Grahame Clifford

Grahame Clifford (December 25 1905 - 26 January 1984), was an English opera singer and actor primarily known for his work in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and as principal baritone of the Royal Opera Company, Covent Garden.

Life and career

Clifford was born Clifford White in Burnley, Lancashire, England. He attended the Royal Manchester College of Music from 1925 to 1928, winning the Stocks Massey Scholarship, and appeared in "The Marriage of Figaro" at the college in 1928. From 1928 to 1930, he studied at the Royal College of Music in London under Ernest Palmer Bursary.

Early career and D'Oyly Carte

Clifford's first professional London performance was in Handel's opera "Giulio Cesare" in 1930. He created the role of Ford in Vaughan Williams' opera "Sir John in Love". Clifford joined the Carl Rosa Opera Company from 1930 to 1932, becoming principal baritone and singing the title role in "Rigoletto", Tonio in "Pagliacci", Alberich in "Der Ring des Nibelungen", Dr. Miracle in "The Tales of Hoffman", and many other roles. For several years after that, he left singing to teach and act in plays and to produce plays and operas at the Westminster Theatre. He was also an avid amateur photographer. Clifford met his future wife, dancer and model Barbara Bonnar, in 1932, and they married in 1935. In 1937, Clifford returned to opera, joining the Covent Garden Opera Company as principal baritone. He made his television debut in 1938 as King Claudius in W. S. Gilbert's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern". In 1938 he sang in the Grand International Opera Season at Covent Garden.

Clifford joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at the end of 1939. From 1939 to 1946, he became the wartime replacement for Martyn Green, performing the comic baritone roles of Sir Joseph Porter in "H.M.S. Pinafore", Major-General Stanley in "The Pirates of Penzance", Reginald Bunthorne in "Patience", the Lord Chancellor in "Iolanthe", Ko-Ko in "The Mikado", Robin Oakapple in "Ruddigore", Jack Point in "The Yeomen of the Guard", and the Duke of Plaza-Toro in "The Gondoliers". In 1943, Clifford's daughter Flavia was born. In 1946, he sang in a production of "Merrie England".

Grand opera and later years

Clifford returned to grand opera, serving as principal baritone at the Royal Opera Company, Covent Garden from 1946 to 1952, singing such roles as Papageno in "The Magic Flute", Faninal in "Der Rosenkavalier", Ping in "Turandot", Beckmesser in "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg", Benoit in "La bohème", and Alberich. In 1947 he also recorded the roles of Spallanzani and Frantz in a recording which later formed the soundtrack of Sir Thomas Beecham's 1951 film version of "The Tales of Hoffman", [ [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Oct03/Offenbach_Beecham.htm Offenbach Hoffmann Beecham [JW: Classical CD Reviews- Oct 2003 MusicWeb(UK) ] ] and in 1952 he appeared in a BBC television production of "Pagliacci", in the role of Tonio. In 1952, Clifford underwent a serious operation to repair a duodenal ulcer. From 1953-54, he returned to the Royal Manchester College of Music to teach master classes and to help create a school of opera. For the next two years, Clifford taught privately and performed in London.

In 1956, Clifford joined the J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company to tour in Australia and New Zealand. He moved to Dunedin, New Zealand in 1958, where he directed a number of theatre and opera companies until 1964, including the Dunedin Repertory Company, Dunedin Opera Company, Shakespeare Company, and Oamaru Operatic Company. He also taught privately from 1963-65. In 1966, Clifford moved to Wellington, New Zealand. For the next five years, he toured with the New Zealand Opera Company in roles such as Frosch in "Die Fledermaus". He also continued to teach and direct. In 1976, he performed the role of King Gama in "Princess Ida" for the Dunedin Gilbert and Sullivan Company's 25th anniversary production. In 1977, he made another film, "The Steps". Clifford's wife died in 1978. He made a TV film of "Gianni Schicchi" in 1979 and appeared on Louise Malloy’s television show in 1980, finally retiring in 1981.

Clifford died in Auckland, New Zealand at the age of 79. His daughter, Flavia Clifford-White, is still living.

Recordings and films

Grahame appears on recordings of "Tales of Hoffman" (1951) [http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=81870&name_role1=2&bcorder=2&label_id=5809] and [http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=81870&name_role1=2&bcorder=2&label_id=1649] , as well as "The Bartered Bride". [http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=81870&name_role1=2&bcorder=2&label_id=468]

He also appears in the 1938 television production of W. S. Gilbert's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" as King Claudius, [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411813/] and he dubbed the singing voices of Spalanzani and Franz in a 1951 film of "Tales of Hoffmann". [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0166626/] He also appeared in the film "The Steps" in New Zealand in 1977.

Notes and references

* Introduction by Martyn Green.

External links

* [http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/whowaswho/C/CliffordGrahame.htm Grahame Clifford] at Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte
* [http://pinafore.www3.50megs.com/g-clifford.html Profile of Clifford with links to photos]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0166626/ IMDB filmography of Clifford]