Maureen Guy

Ruth Maureen Guy (10 July 1932 – 14 February 2015) was a Welsh mezzo-soprano singer. The youngest of six children of a coal miner, she was influenced by church music in her youth. Guy's debut came at Sadler's Wells Theatre and several of her early engagements were with the London Mozart Players. She became principal mezzo at the Royal Opera House in 1963 and made the first of several appearance at The Proms that same year. In 1969, Guy was selected as one of fifteen soloists to sing at the Investiture of the Prince of Wales and later joined the Opern- und Schauspielhaus Frankfurt in 1972. She took up a teaching position with the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama which she retired from in 1998 to teach privately at her home in Sageston.

Early life and education She was born Ruth Maureen Guy on 10 July 1932 in the Welsh village of Penclawdd, west of Swansea. She was the youngest of six children of a coal miner, who died while Guy was in her early childhood. Guy attended school in the nearby village of Gowerton. She became influenced in music with church music performed at the nearby Bethel chapel and sang at the National Eisteddfod. Guy focused on her studies, and Garry Humphreys of The Independent wrote that her "rich and expressive contralto" gained respect. She graduated in 1957.

Guy appeared in Igor Stravinsky's Oedipus rex in 1966 in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and was conducted by the composer himself, and two years later appeared in the Malcolm Sargent memorial concert with Colin Davis conducting at the First Night of the Proms. She was chosen as one of fifteen soloists to perform at the Investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle on 1 July 1969. In 1971, Guy sang at the 80th birthday concert for Stravinsky. Guy joined the Opern- und Schauspielhaus Frankfurt in 1972 and five years later acted as the Countess in the Welsh National Opera's performance of The Queen of Spades with David Lloyd-Jones serving as conductor. She and her husband Mitchinson frequently performed at the Three Choirs Festival, where she played the Angel in Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius in 1977 at Gloucester. Guy also maintained close connections with the Philomusica, the West Country choir.

Later life and death

After retiring from her teaching position at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 1998, Guy began teaching privately at her home in Sageston, Pembrokeshire until a few weeks before her death. She died on 14 February 2015 in Haverfordwest and was survived by her husband and two sons. Guy was given a funeral service at Carew Wesley Methodist Chapel and later a memorial service at Parc Gwyn Crematorium.