Alfred Cellier

Alfred Cellier (1 December 1844 – 28 December 1891) was an English composer, orchestrator and conductor.

In addition to conducting and music directing the original productions of several of the most famous Gilbert and Sullivan works and writing the overtures to some of them, Cellier conducted at many theatres in London, New York and on tour in Britain, America and Australia. He composed over a dozen operas and other works for the theatre, as well as for orchestra, but his 1886 comic opera, Dorothy, was by far his most successful work. It became the longest-running piece of musical theatre in the nineteenth century.

Cellier was born at Hackney, in London. His parents were Arsène Cellier from France, a professor of languages at Hackney Grammar School, and his wife Mary Ann. He was educated at the grammar school in Hackney. From 1855 to 1860, he was a chorister at the Chapel Royal, St. James's, under the Rev. Thomas Helmore, where Arthur Sullivan was one of his schoolmates. Cellier later married Harriet Emily. Cellier's brother, François, also became a conductor.

Cellier's first appointments were as organist at All Saints' Church, Blackheath and as conductor of the Belfast Philharmonic Society (both in 1862). In 1866 he succeeded Dr. Chipp as organist and director of the Ulster Hall concerts, Belfast, at the same time acting as conductor of the Belfast Philharmonic Society. In 1868 he returned to London as organist of St Alban's Church, Holborn. In January 1871, Cellier became the first conductor and music director at the Royal Court Theatre in London. From 1871 to 1875 he was conductor and music director at the Prince's Theatre, in Manchester.

During this period he composed many comic operas and operettas, the most successful of which was The Sultan of Mocha, produced at Prince's Theatre, Manchester, in 1874 (revived in London in 1876 and 1887 (with a new libretto) and in New York in 1880, among others). Another success was Charity Begins at Home (1872 at the Gallery of Illustration), with librettist B. C. Stephenson. The piece was played more than 200 times. He also wrote numerous separate songs and composed for orchestra (including his Symphonic Suite) and the piano, of which his Danse pompadour achieved particular popularity. His stage works, however, were more successful than his serious concert music. Most of Cellier's early works for the theatre, however, including Topsyturveydom (1874, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert), The Tower of London (1875, Manchester), Nell Gwynne (1876), Two Foster Brothers (1877, St. George's Hall, with a libretto by Gilbert Arthur à Beckett), and Bella Donna (1878), had only modest success.

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