Solo Women

Margaret Gernon Cooper 1877 - 1922

The Halls had many of thousands of performers whose names are now, sadly, largely forgotten. They might remain so but for a sudden awakening of interest by a devotee of the genre. One such performer is Margaret Cooper who, whilst very popular at the height of her career, does not leave us a well remembered song although many were published and attributed to her as the performing artist.

In 1997 Gay Berensweig was attracted by the songs and started collecting them. At present she has found twelve and knows of another twelve. All are listed below and if you know the whereabouts of any, or know of others not listed, please let me know, I will pass on the news to Gay.

About two years after this page was first published, Peter Sandercock, another admirer of Margaret offered two post cards and a little more information. I am most grateful for this additional data.

One of the few references to Margaret is contained in Walter Macqueen-Pope's "The Melody Lingers On" page 213 and 214. He is writing of the time when Alfred Butt had taken over the Palace Theatre from Charles Morton and after describing the theatre with its lights etc comments upon the programme of  5th May 1911. Other performers listed for that show include Carlton (the human hairpin), Comedy Card Manipulator and Mesmerist;  Albert Whelan and Pavlova. He continues:

There was Margaret Cooper, one of the greatest favourites the Palace ever knew and probably the best of all women entertainers at the piano. How she could put over a song and how she could play the piano! She was a regular in the Palace bill and they could not have enough of her. Beautifully dressed, she would sail on to the stage and acknowledge the welcoming applause with a short, sharp, spasmodic smile. There was no warmth in it, it was just a contraction of the muscles of the mouth; she was barely aware of her audience and gave them no recognition but this. Then she would seat herself, take off her elbow length gloves with great care and in the most leisurely manner, and then proceed to remove her numerous rings and bracelets, which she placed one at a time and with considerable exactitude of touch on the top of the piano. It was a routine which the audience watched spell bound with apparent enjoyment. And then, she would begin. She was the perfect mistress of her art and of the art of songs at the piano; her touch, her diction and her inflections were beyond compare. Although her voice was neither strong nor powerful (quite the reverse indeed) she had the knack of making every syllable heard, every word tell, even in the largest building; and that without a microphone, which she would have scorned. On this programme she is down to sing "The English Rose," by Edward German; "Come to Town, Miss Brown," by Sterndale Bennett; and "Agatha Green," by herself. But she would not be allowed to leave the stage with just three songs to her credit, so she would sing many more, grave or gay, it made no difference to her. "Waltz Me Once Round Again, Willie," which swept the town, was one of her many big successes; she could make a number popular as quickly as can the B.B.C., with all its vast power, at the present time. The day came when she and Alfred Butt had a disagreement. She put her case, to everybody’s surprise, direct to the audience from the stage. Butt had the curtain rung down, and went on and did likewise. Butt won, as was his custom.                                                                                                                       Walter Macqueen-Pope.

She is featured in the Amalgamated Press series The Masterpieces of Variety, subtitled MUSIC HALL MEMORIES.  Part 12, dated January 2nd 1936, includes the music for "Old Chap" as well as a short piece written by M. Wilson Disher in which he says:

"One of the 'discoveries' made when the old music hall gave place to the family-party entertainments of the theatres of variety was Margaret Gernon Cooper. She was a London girl, educated at Mons and the Royal Academy of Music. After making herself known at concerts with her "songs at the piano," she had a brief  experience of the stage before the management of the Palace engaged her in the autumn of 1906.
At no other time, before or since, could an entertainer of her type have had so astonishing a success. She set a fashion, followed in thousands of homes. Almost every girl who could play the piano and sing (as well as quite a number who could not) wanted to be known as the Margaret Cooper of her own little town, village or suburb. "Jest Her Way" was one of the favourites, beaten only by " Old Chap." At the time of her death, in 1922, she was a star who was always sure of her welcome at such houses as the Coliseum. She had a happy knack of entering into the spirit of a comic song, such as "Waltz Me Around Again, Willie,’ or moving us into a sentimental mood with " Green Hills o’ Somerset." Very few of her own sex could rival her "at the piano," although one or two men, notably Barclay Gammon, enjoyed equal popularity there." M.Wilson Disher.

Peter Sandercock informs me that a number of records by Margaret Cooper are listed in Brian Rust's book 'British Music Hall on Record'. Peter also submitted the following piece relating to Margaret by Ellaine Terriss when they were on the same bill at the London Coliseum.

'One night I was standing at the side of the stage, waiting for my 'turn'. Margaret Cooper, that brilliant entertainer, was on the stage, just finishing her act. As the tabs closed on her, there was a sound like rushing wind and thunder. On the very spot where she had been sitting, and very near to where i was standing - in a direct line - there fell with a roar a whole batten of lights - a thing of enormous weight, suspended above the stage by chains. A chain had snapped, the rest could not take the strain, so the whole thing fell. It fell sideways, however, and one end hovered over Miss Cooper's head. Seymour (Hicks) who was with me, dashed on to the stage and saved her life by flinging her into the wings just before it crashed to the ground. We stood staring at each other too frightened to speak.'
'Just a little bit of string' the autobiography of Ellaline Terriss

Another affirmation of her attainment and popularity in the business is offered by Clarkson Rose:

Tom Clare, a first-class entertainer at the piano,… came into the halls at a time when there were some first-class entertainers at the piano, such as Barclay Gammon, Cooper Mitchell, Nelson Jackson, Leslie Harris, Margaret Cooper, Harry Fragson, and many others.

From RED PLUSH AND GREASEPAINT by Clarkson Rose

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