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Margaret Winifred Gale (born 10 September 1931) is an English operatic soprano who sang leading roles with
Sadler's Wells Opera Company English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English. ...
(later to become
English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English ...
) throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Jeremy Nicholas, Interview with Margaret Gale, May 2020


Early life

Margaret Gale was born and educated in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
, the second of three daughters of Winifred ''née'' Walker and Arthur Gale, an artisan working in the cutlery trade for Joseph Rodgers of Sheffield but who also had his own cutlery business employing six people. She first sang in public at the age of four and by her teens had gained a local reputation, performing solos and duets at Crookes Congregational Church in Sheffield where, at 19, she sang the title role in
Paul Abraham Paul Abraham ( hu, Ábrahám Pál, links=no; 2 November 1892 – 6 May 1960) was a Jewish-Hungarian composer of operettas, who scored major successes in the German-speaking world. His specialty – and own innovation – was the insertion of ...
's operetta '' Victoria and Her Hussar''. Her first jobs were as a clerk at Bennet College and then with the
National Coal Board The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the United Kingdom's collieries on "ve ...
. She appeared with several local operatic societies taking leading roles in ''
Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...
'', '' Carousel'' and ''
Song of Norway ''Song of Norway'' is an operetta written in 1944 by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Edvard Grieg and the book by Milton Lazarus and Homer Curran. A very loose film adaptation with major changes to both the book ...
''. Her first operatic roles were with the Sheffield Grand Opera Society as Oscar (a travesty role) in '' The Masked Ball'' and Abigail in ''
Nabucco ''Nabucco'' (, short for Nabucodonosor ; en, "Nebuchadnezzar") is an Italian-language opera in four acts composed in 1841 by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. The libretto is based on the biblical books of 2 Kings, J ...
''. It was after this that she was advised to start training seriously for a professional singing career. Aged 19, she began lessons with Eva Rich at the same time as Joyce Blackham and Peter Glossop, also later to become stalwarts of
Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-seat ...
.Repertoire, journal June / July 1964


Career

After a decade as a semi-professional singer Gale sang her first role in London as Adele in ''
Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original li ...
'' for the
London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...
Open Air Theatres. The spring of 1961 saw her at
Glyndebourne Glyndebourne () is an English country house, the site of an opera house that, since 1934, has been the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The house, located near Lewes in East Sussex, England, is thought to be about six hun ...
in cover roles after which she made her first appearance as a principal with the
Sadler's Wells Opera Company English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English. ...
in the 1961/2 season as Musetta in ''
La Bohème ''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '' quadri'', '' tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giusep ...
''.Appearances by Margaret Gale
Opera Scotland: listings and performance history In 1963 she spent a month in Milan studying with the baritone Luigi Borgonovo (1899–1975), the teacher of Franco Corelli and Luciano Pavarotti. In the space of three years she proved her versatility, singing the roles of Esmeralda in ''
The Bartered Bride ''The Bartered Bride'' ( cz, Prodaná nevěsta, links=no, ''The Sold Bride'') is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The work is generally regarded as a major contribution towards the ...
''; and was one of the three spirits in ''
The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a '' Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that in ...
''. In January 1962 the Sadler's Wells Opera Company gave its first Gilbert and Sullivan opera, '' Iolanthe'', on the day on which the
Savoy Operas Savoy opera was a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which im ...
came out of copyright and the D'Oyly Carte monopoly ended. Gale played both Celia and Phyllis in the well-received production. When ''Iolanthe'' was broadcast on television by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
on 1 October 1964 Gale played Celia. She sang The Slim Girl in ''
A Village Romeo and Juliet ''A Village Romeo and Juliet'' is an opera by Frederick Delius, the fourth of his six operas. The composer himself, with his wife Jelka, wrote the English-language libretto based on the short story "''Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe''" by the Swi ...
'' (1962);Sadler's Wells Opera Seasons: 1960s
Rob Wilton Theatricalia database Alicia in '' Count Ory''; a Niece in ''
Peter Grimes ''Peter Grimes'', Op. 33, is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto by Montagu Slater based on the section "Peter Grimes", in George Crabbe's long narrative poem '' The Borough''. The "borough" of the opera is a fictional ...
'' (1964); Gabrielle in '' La Vie Parisienne''; and Millie in ''Our Man in Havana''. Other roles with the
Sadler's Wells Opera Company English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English. ...
included Norina in ''
Don Pasquale ''Don Pasquale'' () is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti with an Italian libretto completed largely by Giovanni Ruffini as well as the composer. It was based on a libretto by Angelo Anelli for Stefano Pavesi's ...
'', of which
Alan Blyth Geoffrey Alan Blyth (27 July 1929 – 14 August 2007) was an English music critic, author, and musicologist who was particularly known for his writings within the field of opera. He was a specialist on singers and singing. Born in London, Blyth ...
wrote in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'': ‘Margaret Gale has just the vivacious personality and nimble technique to portray the heroine’s sense of fun'. She was Ännchen in ''
Der Freischütz ' ( J. 277, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 18 ...
''; Zerlina in '' Don Giovanni''; Despina in '' Così fan tutte''; Adele in ''
Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original li ...
'', of which
Mosco Carner Mosco Carner (born Mosco Cohen) (15 November 1904 – 3 August 1985) was an Austrian-born British musicologist, conductor and critic. He wrote on a wide range of music subjects, but was particularly known for his studies on the life and works of ...
wrote in ''The Times'': ‘a quicksilver Adele who brought off her Laughing Song with much gusto’; and Saffi in ''
The Gypsy Baron ''The Gypsy Baron'' () is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II which premiered at the Theater an der Wien on 24 October 1885. Its German libretto by Ignaz Schnitzer is based on the unpublished 1883 story ''Saffi'' by Mór Jókai. Jokai ...
'', singing under the batons of
Bryan Balkwill Bryan Havell Balkwill (2 July 1922 – 24 February 2007) was an English orchestral conductor. Balkwill was born in London. He started to learn to play the piano at the age of four and was educated at Merchant Taylors' School. From there h ...
, Colin Davis,
Peter Gellhorn Peter Gellhorn (born Hans Fritz Gellhorn, October 24, 1912 – February 13, 2004) was a German conductor, composer, pianist and teacher who settled in London and made a career in Britain that lasted unbroken until his death. Life Gellhorn, the ...
, Leonard Hancock,
Charles Mackerras Mackerras in 2005 Sir Alan Charles MacLaurin Mackerras (; 1925 2010) was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. He was long associated with the Engli ...
and
John Matheson John Ross Matheson, (November 14, 1917 – December 27, 2013) was a Canadian politician, lawyer, and judge who helped develop both the national flag of Canada and the Order of Canada. Early life John Matheson was born in Arundel, Quebec, t ...
among others. In 1965 she was a memorable Clorinda in ''
La Cenerentola ' ('' Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the libretti written by Charles-Guillaume Étienne for the opera ''Cendrillon'' ...
''. After the Sadler's Wells company moved to the
London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...
in 1968 her roles included Naiad in '' Ariadne on Naxos'' and Servilia in ''
La clemenza di Tito ' (''The Clemency of Titus''), K. 621, is an ''opera seria'' in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Pietro Metastasio. It was started after most of ' (''The Magic Flute''), the last o ...
''. For the
New Opera Company The New Opera Company was a British opera company active during the period 1956 to 1984. It was mainly based at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London and later worked in co-ordination with English National Opera. The company was responsible for the premi ...
, Gale was the lead soprano in the world premiere of Daniel Jones’s ''The Knife'' and created the role of Natalie in John Joubert’s ''Under Western Eyes'', based on the novel by Joseph Conrad. In 1969, for the opening season of Opera Piccola at
Dodington Hall Dodington Hall in Dodington, within the English county of Somerset, was built in the 15th century. It is a Grade II* listed building. The house is built of local red sandstone and has a slate roof with several tall chimney stacks. In the open ...
, she sang the role of Vespetta in a rare performance of
Telemann Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hilde ...
’s 1725 opera '' Pimpinone''. On 7 August 1969 she was the coloratura soprano at the
BBC Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
in the first performance of
Wilfrid Mellers Wilfrid Howard Mellers (26 April 1914 – 17 May 2008) was an English music critic, musicologist and composer. Early life Born in Leamington, Warwickshire, Mellers was educated at the local Leamington College and later won a scholarship to Dow ...
’s ''Yeibichai'' for chorus, orchestra, jazz trio, coloratura soprano and jazz singer with the
Scottish National Orchestra The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) ( gd, Orcastra Nàiseanta Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a British orchestra, based in Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Throughout its history, the Or ...
conducted by Alexander Gibson. In Scotland she sang Adele in ''
Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original li ...
'' (1968); Naiad in '' Ariadne on Naxos'' (1969), and Servilia in ''
La clemenza di Tito ' (''The Clemency of Titus''), K. 621, is an ''opera seria'' in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Pietro Metastasio. It was started after most of ' (''The Magic Flute''), the last o ...
'' (1970). With the Dublin Grand Opera and Cork Opera companies she sang Adele in ''
Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original li ...
''; Sophie in ''
Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel ''Les amours du chevalier de Faublas'' ...
'' – ‘a voice of impressive range and purity brought this somewhat anaemic part to life’ and Josefa in ''
White Horse Inn ''The White Horse Inn'' (or ''White Horse Inn'') (German title: ''Im weißen Rößl'' ) is an operetta or musical comedy by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz in collaboration with a number of other composers and writers, set in the picturesque Salz ...
''. With the Basilica Opera Company she played Valencienne in ''
The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt ...
'' and Micaela in '' Carmen''. With the Phoenix Opera Company she sang Miss Wordsworth in ''
Albert Herring ''Albert Herring'', Op. 39, is a chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten. Composed in the winter of 1946 and the spring of 1947, this comic opera was a successor to his serious opera ''The Rape of Lucretia''. The libretto, by Eric Croz ...
'' and Susanna in '' The Marriage of Figaro''. In 1973, Margaret Gale left the Sadler's Wells company to embark on a freelance career of concert work and teaching. For two years, she taught singing at Roehampton College (now the
University of Roehampton The University of Roehampton, London, formerly Roehampton Institute of Higher Education, is a public university in the United Kingdom, situated on three major sites in Roehampton, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Roehampton was formerly an e ...
). Afterwards, she began a third career as a recruitment consultant, founding her own company, Gale Associates, in 1987. She retired in 2004.


Personal life

Margaret Gale married footballer Jim Stainton in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
in 1953; they separated in 1961. After living with Canadian bass Don Garrard for six years, the couple married in 1967;England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 for Margaret W Gale, 1967: Ancestry.com
/ref> they separated six months later.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gale, Margaret 1931 births Musicians from Sheffield English operatic sopranos 20th-century British women opera singers People associated with the University of Roehampton Living people