Derek Oldham (29 March 1887 – 20 March 1968) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

roles of the

Savoy Operas Savoy opera was a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which imp ...

with the

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. The ...

. After performing in concerts as a

boy soprano A boy soprano (British and especially North American English) or boy treble (only British English) is a young male singer with a voice in the soprano range, a range that is often still called the treble voice range (in North America too) no m ...

and working as a bank clerk, Oldham began a professional performing career in 1914. With the outbreak of World War I, he joined the

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642 in the Ki ...

, serving with valour. After the war, he joined the

, singing the tenor leads in the

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...

operas for three years. He then starred in musicals and operettas in the West End in the 1920s, including '' Madame Pompadour'', ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' ( ) is an operetta by the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The Libretto, librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's ...

'', ''

Rose-Marie ''Rose-Marie'' is an operetta-style musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story is set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and concerns Rose-Marie La Flemme, a F ...

'' and ''

The Vagabond King ''The Vagabond King'' is a 1925 operetta by Rudolf Friml in four acts, with a book and lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, based upon Justin Huntly McCarthy's 1901 romantic novel and play ''If I Were King''. The story is a fictionali ...

''. He returned to the D'Oyly Carte for brief periods from 1929 to 1937. Oldham continued singing, recording and acting through the 1940s, also appearing in several films. He concentrated on legitimate theatre in the 1950s, acting until the age of 70. He maintained a lifelong interest in Gilbert and Sullivan, serving as an officer of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. He finally retired to

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

during the last ten years of his life.

Life and career

Oldham was born John Stephens Oldham in

Accrington Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...

, Lancashire, the son of Thomas Oldham and his wife Harriett, ''née'' Stephens. He had an elder brother, George, and a sister. As a child, Oldham was a

in demand for over five years in oratorios (including Sullivan's ''

The Golden Legend The ''Golden Legend'' ( or ''Legenda sanctorum'') is a collection of 153 hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that was widely read in Europe during the Late Middle Ages. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived.Hilary Maddo ...

'' and '' The Prodigal Son''), concerts (including "Neath My Lattice" from Sullivan's '' The Rose of Persia''), and

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

s. As a young man, he worked as a bank clerk and sang in amateur operatic societies.Gaye, pp. 1028–29Taylor, Roy
"Derek Oldham Remembers"
at the ''Memories of the D'Oyly Carte'' website, accessed 21 December 2009 He debuted on the professional adult stage in 1914, as Julien in ''The Daring of Diane'', an operetta by Alfred Anderson and Heinrich Reinhardt, presented at the

London Pavilion The London Pavilion is a building on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street on the north-east side of Piccadilly Circus in London. It is currently a shopping arcade and part of the Trocadero Centre. Early history The first buil ...

. He made an immediate mark: ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' said that he "has an exceptionally charming tenor voice, uses it with fine art, and acts with engaging simplicity and sincerity." Later that year, at the Lyric Theatre, he played Bumerli in '' The Chocolate Soldier'', in which he also won excellent notices. At the end of that year, after the outbreak of World War I, he joined the

, a year later was commissioned in the

East Lancashire Regiment The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a Line infantry, line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59t ...

and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

for gallantry in Macedonia in 1918. During the war, he formed a concert group to entertain his fellow servicemen, also producing ''The Chocolate Soldier'' not far from enemy lines.

D'Oyly Carte and musical comedy years

Oldham was demobilised in July 1919 and joined the

the following month, when the company opened its first London season in over a decade. He immediately assumed the leading

roles of Alexis in ''

The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas stor ...

'', Lord Tolloller in ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'', Cyril in ''

Princess Ida ''Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant'' is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen; the next was ''The Mikado''. ''Princess Ida'' opened at the Savoy Thea ...

'', Nanki-Poo in ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'', Colonel Fairfax in ''

The Yeomen of the Guard ''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...

'', and Marco in ''

The Gondoliers ''The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria'' is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances (at that time t ...

''. The following year, he also took on the roles of Ralph Rackstraw in ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London on 25 May 1878, and ran for 571 performances, w ...

'', Frederic in ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

'', and Richard Dauntless in '' Ruddigore''. In 1921 he exchanged Cyril for Prince Hilarion in ''Princess Ida''. Oldham left the D'Oyly Carte company in 1922 to star in a great number of musicals and operettas during the 1920s at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

and other West End theatres. His first musical was ''

Whirled into Happiness ''Whirled into Happiness'' is a musical comedy with music by Robert Stolz, and book and lyrics by Harry Graham, adapted from Stolz's ''Der Tanz ins Glück'', with a libretto by Robert Bodanzky and . The work, billed as a "musical farce", was p ...

'' at the Lyric Theatre, as Horace Wiggs, where his leading lady was his future wife, Winnie Melville. They married in 1923.''

The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 12 June 1933, p. 13 She later joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a principal soprano.Rollins and Witts, p. 154 Oldham wrote, "The sheltered, almost student life of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company gave place to the hard glitter and luxury of the West End theatre – a world of restaurants, supper parties, and all the trappings that went with London theatrical life between the two wars". Other musicals in which Oldham starred included '' Madame Pompadour'' (1923, as Rene), ''

'' (1923, as Camille), and ''

'' (1925, as Jim). In 1927, Oldham and Melville starred together in the European première of ''

'', he as François Villon, and she as Katherine de Vaucelles. They separated in 1933 and later divorced, and she died in 1937.''The Times'', 22 March 1968, p. 12 Oldham returned several times to D'Oyly Carte, appearing in the 1929–30 season and on tour in his old roles of Ralph, Frederic, Tolloller, Hilarion, Nanki-Poo, Fairfax, and Marco. In the 1934–35 season, he played these roles on the company's first major American tour in the 20th century. In 1936, during the company's season at

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a London performing arts venue, located in Rosebery Avenue, Islington. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site. Sadler's Wells grew out of a late 17th-century pleasure garden and was opened as a theatre buil ...

, he played Hilarion, and he was leading tenor in the 1936–37 season, which included another long American tour. Oldham's presence was a condition demanded by the American promoters.Stone, David
Derek Oldham
at ''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'', 27 August 2001, accessed 21 December 2009 During this tour he and

Sylvia Cecil Sylvia Cecil (c. 1898 – c. 1983) was an English singer and actress. She began her career in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, with whom she performed, off and on, from 1918 until 1937. She also performed in ...

were excused by the company for one night to sing a program of classical and popular favorites, including "Prithee, pretty maiden" from ''Patience'', the evening before President Roosevelt's 2nd inauguration, at a party at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

Later years

Oldham later played in many musicals and plays, including ''The Song of the Drum'' at Drury Lane, as Captain Anthony Darrell (1931). He appeared at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

as Chibiabos in ''Hiawatha'' in 1938, conducted by

Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated include ...

. After 1948 he developed a career as a

Lieder In the Western classical music tradition, ( , ; , ; ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German and Dutch, but among English and French speakers, is often used interchangea ...

singer and lecture-recitalist and later as a character actor in non-musical plays. His last role in London was Dr. Stoner in the

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...

play ''

Verdict In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. In a bench trial, the judge's decision near the end of the trial is simply referred to as a finding. In England and Wales ...

'' (1958). Between 1934 and 1957, he also appeared in several films. In 1940, on 29 February, the character Frederic came of age, as described in ''The Pirates of Penzance'', Act II. This was a significant date for any G&S tenor. In New York, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society journal, "The Palace Peeper", marked the event by publishing an original ode to Frederic, in which Oldham was honoured as the archetype of the romantic Frederic. A member of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society in London from 1924, Oldham was elected vice-president of the society in 1947. During his last decade, Oldham lived in retirement in

Hayling Island Hayling Island is an island off the south coast of England, in the borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, east of Portsmouth. History An Iron Age shrine in the north of Hayling Island, later developed into a Roman temple in the 1st cent ...

, Hampshire, but he often visited London. He acted as compère for the D'Oyly Carte company's last night revelries at the close of its 1961–62 London season at the Savoy Theatre. In September 1966 he appeared on the BBC radio programme ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...

''. He died in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

in 1968, just before his 81st birthday.

Recordings and films

Oldham played leading tenor roles in nineteen full and abridged

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

Savoy opera recordings, as follows: Defendant in ''

Trial by Jury A jury trial, or trial by jury, is a legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision or findings of fact. It is distinguished from a bench trial, in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions. Jury trials are increasingly used ...

'' (1928), Alexis in ''The Sorcerer'' (1933), Frederic in ''Pirates'' (1920, 1929 and 1931), the Duke of Dunstable in ''

Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...

'' (1930), Earl Tolloller in ''Iolanthe'' (1922

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

and 1929), Hilarion in ''Princess Ida'' (1924 and 1932), Nanki-Poo in ''The Mikado'' (1926 and 1936), Richard Dauntless in ''Ruddigore'' (1924 and 1931), Colonel Fairfax in ''Yeomen'' (1920, 1928 and 1931) and Marco in ''The Gondoliers'' (1927 and 1931).Rollins and Witts, pp. xi–xiii He also made numerous recordings of songs, musicals and operettas. He also appeared in several films between 1934 and 1957, including '' The Broken Rosary'' (1934), as Giovanni; ''

Charing Cross Road Charing Cross Road is a street in central London running immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles Circus (the intersection with Oxford Street), which then merges into Tottenham Court Road. It leads from the north in the direc ...

'' (1935), as Jimmy O'Connell; '' Melody of My Heart'' (1936), as Joe Montfort, and ''Dangerous Exile'' (1957), as William.

Notes

References

* Introduction by

Martyn Green William Martin Green (22 April 1899 – 8 February 1975), known by his stage name, Martyn Green, was an English actor and singer. He is remembered for his performances and recordings as principal comedian of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, in ...

. * * *

External links

Profile of Oldham
*

*[http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/G-S-DOyly-Carte-autographed-card-Derek-Oldham_W0QQitemZ230393670531QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_Theatre_Opera_Ballet_Theatre_Programmes_Brochures_Flyers_CV?hash=item35a4886b83 Photo of Oldham] {{DEFAULTSORT:Oldham, Derek 1887 births 1968 deaths Scots Guards officers British Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the Military Cross English actors English opera singers People from Accrington 20th-century English singers