Gordon Clinton (Baritone)

Born: June 19, 1912 - Broadway/Worcestershire, England

The English baritone, Gordon Clinton, won in 1935 a scholarship in a competition, with which he could handle his singing studies at the Royal College of Music London from 1935 to 1938. From 1930 to 1937 he was organist at the Swanley Congregational Church in London and then in 1946 Vicar-Choral at the St. Paul's Cathedral. During World War II he served at the Royal Air Force for six years.

As a singer Gordon Clinton appeared particularly at the English Music Festivals, thus with the Three Choirs Festival, at the Bach-, Delius- and Elgar-Festival in London. He continued to sing in concerts until he was 70. He sang in 1949 in London in 'Sea Drift' by Delius at the birthday of Sir Thomas Beecham.

In 1946 Gordon Clinton received a Professor at the Royal College of Music, and became a conductor of the Whitstable and Thankerton Choral Society. He was highly esteemed particularly as a great oratorio singer.

Recordings: Gordon Clinton sang as soloists in Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) by J.S. Bach and in the opera A Village Romeo and Juliet by Delius (Conifer World record, 1947), although he was actually concerned otherwise hardly with the opera singing. Records on the labels Oiseau Lyre and Decca.

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2004)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2004)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Reginald Jacques

Bass

BWV 244

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Bass

BWV 244 [Jesus]

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