THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Clive Birch

Clive Birch (1979-82)

Clive Birch graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and the National Opera Studio. Before joining the D'Oyly Carte, he appeared in the chorus of the 1978 Festival of London production of The Yeomen of the Guard directed by Anthony Besch. He was a chorus member and understudy with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company from October 1979 until the Company's demise in February 1982. With the D'Oyly Carte, he played the small part of First Citizen throughout his tenure, and made occasional substitutions as Bill Bobstay in H.M.S. Pinafore, General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance, Ko-Ko in The Mikado, and the Lieutenant of the Tower in The Yeomen of the Guard.

Birch later appeared for four seasons with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, before relocating to Australia in 1988. In Australia he has sung with the Australian Opera, the Sydney Philharmonia, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Sydney Metropolitan Opera. More recently, he has been singing with an Australian vocal ensemble called “The Song Company.”

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