Mary Thomas (soprano)
Averil Mary Thomas (2 August 1932 – 17 April 1997) was a Welsh soprano.
Career
After studying at the Royal Academy of Music,[1] she established herself in the 1960s as a successful early music performer. She appeared as a soloist as well as a member of the Deller Consort. She was also notable for her work in contemporary music. Peter Maxwell Davies wrote pieces with her voice and dramatic ability in mind.[1][2]
Notable performances
She gave the first performances of a number of works by Peter Maxwell Davies, accompanied by the Fires of London.
- Revelation and Fall (premiered February 1968, adapted 1980).[3]
- Missa super l'homme armé (premiered February 1968, revised 1971).[4]
She appeared at the Proms between 1962 and 1983 singing music ranging from Baroque to Maxwell Davies.[5]
Selected recordings
- Thomas' vocals appeared on the beginning of the 1976 ELO track, "Rockaria!", which was released as a single in 1977, when it reached the Top Ten in the UK Singles Chart.[6][7]
- Revelation and Fall (reissued on CD in 2004)[8]
References
- ^ a b ten Kate, Lynn (1997). "Obituary: Mary Thomas". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
- ^ Richard Dyer, Globe Staff. "Vivid score, vibrant singing make for compelling `Medium'." The Boston Globe (Boston, MA). 1991. Accessed via HighBeam Research. December 18, 2017 (subscription required). https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7642697.html Archived 2017-12-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ Missa super l'homme armé. Boosey & Hawkes
- ^ "Performances of Mary Thomas at BBC Proms". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
- ^ "Rockaria! - Electric Light Orchestra | Song Info | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ "rockaria | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ Clements, Andrew (2004). "Maxwell Davies: Revelation and Fall (record review)". The Guardian.
