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John Ayldon

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John Ayldon, bass-baritone

John Ayldon(11 December 1943 – 16 February 2013) was an English opera singer and comic actor, best known for his performances inbass-baritoneroles of theSavoy Operaswith theD'Oyly Carte Opera Company.

Though born in England, Ayldon spent several years of his youth in the US, where he became interested in acting and received some professional engagements. He performed inGilbert and Sullivanproductions later in London but did not begin his professional performing career in earnest until 1967, when he joined the D'Oyly Carte as a chorister and small role player. In 1969, he took over the principal bass-baritone roles in the company's entire repertoire, and he continued to play them full-time until the company closed in 1982.

After this, he sang roles with opera companies throughout Britain and withCanadian Opera;he appeared frequently in concerts,music hall,cabaret, andpantomime.In London's West End, he understudied and played the role of Firmin inThe Phantom of the Operaand played the Pope inWhich Witch.Ayldon was a guest artist with the revived D'Oyly Carte Opera Company on its tour to California and toured with such Gilbert and Sullivan concert groups as "The Magic of D'Oyly Carte" and "The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan".

Life and career

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John Ayldon was born asJohn Arnoldin London. He moved toSan Francisco, Californiain 1954 with his elder sister Molly, where he went to school. He became interested in the theatre, appearing in many school productions, and received some professional engagements, including appearing in the title role in a television production ofHuckleberry Finn.He returned to England in 1958, where he joined theEltham Little Theatreand other societies, performing inGilbert and Sullivanshows, among others.[1][2][3]For several years after leaving school, he worked in journalism, shipping and advertising.[4][5]

D'Oyly Carte

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Ayldon joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a member of the chorus in 1967.[1]The following season, he began to play the small role of the Associate inTrial by Juryand filled in on occasion as Sergeant Bouncer inCox and Box,the Learned Judge inTrial,and the Boatswain inH.M.S. Pinafore.In 1968, he began to understudyDonald Adamsin the principal bass-baritone roles, appearing on occasion as Dick Deadeye inPinafore,the Pirate King inThe Pirates of Penzance,the Earl of Mountararat inIolanthe,[6]and the title role inThe Mikado.[5]He changed his name to Ayldon because anotherEquitymember was known as John Arnold.[2]

Ayldon performed at a Jubilee YearRoyal Command PerformanceatWindsor Castlein 1977

When Adams left the company in 1969, Ayldon took over as Deadeye, Pirate King, Colonel Calverley inPatience,Mountararat, Arac inPrincess Ida,the Mikado, Sir Roderic Murgatroyd inRuddigore,and Sergeant Meryll inThe Yeomen of the Guard.Later that year, he added Sergeant Bouncer inCox and Box(only for a few years), and the following year added Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre inThe Sorcerer.[5]With D'Oyly Carte, Ayldon gave up to 350 performances a year. His obituary inThe Telegraphcommented, "Blessed with a wide schoolboy grin and a spark of mischief, Ayldon tended towards roles which demonstrated a degree of villainy."[2]

For the 1975 D'Oyly Carte Centenary Celebration, Ayldon played all his principal bass-baritone roles as well as Phantis inUtopia Limitedand the Prince of Monte Carlo inThe Grand Duke(in concert). As part of the 1975 centennial season, before the first of the four performances ofTrial by Jury,a specially-written curtain raiser byWilliam Douglas-Home,calledDramatic Licence,was played byPeter PrattasRichard D'Oyly Carte,Kenneth Sandfordas Gilbert and Ayldon as Sullivan, in which Gilbert, Sullivan and Carte plan the premiere ofTrialin 1875.[7]In 1977, Ayldon played beforeQueen Elizabeth IIand other members of the Royal Family for the queen'sSilver JubileeCommand PerformanceofH.M.S. PinaforeatWindsor Castle.[8]

Ayldon continued to play his regular roles through the remaining years of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, except that in 1977 (at his request) he swapped Florian for Arac inPrincess Ida.[5]The Prince of Monte Carlo's "roulette song" became a favourite concert piece of Ayldon's, and he sang it, among other pieces, on the Last Night of the D'Oyly Carte on 27 February 1982.[9]

Later years

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After 1982, Ayldon remained active in musical theatre and opera. He appeared in principal roles with Canadian Opera,Welsh National Opera,Dublin Grand Opera, and New Sadler's Wells Opera. His operatic roles included Geronimo inIl Matrimonio Segreto,the title role inDon Pasquale,Sacristan inTosca,Frank inDie Fledermaus,Schaunard inLa bohème,Concian inI quatro rusteghiand Otec Paloucký inThe Kiss.[10]He appeared frequently in concerts, music hall, cabaret, and pantomime. He made his debut in a West End musical inThe Phantom of the Opera,understudying Firmin, and subsequently other roles in that musical, and followed this by playing the Pope inWhich Witch.[5]In 1988, he sang the role of Major Murgatroyd in a concert performance of Act II ofPatienceatThe Proms.[2]He was a guest artist with the revived D'Oyly Carte Opera Company on its tour to California, playing Pooh-Bah inThe Mikado,and also with "The Magic of D'Oyly Carte".[5]

Ayldon toured North America frequently withKenneth Sandford,Geoffrey Shovelton,Lorraine Daniels, and others in the 1990s with a concert programme of G&S favourites called "The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan" or "G&S à la Carte", often conducted by John Owen Edwards. In the late 1990s and early years of the 2000s, he performed and spoke at the annualInternational Gilbert and Sullivan Festival[5]and appeared regularly atGawsworth Old Hallin Cheshire.[3]He enjoyed cooking and was knowledgeable about "theatre, film and opera – especially Verdi and Donizetti" and cultivated acquaintances withJoan SutherlandandLeontyne Price,with whom he corresponded. Ayldon's partner was thetenorGuy Matthews, another former member of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company,[11]since 1975; the two entered into a civil partnership in 2007.[2]

Ayldon died at the age of 69 inNorthampton.[3]

Recordings

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Ayldon's roles recorded with D'Oyly Carte included Dick Deadeye inPinafore(1971), the title role inThe Mikado(1973), Mountararat inIolanthe(1974), the Foreman inTrial(1975), Phantis inUtopia Limited(1976), the Prince of Monte Carlo inThe Grand Duke(1976), Mr. Grinder inThe Zoo(1978), and Sergeant Meryll inYeomen(1979). He also recorded Old Adam inRuddigorefor New Sadler's Wells Opera (1987), appeared as Dick Deadeye in the D'Oyly Carte 1973 TV production ofH.M.S. Pinafore,and was a soloist in the concert video recording "Gilbert & Sullivan's Greatest Hits" at theRoyal Albert Hallin 1982.[12]He sang the role of "The Pope" on the 1993 London cast album ofWhich Witch(NBCD 015).

Notes

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  1. ^abProfile of Ayldon,Memories of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company,accessed 16 April 2012
  2. ^abcde"John Ayldon",The Telegraph,26 February 2013
  3. ^abcMackie, David. Obituaries: John Ayldon,Gilbert & Sullivan News,The Gilbert and Sullivan Society: London, Vol. 5, No. 1, Spring 2013, p. 18
  4. ^"John Ayldon talks to David and Elaine Stevenson",Memories of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company,accessed 16 April 2012
  5. ^abcdefgStone, David.John Ayldon,Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte, 11 April 2006, accessed 16 February 2013
  6. ^Rollins and Witts, 1st Supplement, p. 7 and 3rd Supplement, p. 28
  7. ^Forbes, Elizabeth.Kenneth Sandford obituary,The Independent,23 September 2004
  8. ^Wilson and Lloyd, p. 178
  9. ^Shepherd, Marc."D'Oyly Carte: The Last Night",The Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 16 July 2005, accessed 16 February 2013
  10. ^"Ayldon, John",World Who's Who,accessed 21 October 2014(subscription required)
  11. ^Stone, David."Guy Matthews",Who Was Who at the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 28 May 2004, accessed 27 February 2013
  12. ^Shepherd, Marc.Ayldon recordings,The Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, accessed 16 February 2013

References

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  • Ayre, Leslie (1972).The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion.London: W.H. Allen & Co Ltd.ISBN0-396-06634-8.
  • Rollins, Cyril; R. John Witts (1962).The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Gilbert and Sullivan Operas: A Record of Productions, 1875–1961.Michael Joseph.Five supplements, printed privately, extend the reference to 1982.
  • Wilson, Robin; Frederic Lloyd (1984).Gilbert & Sullivan – The D'Oyly Carte Years: The Official Picture History.London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
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