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L. Radley Flynn

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L. Radley "Rad" Flynn (June 14 1902 – March 9 1978) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in bass roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. He married D'Oyly Carte contralto Ella Halman in 1940.

Life and career

Radley Flynn was born in Rochdale, Lancashire. He joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1928 and was immediately assigned the small role of Giorgio in The Gondoliers. The following year, he added the roles of Go-To in The Mikado, the Carpenter's Mate in H.M.S. Pinafore, and Scynthius in Princess Ida. In 1931, Flynn added the role of Old Adam Goodheart in Ruddigore and had the opportunity to substitute for Sydney Granville as Private Willis in Iolanthe.

Flynn left the company in 1933, returning in 1934 to play the same roles. During the next five years, he continued playing these small roles and sometimes substituted as Private Willis, Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, the title role in The Mikado, and Sir Roderick in Ruddigore. On the evening before their wedding, Halman played Fairy Queen opposite Flynn's Willis. In 1941, he took over Willis from Granville and the Usher in Trial by Jury from Richard Walker.

In 1946, Flynn gave up Private Willis and temporarily traded the Usher for the Foreman of the Jury. When Walker left the company in 1948, Flynn reacquired the Usher and played the Lieutenant of the Tower in The Yeomen of the Guard occasionally. Flynn also substituted for Darrell Fancourt on numerous occasions between 1946 and 1951 as the Pirate King, Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore, the Mikado, Sir Roderick, and Sergeant Meryll in Yeomen.

After 23 years with the D'Oyly Carte organisation, Flynn left in 1951, moving to America where he and Ella Halman toured with Martyn Green in a series of Gilbert and Sullivan productions presented by S. M. Chartock.He recalled a production of Iolanthe in New York: 'in the March of the Peers, the tenors were italian, the basses Russsians, it was magnificent.' His roles on this 1952 tour included the Usher, the Carpenter's Mate, and Go-To. The Flynns soon returned to England where they settled in Penrith and were involved with amateur operatic societies.

Some of his observations on colleagues: " Charles Goulding - sounded like a bag of nails standing next to him but on a night off, I went in to listen to him at the back of the stalls, and it was like honey; how the voice travels, you see........Derek Oldham - he was really a light baritone. In London he used to take singing lessons daily to keep his voice up there..... John Dean," a particular friend with whom he stayed in touch to the end of his life,"fine singer, unfortunately his voice didn't take to the electronic recording process, not all did......Harry Lytton - he and Malcolm Sargent didn't always see eye to eye. We liked Sargent; one night he came back(stage) after a performance to say 'well done gentlemen of the chorus'. Well, we'd have gone through fire and water for him after that. As for him and Harry, one night when Harry was on as King Gama in 'Princess Ida' he set off at his regular pace, in 'If you give me your attention' and Sargent kept the orchestra to his, slower. Harry stuck to it and finished a bar ahead. The glower he gave Sargent!"

He was also an admirer of the legendary bass-baritone Peter Dawson who recorded extensively over 50 years from the age of the horn through to early stereo - including several G&S recordings in the 1920s when Rad was in the chorus."It wasn't a big voice, but it was very even, right up to a top G. When he was brought over by Melba, there was this chap came to see him, said I can give you some exercises which will take you from E up to G, and so it proved, became a trademark of his.' One imagines Dawson told him the story around the recording sessions.

Flynn died while fishing in the River Eden, in Cumbria.

Recordings

Flynn's roles recorded with D'Oyly Carte included Go-To in The Mikado (1936 and 1950), the Carpenter's Mate in Pinafore (1949), the Usher in Trial (1949), Giorgio in The Gondoliers (1950), and Old Adam in Ruddigore (1950). He also appeared on the radio as the Mikado in a 1951 BBC broadcast.

References

  • Ayre, Leslie (1972). The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion. London: W.H. Allen & Co Ltd. Introduction by Martyn Green.
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