Dorothy Bond
Dorothy Mary Bond (née Perry; 10 June 1890[1] – 20 November 1952) was an English coloratura soprano whose star shone brightly but briefly. She was noted for the purity of her tone and the accuracy of her intonation. She became a favourite singer of Sir Thomas Beecham's, recording the voice of Olympia for the Powell and Pressburger film of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann in 1950. She also recorded Delius's A Village Romeo and Juliet under Beecham, and Ernest Bloch's Sacred Service under the composer. She was killed in a road accident.
Training
Dorothy Bond was born in Liverpool.[2] She studied piano and cello at the Royal Academy of Music in London.[3] She expressed an interest in becoming a singer, but Professor Evelyn Langston advised her to wait till she turned 20. This proved to be sound advice, as the fine coloratura voice she developed by the mid-1940s earned her a solid reputation in the concert hall.[4]
Career
In 1948, she participated in Thomas Beecham's recording of Frederick Delius's A Village Romeo and Juliet.[5] She sang the roles of Vreli as a child, and the Gingerbread Woman.[6][7]
In 1949, she participated in a recording of Ernest Bloch's Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service), conducted by the composer.[4][5] The same year she sang final floated high D in a recording of the Sleepwalking Scene from Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth, conducted by Beecham, which was otherwise sung by Margherita Grandi.[5][8] This was followed in 1950 by a film soundtrack recording of Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann, made under Beecham at Shepperton Film Studios by London Films. Bond sang the role of Olympia; the role was played on-screen by dancer Moira Shearer. The recording was then licensed by Decca and released on LP in 1951 - Beecham having tried and failed in the courts to prevent its release.[9][10]
In 1949 and again in 1952, she was the soprano soloist in performances of Ralph Vaughan Williams's A Pastoral Symphony at the BBC Proms. The latter performance was conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent.[11][12] In 1951, she recorded Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152, conducted by Karl Haas.[4][5]
With her second husband, the violinist Tom William Jenkins, she recorded a selection of songs and arias, including "O luce di quest'anima" from Gaetano Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix (reaching a top F with ease),[3] Eric Coates's "Bird Songs at Eventide", the "Waltz Song" from Edward German's Tom Jones, and Olympia's Song from The Tales of Hoffmann.[3][13]
Death
On 20 November 1952, at the age of 31, Dorothy Bond was killed in a road accident.[14]
Personal life
Her first husband was Michael Dobson (1923–1992), principal oboist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. They had a daughter, Ann.[15]
In 1951, she married (as the second of his three wives) the violinist Tom William Jenkins (1910–1957), with whom she had a son.[4][16]
References
- Liverpool, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813–1917
- 1911 England Census
- Naxos, Symposium Records CD 1269. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- Bach Cantatas: Dorothy Bond (soprano). Retrieved 27 July 2014
- crq.org.uk Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- Presto Classical. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- . Retrieved 27 July 2014
- "Famous Soprano Honours Promise", The Mercury, 12 January 1949. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- ArkivMusic. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- Decca Recording
- BBC Proms Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- BBC Proms Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- Symposium Records Archived 15 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- Library of Congress. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- Thames Chamber Orchestra. Retrieved 27 July 2014
- Morley &District Family History Group. Retrieved 27 July 2014