Clara Dow

Clara Millington Dow (29 December 1883 – 26 March 1969) was an English operatic soprano and actress of the early twentieth century. After a concert career, she appeared at the Savoy Theatre in the first repertory seasons of Gilbert and Sullivan operas mounted by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1906–09, under the direction of the author. She is remembered as one of the last principal sopranos personally trained by W. S. Gilbert at the Savoy. In between engagements with D'Oyly Carte, Dow performed in concerts and operetta. After her retirement from the professional stage, she directed amateur productions of the Savoy Operas until she was in her seventies.

Early life and career Dow was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk. She made her stage debut at the age of 16 in Hunstanton, and went on to study at the Royal College of Music, where she made her London stage debut in 1900 as the Dewman in a student production of the opera Hansel and Gretel, conducted by Charles Villiers Stanford and directed by Richard Temple. Dow became a professional oratorio and concert singer, She joined the chorus of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company for its first London repertory season in December 1906. Dow was soon promoted to small roles, playing Giulia in The Gondoliers and Kate in The Yeomen of the Guard in January 1907, also understudying and occasionally appearing in some of the leading roles.

From November 1907 to April 1908, she joined the D'Oyly Carte touring company, playing the soprano leads of Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Phyllis, the title role in Princess Ida, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Elsie, and Gianetta. The Observer found her "A Yum-Yum of undoubted charm". Her Phyllis again divided opinion. The Times said, "If only all Miss Clara Dow's notes were as true and sweet as a few of them are, she might have sung Phyllis as well as she acted it", but The Observer wrote, "Miss Clara Dow as Phyllis was peculiarly satisfactory. The slight whiteness of her voice and what one may call the tartness of manner she is able to command made a real Phyllis of her, dainty, a little petulant, yet winning." As the repertory seasons were the last seasons of Gilbert and Sullivan operas directed by Gilbert, Dow and Elsie Spain, who played soprano roles in the 1908–09 seasons, were the last D'Oyly Carte principal sopranos personally trained by W. S. Gilbert.

At the end of that tour, Dow left the company and married an aviator, Wilfred Foulis. At the time, the press reported that she would in future appear on the concert platform, rather than in opera, From July 1913 to December 1914, she played her final series of engagements with D'Oyly Carte. The Manchester Guardian wrote that she sang Yum-Yum with "a sweet fluty tone and free vocal style".

Later years After her retirement, she remained fondly remembered by Gilbert and Sullivan fans. Reviewing a 1936 recording of The Mikado, the critic of The Gramophone commented, "Whenever Yum-Yum is mentioned I think of Clara Dow and find it hard to remember those who succeeded her." In retirement, she remained connected with Gilbert and Sullivan, directing amateur productions. Her final production was Ruddigore in 1954.

Dow lived in Ashtead from 1934 and died at Epsom, Surrey, in a nursing home in 1969, aged 85.