- Leonard Osborn
Leonard Osborn (
November 11 1914 –September 28 1994 ) was an Englishopera singer, best known for his masculine portrayal of thetenor roles in theSavoy Operas with theD'Oyly Carte Opera Company . An accomplished actor and dancer, he later became a stage director for the company.Life and career
Leonard Alfred George Osborn was born in
Tooting ,London , England. He performed in amateurGilbert and Sullivan productions and worked as a chemist before joining D'Oyly Carte as a tenor chorister in 1937 (the company was paying choristers more than his old job). He soon played the role of First Yeoman (and, occasionally, Leonard Meryll) in "The Yeomen of the Guard ". In 1938, he added the roles of the Defendant in "Trial by Jury " and Francesco in "The Gondoliers ". He also filled in as Earl Tolloller in "Iolanthe " in 1939.In 1940, he continued to play the Defendant and chorus roles. He joined the
Royal Air Force in July 1940, where he sang in many military concerts. In 1946, after the end ofWorld War II , he rejoined D'Oyly Carte as principal tenor, playing Tolloller and Nanki-Poo in "The Mikado ". From 1946 to 1959 his roles were the Defendant, the Duke of Dunstable in "Patience", Tolloller, Colonel Fairfax in "The Yeomen of the Guard", Marco in "The Gondoliers", Mr. Box in "Cox and Box ", Richard Dauntless in "Ruddigore " (his favourite role), and Cyril in "Princess Ida ".He left the D'Oyly Carte organisation in 1959 and went into the retail business in Surrey, from time to time thereafter directing amateur productions. In 1977 he returned to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as stage director for "Princess Ida" for the
Sadler's Wells special Jubilee season. He served as production director for D'Oyly Carte until 1980.Osborn died in
London at the age of 79.Recordings
His recordings with D'Oyly Carte made between 1949 and 1955 included the Defendant in "Trial", Ralph Rackstraw in "
H.M.S. Pinafore ", Frederic in "The Pirates of Penzance ", the Duke in "Patience", Tolloller in "Iolanthe", Cyril in "Princess Ida", Nanki-Poo in "The Mikado", Richard Dauntless in "Ruddigore", Fairfax in "Yeomen", and Marco in "The Gondoliers".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 .
*cite book|last=Joseph|first=Tony|year=2007|title=Leonard Osborn: Dauntless he...|location=Bristol|publisher=Bunthorne Books ISBN 0-950-79928-5External links
* [http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/whowaswho/O/OsbornLeonard.htm Leonard Osborn] at Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte
* [http://pinafore.www3.50megs.com/l-osborn.html Profile of Osborn]
* [http://www.cris.com/~oakapple/gasdisc/rud1950.htm Discussion of Osborn and his recordings]
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