P. W. Halton

In December 1879, D'Oyly Carte hired Halton in Hastings as music director for one of its touring companies, presenting H.M.S. Pinafore. In 1880 he toured with Pinafore and The Sorcerer, along with shorter companion pieces, and in December 1880, the company began to play The Pirates of Penzance. Among the companion pieces included on this tour was Halton's own composition Six and Six, a one-act operetta with words by B. T. Hughes.[1]

In September 1881, Halton travelled to America to music direct Patience, at the Standard Theatre in New York, until March 1882. During the last month he also conducted Henry Pottinger Stephens and Edward Solomon's Claude Duval, alternating with Patience. He then returned to England to music direct Patience on tour until December 1883. Next, beginning in February 1884, was Princess Ida. Then, beginning in February 1885, Trial by Jury and Sorcerer were played in repertory with Princess Ida.

Back in New York, at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, Halton music directed the American premiere of The Mikado from August 1885 to April 1886. He then toured with Pinafore and The Mikado, first in England and then took in Germany and Austria, until January 1887. He then returned to New York and the Fifth Avenue Theatre, with most of the same principals, for the premiere of Ruddigore, which ran until April. He was back to Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and then Britain with Patience and The Mikado until December 1887.

In 1888, Halton toured with a repertory consisting at various times of Pinafore, Patience, The Mikado and Pirates, until October. On November 1, 1888, he began a tour of The Yeomen of the Guard, which ran for over a year. In January 1890, Halton was back in New York music directing the ill-starred premiere of The Gondoliers at the Park Theatre. The weak cast meant a disaster, and Carte and Halton assembled a new cast for a re-launch on February 18 at Palmer's Theatre, which was better received.

Halton was called back to England to begin touring in March, 1890 with The Gondoliers until December. After this, they added shows in repertory, including The Mikado in December 1890 and Yeomen in January 1891. On 4 September 1891, he conducted The Mikado for Queen Victoria at Balmoral Castle – an assignment that the patriotic Irishman accepted grudgingly. In October 1891, Iolanthe was added to the company's repertory, and from January to July 1892 they also included The Nautch Girl. The company continued to add more shows: Patience in August 1892, Pirates in May 1893, Pinafore and Trial in January 1894, The Sorcerer in April 1895, the curtain raiser Cox and Box in May, and Princess Ida in December 1895. The repertoire was now eleven, and the tour continued through 1896.

In late November 1896, Halton sailed for South Africa for an ambitious tour through June 1897. It embraced all the Gilbert and Sullivan operas Halton had been conducting, except Princess Ida, and also included Utopia, Limited and The Grand Duke. Halton toured Britain from December 1897 with most of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas plus, briefly, His Majesty. Over the next six-and-a-half years, with Halton as their musical director, the same touring company played all the G & S operas except Ruddigore and The Grand Duke plus, in 1900, The Rose of Persia.

Halton retired on June 18, 1904.