Suzanne O'Keeffe (1975-80)I only know Suzanne through Magic Of D'Oyly Carte concerts. I believe she has returned to her native Liverpool but of her circumstances I know naught.
Alfred Oldridge (1964-67)I met Alf when he did one performance of the Learned Judge in Trial By Jury at the Manchester Press Club (or it might have been Liverpool???) He was very funny. He also bore a simiarity to Josephine Veasey a fact which got some of the boys in trouble once when this was recognised. Josephine did not like it, especially when Jon Ellison kept calling her Alf! More I do not know.
Dennis Olsen (1970-71) Dennis came to the Carte ostensibly to take ove from John Reed, but Reedy didn't leave. Dennis must have been gutted but he didn't make a fuss, being the true professional, he got his head down and served his term being a very good chorister in the process. I like him. He was a gentleman and a wonderful musician and returned to Australia to make a very fine career in G&S and other shows, becoming in the process one of Austalia's best loved performers, like John Reed was here. He still performs to this day.
Leonard Osborn (1937-40, 1946-59) Leonard has one of the special places in the D'Oyly Carte annals as he was a particularly popular tenor. On record I found his voice a little undisciplined and nasal but I am reliably informed he was quite magical on stage. I met him once when I was called upon at short notice to take over the role of Hilarion. Leonard was at this time director of productions but all I saw of him was while I was getting changed in the dressing room he was there discussing with Geoff Shovelton whether or not Geoff sahould sing a top C in the Kissing song. Sadly he died in 1994.
William Palmerley (1955-57, 1970-76)Bill returned to the company for a second stint in 1970 and we became good friends. We had a similar sense of humour and a love of opera which saw us through many a dressing-room discussion. Bill was always chary about revealing his age, a bit like me now!, and when Bob Bishop blatantly asked him how old he was, Bill stomped up and down the dressing room and said, "What is this, the bloody Spanish Inquisition?" He was a good hearted man and after he left he went to live in North London. Unfortunately Bill suffered a stroke and is now living in a nursing home. I am told by John Ayldon, who visits Bill regularly, that he has taken up painting for which he has found a late talent.
Alison Parker (1965-70) Alison was, and probably still is very pretty. She was a delight on stage, but married to Brian Peach off stage. However, this did not hinder her from being a vivacious and fun-loving woman. She was a deep mezzo soprano and she used her deepest tones to good effect once when she wanted to make a stir by walking into a group of girls and announcing in her butchest tones, "Damn it Daphney, where's the Gents?" I was with Brian when she walked in and announced that she was pregnant. A stiff drink later and Peachy was over the Moon. They left the company and went to live in Christchurch, Bournemouth, I think, where they still live. They occasionally appear at reunions and G&S get-togethers.
Clifford Parkes (1965-69) Cliff Parkes was a strange contradiction on legs. He was of very slight build but had a rumbling Bass voice which seemed to dwarf the body from which it emanated. Cliff was a Midlander from Cannock in Staffordshire, about fifteen miles away from my neck of the woods and we had several thing in common, apart from a Black Country accent. We both loved the dialectic humour of those parts, perhaps because we were the only ones who could understand it - until Roberta Morrell arrived - and we would often regale each other with our 'Aynuk and Aylie' stories. Also we both loved Opera and Cliff was something of an authority on Basses of the world. He was a dapper man who, even on a beach in California could be seen wearing his flannels and natty jacket. When he left he went to Holland, I think - or maybe it was Denmark? - and sang in the opera there for several seasons. He was married twice I believe but sadly he too has passed on.
Arthur Parry (19661-62, 1967-68) I met Arthur only once when he came to visit some of his pals in the company and I mention him here just to link in with one of those word changes which used to occupy us from time to time and for which Arthur will live on, as long as there is someone to remember the song, and indeed, who he was. The song is Doctor Daly's song from The Sorcerer and the line goes, "..... did I look pale, then half a parish trembled..." It became, in the dressing room, "....did I look pale, then Arthur Parry trembled...", but unfortunately he is no longer with us to enjoy the joke having shuffled off this mortal coil some time ago.
Christine Paterson (1969-70) Christine was a formidable lady who, had she been a contralto would have made a splendid Katisha and Lady Jane. However, as a soprano she lent much weight to the chorus and was an efficient worker. What happened after she left I don't have any idea.
Brian Peach (1967-74) Peachy was a rough diamond who simply loved being in the company and performing. He was an electrician by trade and got the bug for G&S through his local amateur work. He was a good golfer and it was he who got me interested in the game. He was a bit of a character who didn't bat an eyelid at returning from America wearing a full Buckskin cowboy outfit, sixguns and all. How he got through cuastoms wearing those I'll never know, but things were different then! He was married to Alison Parker and they had two boys, I think, and live in Hampshire.
Jill Pert (1979-82) I worked with Jill in a production of Pirates Magic of D'Oyly Carte did at Nottingham. She was a substantial lady and made the most of her build in her characterisations. I recall Meston Reid telling me of the time he was watching some of the company playing tennis, and Jill was serving. He said when she hit the ball it behaved as if it had been fired from a gun and nicknamed her, 'The Gunner'. She is still referred to as Gunner Pert to this day, though not in her hearing if one knows what is good for one! Where she is or what she is doing ???
David Porter (1972-75) David was a good solid company bass married to Pamela Field. They both came from Caerphilly and went back to live there after they left the company I'm told where David manages an electrical appliance business, or did all those years ago.
Philip Potter (1961-70, 1970-71, 1979) Philip was one of those chaps who only had to walk onto the stage to get all the women swooning. He was the ideal D'Oyly Carte Tenor in the Thomas Round mould but with his own characteristics and vocal qualities. After he left hewas landlord of several hostelries, one in Devon and then later in Kent. He also ran corporate events for one of the Inns of Court and he brought the company there to perform Trial By Jury. He appeared at the Buxton get-together last year (2003) with Tom Round and Pauline Wales but is all but retired now and living in Kent, I think.
Anthony Raffell (1961-66, 1966-67) My first excursion into G&S was the Gondoliers and Big Tony was playing Giorgio. The next time I saw him he was singing in Wagner at Mannheim. His very large voice served him well in the big dramatic roles he sang all over the world, particularly as Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger at The Metropolitan Opera, New York. He returned to England recently and has sung in some G&S but went into The Phantom of the Opera to sing M. Firmin, one of the theatre managers.
Peter Raper (1969-71)Peter had a smallish voice for an opera company but he was a good stage worker. He bacame notorious for his stag night when he was forced to run through the streets of Oxford wearing only a tie and one sock. It was at two in the morning and a car was alongside in case the police became suspicious but it was one of those things that have gone down in the annals! Peter left and went back to being a Civil Engineer in Hull while producing the operas for the local operatic company. Tragically, Peter suffers from Parkinsons Disease and is often confined to a wheelchair. I was honoured to be asked to take part in a fund-raiser for the Parkinson's Disease Society which was arranged by Peter in Hull where he still lives with his wife, Carol.
Michael Rayner Mike had and still has a very fine baritone voice which served him well in his roles. Unfortunately he suffered a heart scare which made him heavily curtail his performing, making him retrain to be a Probation Officer after leaving the Carte. He is now casting director for Grim's Dyke Opera, a semi-professional company who do simplified productions of the operas at Gilbert's former home in Harrow.
David Rayson (1965-72)A gentleman and a good friend to have when new to the company. David helped me a lot and we would often share digs when touring. His was a light lyric voice with a beautiful tone. He returned to his home in Jersey and runs a shop and post office while appearing with the local choir from time to time. I last saw him when he came to London with his choir to sing at Westminster Cathedral, but this was several years ago and we have not kept in touch.
John Reed (1951-79, 1981-82)You probably know more of John's whereabouts than I do. I last saw him on the Isle of Man where he was producing the local G&S society. I was there to do a Three British Tenors concert. Sadly I have not seen him since, though he did appear at the Buxton celebrations in honour of him, Tom Round and Ken Sandford. I believe he is living in Halifax but has some trouble with his eyes, making his visits away very rare nowadays.
Meston Reid (1974-82)Meston came to the company full of hope for a major career having tried his hand in Grand Opera at the Coliseum. He was a lovely person, full of humour and had an engaging personality and good looks which were great onstage. He carried on singing in concert until his untimely death from a heart attack a couple of years ago.
Alan Rice (1979-82)Another person I only met after I had left the company in some concerts with the Magic of D'Oyly Carte. Alan was a good cover I'm told and played some of the patter parts in other productions away from the Carte, notably Sir Joseph. He was married for a time to Alex Hann but that ended in divorce. Sadly Alan died of a heart attack some years ago,
Joseph Riordan (19153-63)Joseph was one of the many ex-Carters I met in the ENO chorus. He was a personable chap who I first met in the Lemon Tree pub next door to the Coliseum. He was drinking a concoction of Cider and Gin and I was amazed he was still able to sing after it. Joe learned to sing by copying the voice of the great Italian tenor Beniamino Gigli, complete with that man's signpost characteristics including a wonderful mezzo voce and some rather crude sobs. I remember being in hysterics on stage during La Traviata at the Coliseum when Alfredo (John Brecknock) had just thrown the money into the face of Violetta (Valerie Masterson) causing her to weep. The chorus rally round her singing, "Poor Violetta, no tears!", when in my left ear I heard Joe singing, "Ha-poor Violetta, ha-no tears" in a perfect impression of Gigli. I thought he was sending me up but he told me it was for real as that was how he sang. I last saw Joe in a production of Trial By Jury when we were both helping to bolster the chorus for a charity production about four years ago.
Edwin Rolles (1974-79)Eddy was another of those lovely people who tried their hand at the profession by joining the Carte. He seemed to enjoy his time in the company but went back to teaching after he left. I see him very occasionally in concert here and there. He is married and lives somewhere in Sussex I think.
Thomas Round (1946-49, 1954, 1958-64)One of the all time great D'Oyly Carte names. He is still performing in concert, and very well at that, though he is well into his eighties. He has had a wonderful career and I regret I have never seen him work except on film, but I did meet him once. There was one story I heard about him when I joined the company though I have since decided it must be apochryfal. The story went that he was overheard in his hotel by someone in the next room, obviously admiring his slim figure in the mirror. He is suppsed to have said to his wife, "Look at that, a hundred and fifty pounds of Dynamite!" to which his wife is supposed to have answered, "Yes, with a two inch fuse!" I never knew his wife, but I am told by those that did it is a remark she would not possibly have made. Tom attended the event given at Buxton last year in his honour, and that of John Reed and Ken Sandford.
Renee Rushworth (1974-75)I remember Renee, pronounced Rennie, joining just before we went to Rome. While we were at Sorrento she bought some laquered furniture and had it shipped back to Britain. She told me that it had duly arrived several weeks later. She was a real 'Northerner' and I could well imagine her rolling her sleeves up and getting 'stuck in'. She sang well as I recall but after she left I have no information at all.
This addendum lists all the later choristers and a few previous I either know little of or have some bearing on my Tales. Further information on these, or any of the others would be welcome.
Addendum
Clicking on the blue links above and below will open pages in one of several G&S sites (listed below) which you can browse at leisure. They are
Memories Of The D'Oyly Carte
Who Was Who In The D'Oyly Carte
The G & S Archive
Savoynet