Una Hale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Una Hale (November 18, 1922–March 4, 2005) was an Australian soprano, mainly known in Australia and the UK.

Una Hale was born in Adelaide, South Australia and came to Britain in 1946 to study at the Royal College of Music. She appeared with the Carl Rosa Opera Company from 1949 to 1954, playing many leading roles, such as Violetta in La Traviata Micaela Carmen and Marguerite in "Faust". In 1954 she was engaged by the Covent Garden Opera Company as a Principal Soprano, where she sang all the major Lyric Soprano roles, being especially noted for her portrayals of Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes), Eva (Die Meistersinger) The Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier), and Lieu (Turandot). In 1956, she played Naomi in the première of Lennox Berkeley's opera, Ruth. In 1962, she was Ariadne in the Australian première of Ariadne auf Naxos, and during that season also sang Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) and Alice Ford (Falstaff). In 1963-64 she sang Ellen Orford and Tosca with the Sadler's Wells Opera Company, and Tosca and The Marshallin in Romania with the National Opera Company. In 1960 she married Martin Carr, at that time Technical Director of the Royal Ballet - subsequently a leading Theatre Consultant - and retired from the stage in 1965 after the birth of her second child, spending the rest of her life in Bath, England