Nancy Evans
Encyclopedia
Nancy Evans OBE
(19 March 1915 – 20 August 2000) was an English mezzo-soprano
who had a notable career as a concert and opera singer. She is particularly associated with Benjamin Britten
who wrote his song cycle
, A Charm of Lullabies, and the role of Nancy in his opera Albert Herring
for her.
and educated at Calder High School for Girls there. After studying singing first with John Tobin and later with Maggie Teyte
and Eva de Reusz, she made her recital debut in Liverpool at the age of 18. In or before 1936 she took the part of Dido in the premiere recording of Purcell
's Dido and Aeneas
with Roy Henderson as Aeneas, under Boyd Neel
. Initially a recital and concert singer, she made her stage debut in 1938 in Arthur Sullivan
's The Rose of Persia
at the Prince's Theatre in London, which was followed by a series of small roles at Royal Opera House
. During World War II
, she sang throughout Europe and the Middle East in ENSA
concerts for the British armed forces.
After the war ended, she joined Benjamin Britten's newly formed English Opera Group
. Her first important opera role was Lucretia in the 1946 Glyndebourne
production of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia. The following year she created the role of Nancy in his Albert Herring
, also at Glyndebourne, and in 1948 she sang Polly in Britten's version of The Beggar's Opera
.
Her first husband was the record producer Walter Legge
, whom she married in 1941. The couple had one daughter, born in 1942, but divorced in 1948. In 1949, Evans married the producer and librettist Eric Crozier
, who became a co-founder of the Aldeburgh Festival
with Britten and Peter Pears
. Evans taught singing at the Britten-Pears School in Snape Maltings
after her retirement and was made an OBE in 1991. She died in Aldeburgh
at the age of 85.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(19 March 1915 – 20 August 2000) was an English mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
who had a notable career as a concert and opera singer. She is particularly associated with Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
who wrote his song cycle
Song cycle
A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...
, A Charm of Lullabies, and the role of Nancy in his opera Albert Herring
Albert Herring
Albert Herring, Op. 39, is a chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten.Composed in the winter of 1946 and the spring of 1947, this comic opera was a successor to his serious opera The Rape of Lucretia...
for her.
Biography
Evans was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and educated at Calder High School for Girls there. After studying singing first with John Tobin and later with Maggie Teyte
Maggie Teyte
Dame Maggie Teyte DBE was an English operatic soprano and interpreter of French art song.-Early years:Margaret Tate was born in Wolverhampton, England, one of ten children of Jacob James Tate, a successful wine and spirit merchant and proprietor of public houses and later lodgings. Her parents...
and Eva de Reusz, she made her recital debut in Liverpool at the age of 18. In or before 1936 she took the part of Dido in the premiere recording of Purcell
Purcell
Henry Purcell was an English composer.Purcell may also refer to:*Purcell, Indiana, an unincorporated community in Johnson Township, Knox County, Indiana*Purcell, Missouri, a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States...
's Dido and Aeneas
Dido and Aeneas
Dido and Aeneas is an opera in a prologue and three acts by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell to a libretto by Nahum Tate. The first known performance was at Josias Priest's girls' school in London no later than the summer of 1688. The story is based on Book IV of Virgil's Aeneid...
with Roy Henderson as Aeneas, under Boyd Neel
Boyd Neel
Louis Boyd Neel was an English conductor and academic. He is perhaps best known for revitalizing the genre of the chamber orchestra.-Early years:...
. Initially a recital and concert singer, she made her stage debut in 1938 in Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
's The Rose of Persia
The Rose of Persia
The Rose of Persia; or, The Story-Teller and the Slave, is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Basil Hood. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 29 November 1899, closing on 28 June 1900 after a profitable run of 211 performances...
at the Prince's Theatre in London, which was followed by a series of small roles at Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she sang throughout Europe and the Middle East in ENSA
ENSA
ENSA may refer to:* ENSA, the Entertainments National Service Association* ENSA * École Nationale des Sciences Appliquées d'Oujda, an engineering school in Morocco* EC-Council Network Security Administrator...
concerts for the British armed forces.
After the war ended, she joined Benjamin Britten's newly formed English Opera Group
English Opera Group
The English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the composer Benjamin Britten for the purpose of presenting his and other, primarily British, composers' operatic works. The group later expanded in order to present larger-scale works, and was renamed the English...
. Her first important opera role was Lucretia in the 1946 Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an English opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England.-History:...
production of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia. The following year she created the role of Nancy in his Albert Herring
Albert Herring
Albert Herring, Op. 39, is a chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten.Composed in the winter of 1946 and the spring of 1947, this comic opera was a successor to his serious opera The Rape of Lucretia...
, also at Glyndebourne, and in 1948 she sang Polly in Britten's version of The Beggar's Opera
The Beggar's Opera
The Beggar's Opera is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of satirical ballad opera to remain popular today...
.
Her first husband was the record producer Walter Legge
Walter Legge
Harry Walter Legge was an influential English classical record producer, most notably for EMI. His recordings include many sets later regarded as classics and reissued by EMI as "Great Recordings of the Century". He worked in the recording industry from 1927, combining this with the post of junior...
, whom she married in 1941. The couple had one daughter, born in 1942, but divorced in 1948. In 1949, Evans married the producer and librettist Eric Crozier
Eric Crozier
Eric Crozier was a British theatrical director and opera librettist, long associated with Benjamin Britten....
, who became a co-founder of the Aldeburgh Festival
Aldeburgh Festival
The Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
with Britten and Peter Pears
Peter Pears
Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten....
. Evans taught singing at the Britten-Pears School in Snape Maltings
Snape Maltings
Snape Maltings is part of Snape, Suffolk, U.K., best known for its concert hall, which is one of the main sites of the annual Aldeburgh Festival....
after her retirement and was made an OBE in 1991. She died in Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
at the age of 85.
Sources
- Daily Telegraph, "Nancy Evans", 24 August 2000
- Kennedy, Michael and Bourne, Joyce (eds.), "Evans, Nancy", The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, 2007. ISBN 9780199203833
- McDonald, Tim, "Obituary: Nancy Evans" The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 24 August 2000
External links
- The Nancy Evans and Eric Crozier papers at the Britten-Pears Foundation