Thomas German Reed (June 27, 1817–March 21, 1888) was an English composer and theatrical manager best known for creating the German Reed Entertainments, a genre of musical plays that made theatre-going respectable at a time when the stage was considered disreputable. He married Priscilla Horton (1818-1895), a noted singer and dancer. June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq... German Reed Entertainment: The dramatic and musical entertainment which for many years was known in London by the title German Reed was a form of theatrical enterprise deserving acknowledgement. ...

Life and career

German Reed was born in Bristol, although the family soon relocated to London, where his father, Thomas Reed, became conductor at the Haymarket Theatre and later the Garrick Theatre. After beginning music studies from his father, German Reed became an organist at the Catholic Chapel on Sloane Street. In 1838 he became musical director at his father's former employer, the Haymarket Theatre, where he continued to work until 1851 with the exception of a temporary closure in 1843. During this time, he met his wife, Priscilla Horton, a successful and popular contralto and actress who had been performing on the stage in London since the age of ten. They married in 1844. Blond and blue eyed, Horton had sometimes played in trousers roles, which by the time Horton entered the profession, had lost much of its risqué aura. She was a favourite of James Planché. Bristol (IPA: ) is a city, unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, 115 miles (185 km) west of London and located at With a population of 400,000, and metropolitan area of 550,000, it is Englands sixth, and the United Kingdoms ninth, most populous city... See also: Haymarket Theatre (Leicester) Haymarket Theatre, ca. ... Londons Garrick Theatre was designed by Walter Emden, with CJ Phipps brought in as a consultant to help with the planning on the difficult site, which included an underground river. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a soprano. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

On April 2, 1855, German Reed and his wife presented the first performance of "Miss P. Horton's Illustrative Gatherings," musical theatre performances usually consisting of one or two brief comic operas designed for a minimal number of characters and performed with either the piano and harmonium or a small ensemble of musicians. These eventually became "Mr. And Mrs. German Reeds Entertainments", presented at the Royal Gallery of Illustration on Regent Street. His establishment was called the "Gallery of Illustration," rather than a theatre, and the pieces he put on were called "entertainments," rather than plays, extravaganzas, or burlesques. Reed himself composed the music for many of these pieces, and often appeared in them, along with his wife. Their son took over the entertainments upon their retirment. April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Works composed by German Reed

• The Drama at Home, or An Evening with Puff (1844)
• A Match for the King (1844)
• The Golden Fleece, or Jason in Colchis and Medea in Corinth (1845)
• Who's the Composer? (1845)
• The Wonderful Water Cure (1846)
• No Cards (1869)
• Our Island Home (1870)
• A Sensation Novel (1871)
• Mildred's Well, a Romance of the Middle Ages (1873)
• He's Coming (Via Slumborough, Snoozleton & Snoreham) (1874)
• The Three Tenants (1874)
• The Ancient Britons (1875)
• Eyes and No Eyes; or, The Art of Seeing (1875)
• A Spanish Bond (1875)
• An Indian Puzzle (1876)
• The Wicked Duke (1876)
• Matched and Mated (1876)
• A Night's Surprise (1877)
• No. 204 (1877)

1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Reference

• Stedman, Jane, ed. (1967). Gilbert Before Sullivan. University of Chicago Press.

External links

• Information and links about Gilbert's works for the German Reeds
• Encyclopedia entry about the German Reeds