THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Elizabeth Denham in Patience

Elizabeth Denham (1977-79)

Elizabeth Denham received he musical training at the Paris Conservatoire, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Rome Conservatorio di Musica della Santa Cecilia. She joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in May 1977, and in August of that year succeeded Beti Lloyd-Jones as Inez in The Gondoliers and as understudy to Patricia Leonard in the principal contralto roles. Over the next two seasons Miss Denham appeared from time to time as Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, the Lady Jane in Patience, the Queen of the Fairies in Iolanthe, Lady Blanche in Princess Ida (1977-78 only), Katisha in The Mikado, Dame Hannah in Ruddigore (1978-79 only), Dame Carruthers in The Yeomen of the Guard (1978-79 only), and the Duchess of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers.

Miss Denham was replaced as principal contralto understudy by Jill Pert in April 1979 for the Australia-New Zealand tour. Instead she understudied the lesser parts of Hebe, Fleta, and Peep-Bo, but did not appear in them. She left the D'Oyly Carte organization in September 1979 following the tour.

Miss Denham later sang with English National Opera, as well as on the concert platform:both in oratorio and in recital, and sang the solo in Mendelsohn's Elijah in Winchester Cathedral.

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