Lucy Isabelle Marsh (April 10, 1878 – January 20, 1956) was an American lyric soprano[1] who made her career as a professional recording artist for the Victor Talking Machine Company.

At the same time, she quickly won popular and critical recognition under her own name as a major artist on recordings for Victor.

Such singers had to master the techniques of singing into a horn, which included knowing the best distance from the horn to stand for their voice, how and when to back away to avoid blasting or move forward for softer passages, how to adopt a position to blend with a partner or change positions to maintain the best balance when alternating lead passages with a partner, ensemble or accompanist.

A popular specialty of the Victor company was a series of records known as "Gems from" operas, operettas and musical shows.

Production of these records required several singers to collaborate by stepping forward at the proper time to sing solos into the horn and back for choral numbers.

Over 25% of the Marsh matrices made between 1909 and 1922 were "Gems" records; another 38% were as a member of the Trinity Choir or Lyric Quartet, performing religious numbers or standards, and were also unattributed.

At her first session for Victor, Marsh recorded "Angels ever bright and fair" from Handel's Theodora, an aria which is a test for the most accomplished soprano.

A few selected quotations follow: The Nightingale (Alyabyev): "Exquisite timbre, individual voice – of virginal purity, round and equal.

"[8] A generation later Michael Scott opined, "she was a particularly fine duet singer; with McCormack in 'Parle-moi de ma mère' from Carmen, she contrives a ravishing effect with her sweet and steady tones.

Kutsch and Riemens speaks of "...masterly conceived recordings of arias from the Messiah and the oratorios of Mendelssohn and Rossini.".

[11] Marsh married Walter Colwell Gordon, a medical doctor, in 1910, and moved to Providence, Rhode Island.

The property included a large lawn and a carriage house, which was converted to a medical office for Lucy's husband, a physician (General Practitioner).

Lucy employed a nanny to care for her two sons, as she was often away from home singing at the Met or traveling overseas for work.

Lucy is remembered by her granddaughter as a nice person, but someone who always maintained a fairly composed, formal demeanor even with family members.

A particularly fond memory was witnessing Lucy at the piano with her son, Walter, standing by her, as they sung "Danny Boy" as a duet.