Thomas Arne
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Thomas Augustine Arne was an English composer of the late Baroque and early Classical periods. He is known for his patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!" and the song "A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter com
A caricature of Arne
Arne's memorial plaque in St Paul's, Covent Garden
Susannah Maria Cibber
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Susannah Maria Cibber was an English singer and actress. She was the sister of the composer Thomas Arne. Although she began her career as a soprano, her voice lowered in the early part of her career t
Thomas Arne
…pantomimes, and operas. Many of his dramatic scores are now lost, probably in the disastrous fire at the Royal Opera House in 1808. Arne's sister, Susannah Maria Arne, was a famous contralto who performed in some of his works, including his first opera, Rosamund. With her marriage to the Drury Lane actor Theophilus…
Portrait by Thomas Hudson, 1749
A portrait of Theophilus Cibber in the role of Ancient Pistol, a character who appears in several of Shakespeare's plays. In addition to often appearing with his wife on the stage prior to their divorce, Susannah and Theophilus authored several plays together which were ultimately not that successful.
A 1727 portrait of George Frideric Handel by Balthasar Denner. Music historian Charles Burney, who was Thomas Arne's pupil, says that Handel "was very fond of Mrs Cibber, whose voice and manners had softened his severity for her want of musical knowledge".
Venice Preserv'd by Johan Zoffany, 1763. Cibber is shown as Belvidera, acting alongside David Garrick.