Description

JOHN COATES (GIRLINGTON, NR BRADFORD 1865, 29 JUNE, – NORTHWOOD, MIDDLESEX, 16 AUGUST, 1941)

 

 

 

 

Like many heroic tenors, Coates began as a baritone. As an amateur he had a try-out with Carl Rosa as Valentin, but this led nowhere. In 1894, he joined the D’Oyly Carte organisation, and in 1896 sang the lead role of Reginald Fairfax in the touring production of the enormously successful Sidney Jones musical comedy The Geisha. He retired for a further period of study in which his voice settled as a tenor. He then appeared at Covent Garden in 1901 as Faust and created the role of Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing (Stanford). He toured in Germany 1902-7 by the end of which period he was singing several Wagner roles, including Siegfried and Tristan. On his return to the UK he joined the Moody-Manners and then the Denhof, Quinlan and Beecham companies. In 1909 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, he sang Mark in the British stage premiere of The Wreckers by Ethel Smyth, conducted by Beecham. He toured the USA in 1926-7. He also maintained an extensive concert career, which included a performance of The Dream of Gerontius for the opening concert at Dundee’s Caird Hall in 1921.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1901 London Covent Garden Faust (Faust)

1902-1907 Germany Tour

1909 London Her Majesty’s Theatre

1926-1927 USA Tour

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Blow, blow, thou wintwr wind (Quilter) Vocalion B3119 04036X
2. Come into the garden, Maud (Balfe) G&T 02111 2061f
3. Come not when I am dead (Holbrooke) A-0232 03854 Vocalion, London 1925-03
4. Die Walküre (Wagner) Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond
5. Gioconda (Ponchielli) Cielo e mar G&T 052219 1917f
6. Gondoliers (Sullivan) Take a pair of sparkling eyes Pathé 79195
7. In the dawn (Elgar) HMV 02584 Ho751ac
8. It was a lover and his lass (Morley); Lawn as white as driven snow (Linley) B3119 04035 Vocalion, London 1925-07
9. La vie est vaine (Wright) G&T 3-32848 8398e
10. Mefistofele (Boito) Dai campi G&T 052220 2001f
11. Sigh no more, Ladies (Stevens) A-0232 03853 Vocalion, London 1925-03
12. Songs of England Phillida flouts me 5103 WA7161 Columbia, London 1928-03-26 cut
13. Speak Music (Elgar) A-0229 03820 Vocalion, London 1925-02
14. The Knotting Song (Purcell) Columbia 9506 WAX3435
15. The pretty creature (Storace) Vocalion B3118 03843