John Noble (baritone)
Encyclopedia
John Noble was an English baritone. He was Ralph Vaughan Williams
's favourite in the title role of the composer's opera The Pilgrim's Progress
.
Born in Southampton, the son of a gardener, his love of music and performance began at Godalming grammar school, Surrey. He gained a scholarship to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
, where he graduated in geography. While there, he studied singing with the baritone Clive Carey
, and George Guest
arranged for him to join the choir of St John's College for a postgraduate year.
In 1954, Noble took the title role in Dennis Arundell
's production of Ralph Vaughan Williams's Pilgrim's Progress at the Cambridge Guildhall
. The composer attended this performance, and reported afterwards: "This is what I meant." He was later in 1970 asked to sing the role in the EMI recording conducted by Sir Adrian Boult.
A year of teaching geography followed university, but then he joined the BBC Singers, and went on to make a living from solo engagements, supplemented by recordings with the Ambrosian Singers. As a concert singer his repertoire included Bach (singing Jesus in the Passions), Handel, Elgar, Britten, Delius, Tippett and Vaughan Williams. His operatic work included the vicar in Benjamin Britten
's Albert Herring
for the English Opera Group
, conducted by the composer and subsequently recorded by Decca (1964).
The conductor Meredith Davies invited him to join the staff of Trinity College of Music, London. He later taught at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and had a thriving teaching practice for the rest of his life.
He died aged 77 of pancreatic cancer.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
's favourite in the title role of the composer's opera The Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim's Progress (opera)
The Pilgrim's Progress is an opera by Ralph Vaughan Williams, based on John Bunyan's allegory The Pilgrim's Progress. The composer himself described the work as a 'Morality' rather than an opera, while nonetheless he intended the work to be performed on stage, rather than in a church or cathedral...
.
Born in Southampton, the son of a gardener, his love of music and performance began at Godalming grammar school, Surrey. He gained a scholarship to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge in England.The college traces its origins back to 1869 and the foundation of the Non-Collegiate Students Board, a venture intended to offer students from less financially privileged backgrounds a chance to study...
, where he graduated in geography. While there, he studied singing with the baritone Clive Carey
Clive Carey
Francis Clive Savill Carey CBE , known as Clive Carey, was a British baritone, singing teacher, composer, opera producer and folk song collector.-Biography:Clive Carey was born at Sible Hedingham, Essex in 1883...
, and George Guest
George Guest
George Guest was a Welsh organist and choral conductor.- Birth and early life :George Guest was born in Bangor, Wales. His father was an organist, and George assisted him by acting as organ blower. He became a chorister at Bangor Cathedral, and subsequently at Chester Cathedral, where he...
arranged for him to join the choir of St John's College for a postgraduate year.
In 1954, Noble took the title role in Dennis Arundell
Dennis Arundell
Dennis Drew Arundell was a British actor, librettist, opera scholar, translator, producer, director, conductor and composer of incidental music.-Selected filmography:...
's production of Ralph Vaughan Williams's Pilgrim's Progress at the Cambridge Guildhall
Cambridge Guildhall
Cambridge Guildhall is a listed building designed in 1939 by Charles Cowles-Voysey in the centre of the historic city of Cambridge, England. It includes two halls, The Large Hall and The Small Hall, and is used for many disparate events such as comedy acts, conferences, craft fairs, live music,...
. The composer attended this performance, and reported afterwards: "This is what I meant." He was later in 1970 asked to sing the role in the EMI recording conducted by Sir Adrian Boult.
A year of teaching geography followed university, but then he joined the BBC Singers, and went on to make a living from solo engagements, supplemented by recordings with the Ambrosian Singers. As a concert singer his repertoire included Bach (singing Jesus in the Passions), Handel, Elgar, Britten, Delius, Tippett and Vaughan Williams. His operatic work included the vicar in Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
's Albert Herring
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...
for the English Opera Group
English Opera Group
The English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the composer Benjamin Britten for the purpose of presenting his and other, primarily British, composers' operatic works. The group later expanded in order to present larger-scale works, and was renamed the English...
, conducted by the composer and subsequently recorded by Decca (1964).
The conductor Meredith Davies invited him to join the staff of Trinity College of Music, London. He later taught at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and had a thriving teaching practice for the rest of his life.
He died aged 77 of pancreatic cancer.