady when he was making his debut in Convent Garden, London. She played many great soprano roles – Mimi in La Boheme, Desdemona in Otello and the title role in Manon Lescaut.
There is a beautiful recording of her singing on the following link:
Addendum: A few more details of ‘Maggie from Mayo’ have since come to light which may help in understanding a couple of things about her life.
Firstly, when Marconi took her to Italy and brought her to a singing teacher, she was told that she was too old (she was then in her late 20’s). He also accused her of being too fond of her luxury living standards. He suggested that if she wanted to become a true Opera singer, she must give up the high life and become totally engrossed in her studies.
She left the luxury hotel and moved to common lodgings where she studied with all her heart. At this time she was a mezzo-soprano and she learned to widen her range and sing pure Soprano. There was a shortage of top quality sopranos throughout the world at the time. Every morning she would practice her scales on the balcony of her apartment, which overlooked the Rome Opera House.
Fate again stepped in when four days before La Boheme was to open at the Opera House, the soprano singing Mimi was taken ill. The search was on for someone to take her place. As luck would have it, the Opera House manager was to hear Maggie practising from her balcony. He made contact and said "I’ll make you into Mimi in four days". She began to practice for the role every moment of every day but her teacher insisted that she was not up to scratch. Maggie ignored him and continued with her rehearsals now that her chance for fame had come.
She excelled brilliantly and succeeded beyond all expectations. A star was born.
On her return to London to sing at Convent Garden, although her career was soaring, her personal life had reached its lowest ebb. She fell madly in love with the manager of the theatre. He was married but he too fell head over heels in love with Maggie. However, she had a strong moral conscience, notwithstanding her Catholic upbringing and would not allow their relationship to be consummated.
There are numerous letters preserved of their correspondence between each other including many that she wrote but never sent. In one she asks the question of herself "How could I, Peggy Sheridan from Ireland, become the lover of a married man?"
There are numerous letters preserved of their correspondence between each other including many that she wrote but never sent. In one she asks the question of herself "How could I, Peggy Sheridan from Ireland, become the lover of a married man?"
She signed a recording contract with HMV and made many recordings. She preferred Irish songs particularly those of Thomas Moore. It was whilst singing on BBC that her voice cracked on a high note. This was the beginning of the end. Her technique was simply not good enough to bring her through such a problem. She quietly retired and returned to Dublin.
For twelve glorious years a beautiful star from the West of Ireland shone brightly on the Opera stages of Europe.
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