Moore was born in
Brighton, Sussex, the ninth daughter and tenth child of Edward Henry Moore, an
analytical chemist, and his wife, Emily (née Strachan). Four of her sisters sang on the concert platform or the stage, including Jessie (1864–1910), Eva (1870–1955) and Bertha Moore. She was educated at Miss Pringle's school and then Boswell House College, Brighton and sang in the church choir. After leaving school in 1887, she won the Victoria Scholarship to study singing at the
Blackheath Conservatoire of Music. She then studied voice with
Rose Hersee.
Early career and D'Oyly Carte years '' Moore intended to begin a concert career, but she made her debut at age 17 with the
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. There she created the leading role of Casilda in
The Gondoliers, the last great
Gilbert and Sullivan hit, which opened at the
Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889.
W. S. Gilbert asked her if she had ever acted. When she replied in the negative, he replied, "So much the better; you'll have less to unlearn!" She related her first-night experience: In fact, Moore earned good reviews.
The Times wrote that she "has a delightfully fresh voice... she sings with very good taste and gives distinct promise of becoming a very acceptable actress; her appearance is extremely taking, and on the whole, a more successful
début has not recently taken place". Her next role was Polly in
Captain Billy (1891), the companion piece to
The Nautch Girl. Her older sister, Jessie Moore, who sang with one of D'Oyly Carte's touring companies, replaced Decima in
Captain Billy in November 1891. Moore left the Savoy when her commitment expired, starring in several
West End Theatre pieces, including
Miss Decima by
Edmond Audran and
F. C. Burnand (replacement cast, 1891–92),
A Pantomime Rehearsal by Cecil Clay (1892 at the
Royal Court Theatre),
The Maelstrom (1892), Ophelia in Gilbert's
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (1892),
The Wedding Eve (1892 at the
Trafalgar Theatre), They had a son in 1898, William Esmond Ormond Walker-Leigh, who eventually had a Navy career. Moore divorced her husband in 1901 at a time when divorce was still rare and considered dishonourable.
Later career and adventures Back in England, Moore left Edwardes's company and returned to light opera. She starred in
The White Silk Dress by A. McLean (1896) at the Prince of Wales Theatre and the British production of
Lost, Strayed or Stolen (1897). She toured abroad extensively She returned to the D'Oyly Carte later in 1899, for the third and last time, to play Scent of Lilies in
The Rose of Persia, after which she starred in the musical comedy
Florodora (1900–01) at the Lyric Theatre. In 1901 Moore appeared in both
A Diplomatic Theft at the
Garrick Theatre, London and
The Swineherd and the Princess at the
Royalty Theatre. She toured in
The Gay Cadets (1902). In 1903, she starred as Alice Coverdale in another success,
My Lady Molly, at the
Lyceum Theatre. During her frequent trips to England, she continued to appear on stage. In 1906, she sang in the chorus of
Trial by Jury in the
Ellen Terry Golden Jubilee celebration matinee. Her stage appearances were mostly in legitimate theatre, such as
W. Somerset Maugham's comedy,
Mrs. Dot, with Dame
Marie Tempest and
Ben Jonson's
The Vision of Delight, both in 1908. She played in his masque
The Hue and Cry after Cupid in 1911. Moore toured America and Australia, as well as appearing throughout the British Isles and in concerts at major venues, such as
Albert Hall and
St. James's Hall, until 1914. Her last London stage appearance was in a matinée performance of
Vantage Out in 1914. At the outbreak of
World War I, Moore became employed in France in war work, while Guggisberg rejoined the army. Moore founded the
Women's Emergency Corps, which organised women volunteers, and established several leave clubs, acting as director general of the British Navy, Army and Air Force Leave Club in Paris. After the armistice, in
Cologne, she organised a club for the army of occupation. In 1918 she was made a
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her services and was awarded the overseas medal and the
Médaillon de reconnaissance. Lady Moore-Guggisberg continued to perform charity work on behalf of veterans, women and others throughout her retirement. She also appeared in the film
Nine Till Six (1931). Her husband died in 1930. She was elected vice-president of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society in 1960, when she was the last surviving creator of a Gilbert and Sullivan role. ==Death==