THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Leonard Gowings as Nanki-Poo in The Mikado

Leonard Gowings (1926)

[Born Mile End, London 15 Jul 1885, died Oxford 9 Sep 1969]

Leonard Gowings was a popular concert singer, and occasional recording artist, in his day who rarely appeared on the dramatic stage. He began at age 20 as a tenor at St. Paul's Cathedral, occasionally conducted choirs and, on at least one occasion, found work in a ship's orchestra as a flautist. In 1923, as a member of the Chester Musical Society (Operatic Section), he appeared as Nanki-Poo in a D'Oyly Carte sanctioned production of The Mikado.

His only appearances with the D'Oyly Carte organization were two trial performances as Marco in The Gondoliers with the D'Oyly Carte "New" Opera Company in the autumn of 1926. He was not engaged thereafter. Gowings appeared but once on the London Stage:as Young Meadows in the comedy Love in a Village (Lyric, Hammersmith, 1928). That year he also sang a portion of a small part: First Yeoman on the D'Oyly Carte HMV recording of The Yeomen of the Guard.

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