Lo! Here the Gentle Lark by L' Incognita

Singing a song that Nellie Melba made famous, Violet Mount, who used the stage name L’Incognita, is paired with the New Zealand born flautist, John Amadio.

John Amadio performed extensively with the Australian singers Nellie Melba and Florence Austral; Austral later become his wife. The lyrics for this song are drawn from one of William Shakespeare’s early plays, The Comedy of Errors.

L'Incognita performed at music halls in Europe, wearing a black lace mask to conceal her identity. Audiences of the time were intrigued and newspapers reported that 'the mysterious atmosphere which surrounded each performance speedily set the gossips talking'.

As well as 'L'Incognita', Violet also recorded under the pseudonym 'Violetta Viamonti'. She made her first recordings in 1908 and after a long career performing across Europe, died in England in 1972.