1985-1990
Final versions, typescript and handwritten drafts, and notes for Cross's autobiography. Also, correspondence with publishers.
This 'autobiography' was written jointly by Joan Cross and Bryan Crimp between 1985 and 1990. It is approx. 210 pages long.
Crimp describes the background to its writing in a letter to the du Sautoys dated Sep 1990 (see item ref no. CRS/10/1/1)
'We also decided it was best if we both told the story, partly to save Joan the embarassment of quoting her own golden reviews and partly to provide more background and colour than her memory sometimes allowed. My contribution remains incomplete, though it would not take long to finish. Joan's contribution is more or less 100% there. That Joan declines to go into the personal aspects of her life and wishes to end the story with her retirement from 'active singing' will soon become apparent. Try as I (and others) might, there appears to be little more to be extracted. (Fortunately, I still have various past excisions, predominantly centred upon her not entirely conventional childhood, which can now be reinserted!'.
Crimp further describes the writing process in a letter to The Britten-Pears Library dated Feb 1994 (see item ref no. CRS/10/1/4)
'The manuscript was a joint effort. As Joan found both writing in longhand and dictation impossible, each chapter was completed only after detailed converstions and susequent redrafts of my initial write-up. Furthermore she wanted me to contribute the historical background (of celebrated operatic productions etc.) and quote contemporary press reviews thus saving her the embarrasment od citing glowing reviews of her performances! My contributions remains incomplete solely because Faber & Faber wanted to see the manuscript to judge the flavour of Joan's contribution. When Faber & Faber decided to reject the manuscript - on the grounds that Joan gave little away about her personal life - she understandably lost interset ( a very characteristic trait!). Later, when she settled in Aldeburgh, she appears to have scattered copies of the manuscript like confetti. I know of one copy which contains recommended re-writes. I dread to think of her reaction to such a version given how adamant she was that what she had written should stand and having in mind the effort that went into her very precise choice of vocabulary. Naturally I have the original here.'
Some of these copies described by Crimp in his letter to the BPL are found in the collection under section Final versions (ref nos CRS/10/1/1/1-7), also draft versions are in section CRS/10/1/2).
The biography consists of the following chapters:
Apologia
Prologue
Part 1 The Old Vic (1923-30)
Chapter 1: The Waterloo Road establishment
Chapter 2: On Stage
Chapter 3: Centre Stage and Off
Chapter 4: Re-entrance
Chapter 5: Growing Pains
Chapter 6: Excursions
Part 2: Sadler's Wells (1931-1945)
Chapter 7: Sadler's Wells or The Roseberry Avenue Establishment
Chapter 8: The Hey-days
Chapter 9: The War Years
Part 3 English Opera Group
Chapter 10: Peter Grimes
Chapter 11: Glyndebourne
Chapter 12: Aldeburgh
Chapter 13: Gloriana
Chapter 14: The Turn of the Screw
Appendix: Traviata
Efforts were made for the 'Autobiography' to be published with Crimp approaching Macmillan Publishers and Kendal Press, amongst others, in 1990 but without success.
23 files and 5 notebooks
Archive
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