Thomas Round

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Thomas Round (born October 18, 1915) is a retired English opera singer and actor, best known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Sadler's Wells Opera (now known as English National Opera), and Gilbert & Sullivan for All.

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[edit] Life and career

Thomas Round was born and raised in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (formerly part of Lancashire), where he served briefly as a policeman before becoming a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force. He studied singing and gave concerts later, during World War II, when the RAF stationed him in Texas, as a flying instructor for the United States Air Force.

[edit] D'Oyly Carte and Sadler's Wells years

Upon his discharge from the RAF (he had auditioned while still in the service), he joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1946 as understudy to the principal tenor, filling in on occasion as Nanki-Poo in The Mikado. In September 1946, he was promoted to principal tenor, appearing over the next three seasons as Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, and Luiz in The Gondoliers.

He left the D'Oyly Carte organisation in 1949 and appeared in an ice show, Rose Marie on Ice, and other musical shows. Next, he sang for six years with Sadler's Wells Opera, creating the tenor lead in the world premiere of Delius's Irmelin under Sir Thomas Beecham in Oxford, England, in 1953, and that year appeared in the film The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan. At Sadler's Wells, he also sang the leading tenor roles in Lilac Time, The Merry Widow, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, I Pagliacci, The Bartered Bride, Gianni Schicchi, and Eugene Onegin among many others. He returned to D'Oyly Carte for a short time as a guest artist in 1954, appearing as Prince Hilarion in their new production of Princess Ida at the Savoy Theatre, and then returned to Sadler's Wells.

In 1958, Round rejoined D'Oyly Carte on tour in Dublin, appearing in his old roles of Frederic, Nanki-Poo, Ralph, and in a new role, Marco in The Gondoliers. He also earned good notices as Count Danilo in The Merry Widow at the London Coliseum in a Royal Command Performance that year. Round added to his repertory the role of Colonel Fairfax in The Yeomen of the Guard beginning in 1960, appearing in this role at the City of London Festival production at the Tower of London in 1962. In 1961, he performed the new roles of Richard Dauntless in Ruddigore and Cyril in Princess Ida. By 1963, Philip Potter had taken over the parts of Frederic and Nanki-Poo, but Round added the roles of Defendant in Trial by Jury and resumed singing Tolloller in Iolanthe. In 1964, Round left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company for the last time.

[edit] Gilbert & Sullivan for All

Round, along with Norman Meadmore and Donald Adams, founded their own company, "Gilbert & Sullivan for All", around the time that he left D'Oyly Carte. In 1969, when Adams left D'Oyly Carte, the partners began to tour extensively with this new company in the British Isles, North America, Australasia, and the Far East. Round sang the roles of Box in Cox and Box, the Defendant in Trial, Ralph in H.M.S. Pinafore, Frederic in Pirates, Tolloller in Iolanthe, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Richard Dauntless in Ruddigore, Colonel Fairfax in Yeomen, and Marco in The Gondoliers, as well as acting as a director for the company.

During his Gilbert & Sullivan for All years, Round also appeared as Arthur Sullivan on tour with Donald Adams in Tarantara! Tarantara!, Ian Taylor's musical about the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership.

[edit] Later years and retirement

During his career, Round continued to give concerts and to sing in oratorio and recitals. He was frequently heard on BBC radio, and his television performances included several operas, listed in the filmography below.

Round has maintained his interest in Gilbert and Sullivan and their works throughout the years. The nonogenarian now lives at Bolton-le-Sands and is president of the Marton Operatic Society. Until February 2006 Round was Honorary President of the University of York Gilbert and Sullivan Society. He appears annually at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival performing, lecturing and meeting with Gilbert and Sullivan enthusiasts.

[edit] Recordings and filmography

In 1959, June Bronhill and Round recorded Lilac Time for HMV. They also recorded The Merry Widow.[1]

With the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and Decca Records, he recorded the Defendant (1964), Ralph (1960), Frederic (1958), Tolloller (1960), Prince Hilarion (1955), Nanki-Poo (1958), Richard Dauntless (1962), Marco (1961), and Captain Fitzbattleaxe in Utopia Limited (1964 excerpts).

In the 1970s, Round also recorded his roles with Gilbert & Sullivan for All. These were complete recordings of Trial by Jury and Cox and Box, and potted excerpts (as much as would fit on two sides of an LP record) of seven others. When the operas were reissued on video cassette in 1996 by the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, Round recorded introductions for each. With Donald Adams, he recorded a musical documentary, The Story of Gilbert & Sullivan, written by Dr. Thomas Heric. He also made two recordings of lesser-known Sullivan music.

Round recorded a collection of Victorian ballads for Pavilon Records, and participated in a recording of Edwardian songs for Pearl. He also made recordings with EMI. In 2008, Round released a CD of twelve Irish songs called Thomas Round sings Irish Songs. He recorded these when he was principal tenor with the Sadler's Wells Opera. The recital runs for just thirty minutes. The songs include "The Tipperary Christening" by Dan Maguinness, "Phil the Fluter's Ball", "The Star of the County Down", and Herbert Hughes' arrangement of "She Moved Through the Fair".

Round's filmography is as follows:

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Information about the recording

[edit] References

  • Ayre, Leslie (1972). The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion. London: W.H. Allen & Co Ltd.  Introduction by Martyn Green.
  • Round, Thomas (2002). A Wand'ring Minstrel, I. Lancaster, UK: Carnegie Publishing.  Autobiography.
  • Thomas Round at Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte
  • Profile of Round

[edit] External links

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