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Winifred Lawson

Winifred Lawson (15 November 1892 – 30 November 1961) was an English opera and concert singer in the first half of the 20th century. She is particularly remembered for her performances in the soprano roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas as a member of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company between 1922 and 1932.

She started her career as a concert singer. In 1920, she made her operatic debut as Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, appeared in the first performances of Purcell's The Fairy-Queen in more than 200 years, and created the role of Guinevere in The Round Table. Lawson was soon playing a range of roles, from as Marguerite in Faust to Bessie Throckmorton in Merrie England. She was a D'Oyly Carte principal soprano for nearly a decade, playing 10 of the leading Savoy opera roles. The only other role she played during this time was Lili in Lilac Time, although she also began a broadcast career in 1929 on BBC radio.

In the mid-1930s, Lawson appeared for two seasons with the Vic Wells Opera in The Marriage of Figaro (as Susanna), Così fan tutte (Fiordiligi), Don Giovanni (Zerlina), The Magic Flute (Genius), Pagliacci (Nedda), Faust (Marguerite), and La bohème. She next toured in Australasia in many of her old Gilbert and Sullivan roles. She retired from opera in 1938 but entertained the troops during the Second World War and continued broadcasting and recording during and after the war.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 15, 1892, Died November 30, 1961

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: soprano vocal

Notes: Lawson, Winifred,

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick DB129 10-in. 11/7/1928 Damon Winifred Lawson Female vocal solo vocalist, soprano vocal  
Gramophone Cc11604 12-in. 9/20/1927 Trial by jury D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Vocal duet (2 baritones) with male chorus and orchestra; vocal quartet (soprano, tenor, and 2 baritones) with chorus and orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Gramophone Cc11605 12-in. 9/20/1927 Trial by jury D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Vocal quartet (soprano, tenor, and 2 baritones), with orchestra ; vocal quintet (soprano, tenor, and 3 baritones) with chorus and orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Gramophone Cc11606 12-in. 9/20/1927 Trial by jury D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Vocal quintet (soprano, tenor, and 3 baritones) with chorus and orchestra; vocal duet (soprano, and tenor) with chorus and orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Gramophone Cc11645 12-in. 9/29/1927 Trial by jury D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Vocal trio (soprano, baritone, and bass), with chorus and orchestra; Vocal duet (soprano, and baritone), with chorus and orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Gramophone Cc11646 12-in. 9/29/1927 Trial by jury D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Vocal quintet (soprano, 3 baritones, and bass), with chorus and orchestra; tenor vocal solo, with female chorus and orchestra ; vocal duet (2 baritones), with chorus and orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lawson, Winifred," accessed April 23, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104360.

Lawson, Winifred. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 23, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104360.

"Lawson, Winifred." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 23 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104360

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