Audrey Langford Explained

Audrey Langford (28 June 1912, Rochdale — 5 August 1994, Bromley) was an English soprano, conductor, and voice teacher. Musicologist Elizabeth Forbes wrote, "Audrey Langford will no doubt go down in musical history as a superb singing teacher over a period of 50 years, but she also had two other successful careers, as a soprano who sang at Covent Garden in the late 1930s and, after the war, as a conductor, most particularly of the Bromley Philharmonic Choir and the Kentish Opera Group, both of which organizations she founded."

Life and career

Born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, Langford earned degrees in piano and voice from the Royal College of Music. She was committed to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden under Sir Thomas Beecham where she performed mainly in comprimario roles from 1936 through 1939. Some of the roles she performed at that opera house included Madeleine in Louise (1936)[1] a Flower Maiden in Parsifal (1936, 1937, and 1939),[2] and the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel (1937).[3]

After opera ceased at that theatre with the outbreak of World War II, Langford spent the war years performing as a member of the Entertainments National Service Association. A perforated ear drum ended her performance career shortly after the end of war, and she then began a long distinguished career as a voice teacher which lasted more than five decades. In addition to teaching privately out of the Cantica Voice Studio in Bromley, Langford was a member of the voice faculty at the Royal Northern College of Music and taught masterclasses internationally.

Langford also had a career as a professional conductor. She notably founded and directed both the Bromley Philharmonic Choir and the Kentish Opera Group.[4] With the latter organization she conducted the United Kingdom premieres of two operas by Gian Carlo Menotti: The Old Maid and the Thief on July 14, 1960, and The Saint of Bleecker Street on July 27, 1962.[5] In 1974 she conducted the Bromley Philharmonic Choir and Handel Chamber Orchestra at Queen Elizabeth Hall for a recording of Jules Massenet's Marie-Magdeleine.[6] She was also David Parry's first conducting teacher.[7]

Langford was also a guest conductor with the Scottish Opera; conducting performances of Handel's Partenope (1964) and Bastien und Bastienne (1966).[8]

Personal life and death

Langford's first husband was violist Frederick Riddle.[4] In 1949 she married bass-baritone Andrew Field.[4] Her daughters are mezzo-soprano Sally Langford-Broadley (also known professionally as Elizabeth Langford) and Anne Langford.[4] She died in Bromley on 5 August 1994.[4]

Pupils

The following singers studied voice with Langford:

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Wearing, pg. 526
  2. Wearing, pg. 517, 596, and 746
  3. Wearing, pg. 574
  4. News: Obituary: Audrey Langford. Elizabeth Forbes. 30 August 1994. The Independent.
  5. Book: 354, 430. Operas in English: A Dictionary. Margaret Ross Griffel. 2013. 9780810883253. Scarecrow Press.
  6. Book: 136. More EJS: Discography of the Edward J. Smith Recordings; "Unique Opera Records Corporation" (1972-1977), "A.N.N.A. Record Company" (1978-1982), "special-label" Issues (circa 1954-1981), and Addendum to "The Golden Age of Opera" Series. William Shaman, Edward Joseph Smith, William J. Collins, Calvin M. Goodwin. 1999. 9780313298356. Greenwood Press.
  7. Michael Oliver, "The pure and lyrical", Gramophone (London), November 2000
  8. Web site: Audrey Langford. Opera Scotland. October 1, 2022.
  9. Book: Adams, Helen . 14-15. Kutsch . Karl-Josef . Riemens . Leo . Rost . Hansjörg . . 4th . Walter de Gruyter . 2012 . 2003 . German . 9783598440885.
  10. Book: Opera Lives. Linda Kitchen. 2018. 50. Spiramus Press. 978-1-910151-56-3.
  11. Book: Black, Jeffrey . 433-434. Kutsch . Karl-Josef . Riemens . Leo . Rost . Hansjörg . . 4th . Walter de Gruyter . 2012 . 2003 . German . 9783598440885.
  12. Book: Dynamics of the Singing Voice. Meribeth Bunch, R.E.M. Bowden. 2013. VI. Springer Vienna. 9783709120651.
  13. Book: Erikson, Elisabeth. 1348. Kutsch . Karl-Josef . Riemens . Leo . Rost . Hansjörg . Großes Sängerlexikon, Volume 4 . 4th . Walter de Gruyter . 2012 . 2003 . German . 9783598440885.
  14. Book: https://books.google.com/books?id=ez1JfIVM4ykC&dq=%22Audrey+Langford%22&pg=PA463. Gasztowt-Adams, Helen (Catriona). International Who's Who in Music. 222. David M. Cummings. 2000. International Biographical Centre. 9780948875533 .
  15. Encyclopedia: Michael Walsh (author). Walsh. Michael . 2002 . Greenawald, Sheri (Kay) . Grove Music Online . . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O007161.
  16. Book: Hetherington, Hugh. International Who's Who in Music. 281. David M. Cummings. 2000. International Biographical Centre.
  17. Encyclopedia: Alan Blyth. Blyth . Alan . 2001 . Hill, Martyn. Grove Music Online . . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.44521.
  18. Book: Morgan, Arwel Huw. 3218. Kutsch . Karl-Josef . Riemens . Leo . Rost . Hansjörg . Großes Sängerlexikon, Volume 4 . 4th . Walter de Gruyter . 2012 . 2003 . German . 9783598440885.
  19. Book: https://books.google.com/books?id=ez1JfIVM4ykC&dq=%22Audrey+Langford%22&pg=PA463. Nendick, Josephine. International Who's Who in Music. 463. David M. Cummings. 2000. International Biographical Centre. 9780948875533 .
  20. Book: https://books.google.com/books?id=ClWcAQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Audrey+Langford%22&pg=PA331. A Dictionary of Opera Characters. Joyce Bourne, Joyce Bourne Kennedy. 2008. 330-331. Rodgers, Joan. 9780199550395. Oxford University Press.
  21. Book: Sullivan, Ghillian. International Who's Who in Music. 623. David M. Cummings. 2000. International Biographical Centre.
  22. Book: Staahlen, Torhild . 4494. Kutsch . Karl-Josef . Riemens . Leo . Rost . Hansjörg . Großes Sängerlexikon, Volume 4 . 4th . Walter de Gruyter . 2012 . 2003 . German . 9783598440885.
  23. Rich, Maria F. (ed.), excerpt from "Weaving, John", Who's Who in Opera: An International Biographical Directory of Singers..., Arno Press, 1976, p. 585.

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