THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Harry Arnold as Antonio in The Gondoliers.

Harry Arnold (1913-17, 1919-25)

[Born 6 Jul]

Baritone Harry Arnold, real name Adolphus Henry Arnold, joined the D’Oyly Carte Repertory Opera Company chorus in 1913, picking up the role of Antonio in The Gondoliers in the 1915-16 and 1916-17 seasons. In February 1917 he filled in for Henry A. Lytton as John Wellington Wells in The Sorcerer, Reginald Bunthorne in Patience, The Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe, Ko-Ko in The Mikado, Jack Point in The Yeomen of the Guard, and the Duke of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers.

Arnold left the Company in June 1917 to join the Army, rejoining in September 1919 and immediately assuming his old role of Antonio as well as the Foreman in Trial by Jury, Mr. Bunthorne's Solicitor in Patience, and the Second Citizen in The Yeomen of the Guard.

In March 1920 he made a brief emergency visit to D’Oyly Carte’s "New" Company, filling in for Frank Steward as the Duke of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers. He returned to his four roles with the Repertory Company later that month and, in May left the jury box to take on the Counsel in Trial by Jury.

It was also in May 1920 that he assumed the additional duties of Assistant Stage Manager. Over the next few months he occasionally substituted as Strephon in Iolanthe, Florian in Princess Ida, and Pish-Tush in The Mikado. In the 1920-21 season he continued with the Counsel, the Solicitor, Second Citizen and Antonio, with the occasional appearance as Pish-Tush. He kept the primary roles in 1921-22, doubling as Annibale in The Gondoliers toward the end of the season and filling in on occasion as Cox in Cox and Box.  It was in April 1922 that the first full recording of Iolanthe was made under D’Oyly Carte auspices. Although he never appeared in the role on stage, Harry Arnold can be heard as the Earl of Mountararat in two second act numbers ("In vain to us you plead" and the Act II finale).

In 1922-23, he kept the Solicitor, Second Citizen, and Antonio, but yielded the Counsel to Henry Millidge. For the 1923-24 season, his regular duties were limited to the Solicitor in Patience and Second Citizen, though he did fill in on occasion as Archibald Grosvenor in Patience, Pish-Tush in The Mikado, and Cox in Cox and Box.

In 1924-25 he appeared regularly as Mr. Bunthorne's Solicitor and Second Citizen, filling in now and then as the Counsel. He retired as a performer in the summer of 1925, moving to the "New" Company as stage manager, though he continued to go on for a brief time as Bunthorne's Solicitor in Patience. In February 1927 he assumed the position of stage manager of the main (Repertory) company from Frederick Hobbs and served in that capacity for 19½ years until his retirement in August 1946.

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