Hervey Alan

Hervey Alan (22 February 1910 – 12 January 1982 His initial singing career was spent performing as a concert singer and recitalist. Early performances in his career included George Frideric Handel's Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. During the war he toured with the pianist Ivey Dickson, performing for the forces. Composer Armstrong Gibbs notably created his art songs Chloris in the Snow and Amaryllis for him in 1949.

Opera career In 1947 Alan's career made a decided shift towards opera when he became a resident artist at the Sadler's Wells Opera where he remained through 1952. Among the roles he portrayed for Sadler's Wells were Alfio in Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, Cancion in Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's I quatro rusteghi, Colline in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème, the Commendatore in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Don Basilio in Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville, the Grand Inquisitor in Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlos, Simone in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Zuniga in Georges Bizet's Carmen among others.

From 1949 until 1960, Alan made several appearances at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, including Alidoro in Rossini's La Cenerentola, Father Trulove in Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, Neptune in Mozart's Idomeneo, the oracle in Gluck's Alceste, Padre Guardiano in Verdi's La forza del destino, Pistol in Verdi's Falstaff, the Police Inspector in Der Rosenkavalier, and Tom in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera.

In 1950 Alan made his first appearance at The Proms as the bass soloist in Joseph Haydn's The Creation. He returned to The Proms as soloist over the next 12 years, singing in performances of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida (1954), Richard Wagner's Die Walküre (1955), Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's The Song of Hiawatha (1956), Wagner's The Flying Dutchman (1957), Dover Beach (1958), Ralph Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony (1959), and Hector Berlioz's La damnation de Faust (1962).

On 1 December 1951 Alan created the role of Mr. Redburn in the world premiere of Benjamin Britten's landmark work Billy Budd at the Royal Opera House, London. From 1952 until 1963 he performed frequently with the Welsh National Opera, including the roles of Federico Barbarossa in La battaglia di Legnano, Melchtal in William Tell, Méphistophélès in Faust, Procida in I vespri siciliani, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and a much lauded portrayal of Zaccaria in Verdi's Nabucco. In 1972 he was named a fellow of the Royal College of Music and was appointed OBE in the 1974 Birthday Honours. He died in Croydon, aged 71.

Recordings Idomeneo, Glyndebourne Festival Chorus and Orchestra, John Pritchard (EMI, 1956) Music of Purcell, Philomusica of London, conducted by Sir Anthony Lewis (L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1958) King Arthur, St Anthony Singers, Philomusica of London, conducted by Sir Anthony Lewis (Decca, 1958) On Christmas Night, Choir of King's College, Cambridge, London Symphony Orchestra, David Willcocks (Argo Records, 1962)