THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Ronald Stear

Ronald Stear (1926-28)

[Born Malta 6 Jun 1899, died Bishop's Sutton, Hantfordshire 30 Jan 1985]

Charles Ronald Stear was a bass chorister and small part player with the D'Oyly Carte Repertory Opera Company (later simply the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company) for the two seasons spanning August 1926 and June 1928. He sang Scynthius in Princess Ida and Giorgio in The Gondoliers both years, and may be heard as Giorgio on the Company's 1927 recording of The Gondoliers. Stear married fellow D'Oyly Carte chorister Hilary Davies during the Company's 1927 Canadian tour.

He left the D'Oyly Carte to pursue larger roles in grand opera, eventually making a name for himself with Carl Rosa, Glyndebourne, Covent Garden, and (especially) Sadler's Wells Opera. He also performed in oratorio. His last role with Sadler's Wells was Frosch in Die Fledermaus (Coliseum, 1959). In November of that year he appeared with the Imperial Opera Company in The Cenci at the Scala Theatre. Stear later went into teaching.

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