Thomas Hemsley facts for kids
Thomas Jeffrey Hemsley (born April 12, 1927 – died April 11, 2013) was a famous English singer. He was a baritone, which means he had a deep male singing voice. He was also honored as a CBE for his contributions to music.
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Early Life and Training
Thomas Hemsley was born in Coalville, Leicestershire, England. He went to Ashby de la Zouch Grammar School and later studied natural sciences at Brasenose College, Oxford. After college, he moved to London to become a singer. He took lessons from Lucie Manén and also sang as a Vicar Choral at St Paul's Cathedral.
Singing Career
Hemsley started his singing career in 1951. His first big role was Aeneas in an opera called Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell. He performed at the Mermaid Theatre in London with the famous singer Kirsten Flagstad. They even recorded the opera together that same year.
He made his first appearance at the famous Glyndebourne opera festival in 1953. He then became a main baritone singer at several important opera houses in Europe:
- Aachen Opera (1953–1956)
- Deutsche Oper am Rhein (1956–1963)
- Zürich Opera (1962–1967)
New Opera Roles
Thomas Hemsley was known for performing in new operas. In 1960, he created the role of Demetrius in Benjamin Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream. He sang this role with the English Opera Group in Aldeburgh.
He also sang in other modern operas:
- Mangus in Michael Tippett's The Knot Garden at the Covent Garden in 1970.
- Caesar in Iain Hamilton's The Catiline Conspiracy at Scottish Opera in 1974.
- Rev Wringhim in Thomas Wilson's The Confessions of a Justified Sinner in 1976.
In 1965, he was the baritone soloist in a rare performance of Frederick Delius's Requiem in Liverpool. This was only the second time the work had been performed in the UK.
German Music
Hemsley was especially good at singing German music. He was famous for his role as Beckmesser in Richard Wagner's opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. The famous conductor Otto Klemperer personally suggested Hemsley for this role at the Bayreuth Festival. Hemsley sang there from 1968 to 1970 and recorded the opera with conductor Rafael Kubelík.
Later Life and Teaching
Later in his career, Thomas Hemsley shared his knowledge with new singers. He taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and also at the Dartington International Summer School.
He married Gwenlliam James in 1960, and they had three sons. He passed away on April 11, 2013, one day before his 86th birthday.
Sources
- Guildhall School of Music and Drama website
