Leslie Rands

Leslie Rands (January 7 1900–December 6 1972) was an English opera singer, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. He married D'Oyly Carte soprano Marjorie Eyre in 1926.

Life and career

Leslie Rands was born in Chichester, England. He performed in the Chicester Cathedral choir and studied at the Royal School of Music before joining the D'Oyly Carte touring company in 1925 as a chorister. In 1926 he played Cox in "Cox and Box", Samuel in "The Pirates of Penzance", the Sir Richard Cholmondeley, the Lieutenant of the Tower, in "The Yeomen of the Guard", and Giuseppe (or, occasionally, Luiz) in "The Gondoliers". In 1927, he added the role of Pish-Tush in "The Mikado" to his repertoire.

Beginning in 1928 Rands plaayed the principal baritone parts of Counsel to the Plaintiff and later the Learned Judge in "Trial by Jury", Doctor Daly in "The Sorcerer", Captain Corcoran in "H.M.S. Pinafore", occasionally the Pirate king in "Pirates", Archibald Grosvenor (and occasionally Colonel) in "Patience", Strephon in "Iolanthe", Florian in "Princess Ida", Pish-Tush, Cholmondeley and Giuseppe.

Leslie Rands left the D'Oyly Carte organization in 1947, but in 1949, he and his wife joined former D'Oyly Carters Richard Walker, Helen Roberts, John Dean, and others for a tour of Australia and New Zealand with the J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, where he appeared as Mountararat and the Mikado. Upon his return to England, he was reunited with his former colleagues to sing Captain Corcoran and the Counsel for the Plaintiff on the Company's 1949 Decca LP recordings of "Pinafore" and "Trial".

In 1952, Rands and Eyre played the Earl of Essex and Jill-All-Alone in a week's run of "Merrie England" for charity in Priory Park, Chichester. Later, he directed amateur Gilbert and Sullivan societies.

Rands died in Chichester, England.

Recordings

His recordings with D'Oyly Carte included Strephon (1929 "Iolanthe"), Grosvenor (1930 "Patience"), Giuseppe (1931 "Gondoliers" excerpts), Doctor Daly (1933 abridged "Sorcerer"), Pish-Tush (1936 "Mikado"), Corcoran in (1949 "Pinafore") and Counsel in (1949 "Trial").

References

*cite book|last=Ayre|first=Leslie|year=1972|title=The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion|location=London|publisher=W.H. Allen & Co Ltd Introduction by Martyn Green.

ee also

*J. C. Williamson

External links

* [http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/whowaswho/R/RandsLeslie.htm Leslie Rands] at Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte
* [http://pinafore.www3.50megs.com/rands-eyre.html Profile of Rands]
* [http://www.cris.com/~oakapple/gasdisc/artist/granville-1926.htm Information about D'Oyly Carte members who performed with the J. C. Williamson company]