Dame Clara Butt was a concert singer with a remarkable contralto voice for which Sir Edward Elgar wrote his Sea Pictures.Dame Clara Butt (1872-1936) was one of the first truly international stars. Her appearances on radio paved the way for the international mass culture of today. She was a concert singer with a remarkable contralto voice for which Sir Edward Elgar wrote Sea Pictures. Butt's family moved to Bristol when she was aged seven and she retained such fond memories of the city that for her marriage to Kennerley Rumford, she turned down the offer of St Paul's Cathedral in favour of Bristol Cathedral. On June 26 1900 shops and factories closed and thousands of people thronged College Green to see the wedding. Bristolians had subscribed towards a special wedding gift: a diamond and ruby brooch in the form of the letters 'CB' which stood for both Clara Butt and City of Bristol. It remained one of her favourite pieces of jewellery and one she frequently wore at concerts.
A diamond brooch presented to Clara Butt
Contributed by Bristol Museum
Most of the content on A History of the World is created by the contributors, who are the museums and members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ or the British Museum. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is not responsible for the content of any external sites referenced. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site’s House Rules please Flag This Object.
About this object
Click a button to explore other objects in the timeline
- Period
- Theme
- Size
- Colour
- Material
View more objects from people in Bristol.
Find out more
Podcast
Highlights from the collection
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ iD
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ navigation
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ links
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Â© 2014 The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
Share this link: