THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Frank Boyle (1884, 1888-89)

[Born Barnstaple, Devon 6 Aug 1857, died Barnstaple, Devon 13 Feb 1892]

As a boy, Frank Boyle was a chorister at Holy Trinity Church. After leaving school, he entered a newspaper office, but soon decided to devote himself to music, winning the Corporation of London Scholarship and entering the National Training School, South Kensington. He soon made a name for himself as a concert tenor, singing in the Messiah at Albert Hall, and at the Promenade Concerts, both in 1880. In 1882 he was a soloist at the Hereford Festival.

Boyle appeared for the first time in opera on tour with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "A" ("Princess Ida" No. 2) Company as Cyril in Princess Ida from February to July 1884. That month he transferred to Carte's "C" (Repertory) Company, for which he toured as Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, and the Duke of Dunstable in Patience until December 1884 when "C" Company appears to have disbanded.

Boyle left the D'Oyly Carte and traveled to Australia where he appeared as Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance and Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe in 1885, and as the Defendant in Trial by Jury and Nanki-Poo in The Mikado in 1886. The latter two operas were produced by Frank Thornton and conducted by Alfred Cellier.

Frank Boyle returned to England and the D'Oyly Carte in September 1888 with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "E" Company as Frederic in Pirates and Nanki-Poo in The Mikado. In November 1888, "E" Company took up The Yeomen of the Guard with Boyle as Leonard Meryll, a role he played until July 1889 when he left the Company. He sang for a while with George Edwardes' English Opera Company but was forced from the stage in 1891 by ill health. He had been married to fellow D'Oyly Carte performer Jessie Shirley.

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