Life and career Hugh Enes Blackmore

blackmore sir bailey barre in utopia, limited, 1893

in 1890s, blackmore sang in variety of concerts performers including leonora braham , w. h. squire. took part in evening concert @ kensington town hall on 22 march 1893 in aid of fund building church @ pembroke college, cambridge mission in walworth. concert, included schubert s incidental music rosamunde, receiving first performance in england in original , complete form , held under patronage of master , fellows of pembroke college, young henry wood conducting.

blackmore s association d oyly carte opera company spanned 30 years. in october 1893, created small role of sir bailey barre, 1 of flowers of progress , in gilbert , sullivan s utopia, limited @ savoy theatre in london. 1894–96 performed d oyly carte touring company, playing captain fitzbattleaxe in utopia, ralph rackstraw in h.m.s. pinafore, picorin in mirette, vasquez in chieftain, duke of dunstable in patience, marco in gondoliers, nanki-poo in mikado , ernest dummkopf in first british provincial production of grand duke.

at end of 1896, blackmore left d oyly carte opera company. toured more year in new musical comedy, ballet girl, james t. tanner , adrian ross, playing role of reuben van eyt. appeared in london in 1898 , 1899 piccolo in edward jakobowski , ross s musical comedy milord sir smith @ comedy theatre. after this, played vincent in tour of ma mie rosette, romantic comedy-opera music paul lacome , ivan caryll. during period, blackmore sang @ steinway hall in london on 2 november 1898 during first season of elderhorst chamber concerts.

in 1908, blackmore rejoined d oyly carte opera company @ savoy theatre company s second london repertory season, member of chorus. played griffin david in several performances of welsh sunset, curtain-raiser pinafore season. later year, blackmore resumed touring d oyly carte, taking on small roles of leonard meryll in yeomen of guard , francesco in gondoliers, singing in chorus of other shows on tour. in 1910, gave playing character of francesco continued play leonard until july, after date played chorus roles next 2 years. during d oyly carte s 1912–13 season, began play small role of first yeoman in yeomen. in july 1913 added annibale in gondoliers repertoire, stepping more important role of luiz short period in 1914. substituted @ times in leading tenor roles, including tolloller in iolanthe (1914–15), nanki-poo in mikado (1917), marco in gondoliers (1917), , alexis in sorcerer (1918). played role of cyril in princess ida in 1918. blackmore returned d oyly carte chorus in 1918, playing roles of leonard in yeomen , annibale in gondoliers july 1919. 1921, principal role annibale, filled in derek oldham tolloller in iolanthe, before retiring stage in april 1922.

blackmore employed d oyly carte coach company s professional understudies in roles. appointed d oyly carte s stage manager 1922–23 season, but, coming uncomfortable conflict artistic temperament , replaced following season frederick hobbs. after leaving stage, blackmore taught voice , coached actors in operatic stage craft in london-based g & s school of opera , founded wife, describing himself in advertisements school principal tenor , sm d oyly carte.

personal life

blackie , known friends , colleagues, married fellow d oyly carter theresa mary hewett tessa snelson (1870–1939) in 1902; introduced each other on stage of savoy theatre w. s. gilbert. 2 became members of gilbert , sullivan society in london, in both served on entertainment committee, supervising dramatic recitals society in celebration of operas jubilees, including staging excerpts utopia, limited , gondoliers society s 1936 centenary celebration of birth of w. s. gilbert. blackmore served on society s executive committee , wrote articles society s journal concerning stagecraft in general , career d oyly carte opera company. blackmore made last public appearance reprising role sir bailey barre in gilbert , sullivan society s concert version of utopia, limited on 29 april 1939, forty-six years after originating role @ savoy theatre.

his wife predeceased him in 1939; had no children. blackmore died @ age of 81 in uxbridge in middlesex.