page_title: Isabel Jay
section_title: Principal soprano
hierarchical_section_title: Isabel Jay / Life and career / Principal soprano
caption_attribution_description: English: Postcard of Isabel Jay in The White Chrysanthemum 1906
context_page_description: Isabel Emily Jay was an English opera singer and actress, best known for her performances in soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and in Edwardian musical comedies. During Jay's career, picture postcards were immensely popular, and Jay was photographed for over 400 different postcards.
  After studying at the Royal Academy of Music, Jay joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1897, with whom she began singing principal roles immediately, becoming the company's leading soprano in 1899, where she played leading roles in comic operas including The Rose of Persia, The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, The Emerald Isle and Iolanthe. She married and left the company in 1902. She returned to the West End stage in 1903 and starred in eleven musicals over the ensuing years, including A Country Girl, The Cingalee, Véronique, The White Chrysanthemum, The Girl Behind the Counter, Miss Hook of Holland, King of Cadonia and The Balkan Princess. She retired in 1911 at age 31.
context_section_description: Late in 1899, Vincent left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, turning down the secondary role in The Rose of Persia when she was passed over to sing the lead, Sultana Zubeydah, which was given to Ellen Beach Yaw. Jay was initially given the small role of Blush-of-Morning. Less than two weeks later, when Yaw was dismissed, Jay was promoted to the demanding lead role and received favourable notices as the Sultana.
  Now the company's leading soprano, Jay played Mabel in Pirates (1900), again earning good notices, and the title role in the first London revival of Patience (1901). During the run, she was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.  She then created the roles of Lady Rose Pippin in The Emerald Isle (1901) and the Gipsy Woman in Ib and Little Christina (1901). She played Phyllis in the first London revival of Iolanthe (1901–1902). She left the company in 1902 to marry the African explorer Henry Shepherd Cavendish, who was later the 6th Baron Waterpark.
caption: in The White Chrysanthemum
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