stringtranslate.com

Лестер Танкс

Лестер Танкс в 1914 году

Лестер Танкс (1880 – 4 июля 1935) был английским оперным певцом, которого помнят как главного баритона оперной труппы Д'Ойли Карт с 1904 по 1916 год. Он участвовал в Первой мировой войне , а затем управлял птицефермой.

Ранний период жизни

Родился в Уолтемстоу в Эссексе в 1880 году [1] в семье Эммы Чарльсон, урожденной Арни, и Чарльза Джорджа Танкса, [2] его отец был членом Лондонской фондовой биржи . [3]

Д'Ойли Карта

Танкс присоединился к оперной труппе D'Oyly Carte в туре в декабре 1904 года, сыграв капитана Коркорана в HMS Pinafore . С января 1905 по июнь 1907 года помимо Коркорана он играл роли баритона в репертуаре труппы Гилберта и Салливана , в том числе Сэмюэля в « Пиратах Пензанса» , полковника Калверли в «Терпении» , Маунтарарата в «Иоланте» , Флориана в «Принцессе Иде» , Пиш-Туша в «Микадо». , [4] Лейтенант Тауэра в «Йоменах гвардии» и Луис в «Гондольерах» . С июля 1907 года Танкс получил звание Короля пиратов в «Пиратах» , главную роль в «Микадо» и Джузеппе в «Гондольерах» . [5] [6]

Во втором лондонском репертуарном сезоне Д'Ойли Карт в театре «Савой» с апреля по октябрь 1908 года Танкс играл Пиш-Туша в «Микадо» и Билла Бобстей в HMS Pinafore , [7] а в августе 1908 года он ненадолго появился в роли Микадо во время временного отсутствия. Генри Литтона . [5] 15 октября 1908 года он женился на Этель Роуз Нью Чайлд (1880–1937) в Лондоне. [2] [8] Их дочерью была Филлис Этель Танкс (1910–2005). [1]

On his return to touring in October 1908 Tunks' roles were Captain Corcoran in Pinafore, the Pirate King in Pirates, Archibald Grosvenor in Patience, Mountararat in Iolanthe, Florian in Ida, the title role in The Mikado, Sergeant Meryll in Yeomen, and Giuseppe in Gondoliers.[5][9] While touring in Scotland in about 1909 Tunks and the Company were snowed in for 12 hours between Dundee and Aberdeen. With the blizzard raging outside the train no one had thought to bring refreshments as ordinarily the journey was a short one. Coincidentally, it was Tunks' birthday, and he having little faith in the eatables provided by theatrical landladies had obtained a large steak and kidney pie with various other confections plus a few bottles of spirits and beer to share with his friends in the digs. Instead, these were shared among all those present who merrily toasted Tunks for saving them all from starvation.[10]

From March 1914 to November 1915 Tunks was temporarily switched to the role of Strephon in Iolanthe. Being tall he was able to wear Mountararat's Garter robes to great effect, while his Pirate King's gesture to Major-General Stanley on the line "We look over it" did just that. His Grosvenor in Patience did not speak with the traditional Cockney accent in his final scenes but instead used a more animated tone than that he used earlier for the idyllic poet and his Captain Corcoran in Pinafore actually serenaded the moon instead of the audience.[6] His Mikado's laugh was more bloodcurdling but briefer than that adopted by some later portrayers of the role.[11]

Later years

In December 1916 Tunks left the D'Oyly Carte to join the Army during World War I, ending the War as a 2nd Lieutenant.[5][12] After the cessation of hostilities in 1918 Tunks ran a poultry farm in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.[13]

In his later years Tunks lived in Birmingham in Warwickshire, and here he died in July 1935 aged 54.[14] In his will he left £402 6s 7d to his widow, Ethel Rose New Tunks.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b 1911 England Census for Leicester Tunks, Essex, Woodford: Ancestry.com (subscription required)]
  2. ^ a b Leicester Tunks in the Essex, England, Church of England Marriages, 1754–1935: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  3. ^ 1881 England Census for Leicester Tincks, Essex, Walthamstow: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  4. ^ Wearing, J. P., The London Stage 1900-1909: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel, Rowman & Littlefield (2014), p. 405
  5. ^ a b c d Stone, David, Leicester Tunks, Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 2 October 2007, accessed 7 September 2020
  6. ^ a b Leicester Tunks, Memories of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company websitey, accessed 7 September 2020
  7. ^ Wearing, p. 423
  8. ^ London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754–1932 for Leicester Tunks, Camden, St George, Bloomsbury, 1880–1908: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  9. ^ Leicester Tunks, Opera Scotland, accessed 7 September 2020
  10. ^ Cellier, Francois and Cunningham Bridgeman, Gilbert and Sullivan and Their Operas, Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1914) pp. 390–391
  11. ^ Review of The Mikado, The Gramophone, June 1927, p. 14
  12. ^ Leicester Tunks, Army List, Monthly Army Lists (1914–1918), Supplement to the Monthly Army List, p. 148
  13. ^ UK, City and County Directories, 1766–1946 for Leicester Tunks, England, Hampshire, 1920 Kelly´s Directory: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  14. ^ Leicester Tunks in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  15. ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995 for Leicester Tunks, 1935: Ancestry.com (subscription required)

External links