Heddle Nash

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William Heddle Nash (born June 14, 1894 in London , † August 14, 1961 there ) was an English singer (tenor).

Nash sang in the Westminster Abbey choir as a teenager . In 1914 he won a scholarship to the Blackheath Conservatory . But he could not start the training, but took part in World War I as a soldier . He fought in France, Egypt and Palestine and was wounded. He later married the nurse who looked after him and had two sons with her, one of whom was the baritone John Heddle Nash .

After the war, Nash studied at the Blackheath Conservatory with Marie Brema . For some time he worked with a puppet theater group from Rome and had the opportunity to perfect his training with Giuseppe Borgatti . In 1924 he made his successful debut at the Teatro Carcano in Milan as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini . After appearances in Turin, Genoa and Bologna, he returned to England in 1925, where he made his debut at the Old Vic Theater as Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto . He later moved to the British National Opera Company .

Nash's successful engagement at Covent Garden Opera lasted from 1929 to 1947 . In 1932 he appeared at Her Majesty's Theater in Millöcker / Mackebens operetta Die Dubarry . From 1934 to 1937 he took part in the Glyndebourne Festival , where he sang Ferrando in Così fan tutte , Pedrillo in The Abduction from the Seraglio and Basilio in Figaro's Wedding . During the Second World War he joined the Carl Rosa Opera Company and performed in front of British soldiers.

Nash had his last appearance as an opera singer in the 1957/58 season with the New Opera Company . With appearances in Handel's Messiah , Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius , Ralph Vaughan Williams ' Serenade to Music and other works, Nash also earned a reputation as an important oratorio and concert singer. He appeared in the Messiah in 1961 a few months before his death. His stage partners included singers such as Maggie Teyte , Richard Tauber , Muriel Brunskill , Florence Easton , Dennis Noble and Lisa Perli . The City of London honored him with a commemorative plaque in the London Borough of Bromley .

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