Born: April 12, 1927 - Coalville, Leicsester, England

The English baritone, Thomas Hemsley, studied privately.

Thomas Hemsley made his debut in 1951 as Purcell's Aeneas at the Mermaid Theatre, London. In 1953 he sang Hercules in Gluck's Alceste at Glyndebourne, returning as Masetto, the Music-Master in Ariadne auf Naxos, Don Fernando and Dr Reischmann in the British premiere of Henze's Elegy for Young Lovers in 1961. He was engaged at Aachen from 1953 to 1956, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein from 1957 to 1963, and Zürich from 1963 to 1967. He sang more than a hundred roles, including Guglielmo, the Speaker, Germont and Marcello. In 1960 he created Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream with the English Opera Group at Aldeburgh. He sang Beckmesser at Bayreuth from 1968 to 1970, and made his Covent Garden debut in 1970 creating Mangus in The Knot Garden. For Scottish Opera he sang Dr Malatesta and Balstrode and created Caesar in Hamilton's The Catiline Conspiracy in 1974. His roles for the Welsh National Opera from 1977 to 1985, included Rossini's Dr Bartolo, Dr Kolenaty (The Makropulos Affair) and Don Alfonso. For Kent Opera he sang Falstaff in 1980 and also directed Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria in 1989.

Thomas Hemsley had a flexible voice, incisive enunciation and a keen dramatic sense.

Source: Grove Music Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (September 2001)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Daniel Barenboim

Bass

BWV 243

Geraint Jones

Bass

BWV 147, BWV 243

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