John Ayldon

John Ayldon (11 December 1943 – 16 February 2013) was an English opera singer and comic actor, best known for his performances in bass-baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.

Though born in England, Ayldon spent several years of his youth in the US, where he became interested in acting and received some professional engagements. He performed in Gilbert and Sullivan productions later in London but did not begin his professional performing career in earnest until 1967, when he joined the D'Oyly Carte as a chorister and small role player. In 1969, he took over the principal bass-baritone roles in the company's entire repertoire, and he continued to play them full-time until the company closed in 1982.

After this, he sang roles with opera companies throughout Britain and with Canadian Opera; he appeared frequently in concerts, music hall, cabaret, and pantomime. In London's West End, he understudied and played the role of Firmin in The Phantom of the Opera and played the Pope in Which Witch. Ayldon was a guest artist with the revived D'Oyly Carte Opera Company on its tour to California and toured with such Gilbert and Sullivan concert groups as "The Magic of D'Oyly Carte" and "The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan".

Life and career John Ayldon was born as John Arnold in London. He moved to San Francisco, California in 1954 with his elder sister Molly, where he went to school. He became interested in the theatre, appearing in many school productions, and received some professional engagements, including appearing in the title role in a television production of Huckleberry Finn. He returned to England in 1958, where he joined the Eltham Little Theatre and other societies, performing in Gilbert and Sullivan shows, among others. For several years after leaving school, he worked in journalism, shipping and advertising.

D'Oyly Carte Ayldon joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a member of the chorus in 1967. and the title role in The Mikado.

When Adams left the company in 1969, Ayldon took over as Deadeye, Pirate King, Colonel Calverley in Patience, Mountararat, Arac in Princess Ida, the Mikado, Sir Roderic Murgatroyd in Ruddigore, and Sergeant Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard. Later that year, he added Sergeant Bouncer in Cox and Box (only for a few years), and the following year added Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre in The Sorcerer. In 1977, Ayldon played before Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the Royal Family for the queen's Silver Jubilee Command Performance of H.M.S. Pinafore at Windsor Castle.

Ayldon continued to play his regular roles through the remaining years of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, except that in 1977 (at his request) he swapped Florian for Arac in Princess Ida.

Later years After 1982, Ayldon remained active in musical theatre and opera. He appeared in principal roles with Canadian Opera, Welsh National Opera, Dublin Grand Opera, and New Sadler's Wells Opera. His operatic roles included Geronimo in Il Matrimonio Segreto, the title role in Don Pasquale, Sacristan in Tosca, Frank in Die Fledermaus, Schaunard in La bohème, Concian in I quatro rusteghi and Otec Paloucký in The Kiss. He appeared frequently in concerts, music hall, cabaret, and pantomime. He made his debut in a West End musical in The Phantom of the Opera, understudying Firmin, and subsequently other roles in that musical, and followed this by playing the Pope in Which Witch. since 1975; the two entered into a civil partnership in 2007. He sang the role of "The Pope" on the 1993 London cast album of Which Witch (NBCD 015).