Courtice Pounds, (May 30, 1862 – December 21, 1927) was an English singer and actor, known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and his later roles in Shakespeare plays and musical comedies. May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi   - Water (%) Population... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as the modern countertenor). ... The Savoy Operas are a series of operettas written by Gilbert and Sullivan. ... The DOyly Carte Opera Company staged performances of Gilbert and Sullivans Savoy operas in the UK, Europe, America, South Africa and elsewhere from the nineteenth century to the twenty first. ... William Shakespeare—born April 1564; baptised April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616 (O.S.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.)—has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English. ...

Life and career

Courtice Pounds was born Charles Courtice Pounds, in Pimlico, London. He began to sing treble solos at age eight in the choir at St. Stephen's Church, Kensington, and the Italian Church, Hatton Garden. His mother, Mary Courtice, was a well-known English singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Music, he returned to St. Stephens as tenor soloist. Pimlico is a district in London, England and part of the City of Westminster. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Kensington is an area to the west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. ... A scene in Hatton Garden A ring shop in Hatton Garden Hatton Garden is a street and area near Holborn in London. ... The Royal Academy of Music is a music school in London, England and one of the leading music institutions in the world. ...

Early years on tour

Pounds joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1881 in the chorus of Patience. He soon played the role of Mr. Wranglebury in the curtain raiser Mock Turtles. At the end of 1882, he began touring as Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe. In 1884, toured as Prince Hilarion in the first provincial production of Princess Ida, and in 1885 he toured as the Defendant in Trial by Jury (a role he also played in numerous "benefit" performances in London and elsewhere). He also played the role of Ralph in H.M.S. Pinafore. Wikisource has original text related to this article: Patience (operetta) Patience (video tape cover) Patience (video tape cover) This article refers to the Savoy Opera. ... Iolanthe, or The Peer and the Peri, is a comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in two acts. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Princess Ida Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Princess (Tennyson) Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant, is the eighth operetta written by Gilbert and Sullivan. ... Trial by Jury is a comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in one act (the only single-act Savoy Opera). ... H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in two acts, with music by composer Arthur S. Sullivan and libretto by William S. Gilbert. ...

In 1885, Pounds traveled to New York to play Nanki Poo in D'Oyly Carte's first American production of The Mikado, in a cast that included George Thorne (Ko-Ko), Geraldine Ulmar (Yum-Yum), and Fred Billington (Pooh-Bah). After that, he toured in Germany and Austria as Nanki-Poo. In 1886, he returned to the Savoy Theatre to fill in for Durward Lely as Nanki-Poo, then returned to the European continent. The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... Geraldine Ulmar, (June 23, 1862 – August 13, 1932) was an American singer and actress, best known for her performances in soprano roles of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Fred Billington, (July 1, 1854 – November 2, 1917) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Savoy Theatre London, December 2003 The Savoy Theatre, which opened on 10 October 1881, was built by Richard DOyly Carte (1844 - 1901) on the site of the old Savoy Palace in London as a showcase for the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, which became known as the Savoy Operas...

Pounds then joined the company of John Stetson, the American manager, playing Hilarion and Nanki Poo in Carte-sanctioned productions in New York and, in 1887, Archbald Grosvenor in Patience in Boston. Pounds then returned to England to rehearse Gilbert and Sullivan's new opera, Ruddygore, performing in two matinee performances as Richard Dauntless, before sailing for New York again to play Richard there. Later, Pounds stayed in New York to appear in The Marquis and Madelon. Librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) collaborated on a series of fourteen comic operas in Victorian England between 1871 and 1896. ... Ruddigore, or The Witchs Curse, is a comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in two acts, with music by composer [Arthur S. Sullivan and libretto by William S. Gilbert. ...

Principal tenor

In 1888, Pounds returned to the Savoy to create the part of Colonel Fairfax in The Yeomen of the Guard. Sullivan wrote to Ulmar of the casting decision: "I should have preferred a stronger actor than Pounds, but he will sing the music well, and is safe in acting at all events." Pounds's Fairfax was a success, and he earned good notices. Next, he created the roles of Marco in The Gondoliers in 1889 and Indru in The Nautch Girl in 1891. After that, he played the Reverend Henry Sandford in The Vicar of Bray in 1892 and created the role of John Manners in Haddon Hall later that year. The Yeomen of the Guard, or The Merryman and his Maid, is the eleventh of Gilbert and Sullivans operettas. ... The Gondoliers, or The King of Barataria, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... The character of The Vicar of Bray appears in a traditional English folk song with that title, and was the subject of a comic opera which opened at the Globe Theatre, in London, on July 22, 1882, for a run of 69 performances. ... Haddon Hall is an English light opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Sydney Grundy (1848–1914). ...

Pounds left the D'Oyly Carte organisation in 1892 and appeared in Ma Mie Rosette, La Fille de Madame Angot and Miami in 1893, and Wapping Old Stairs, in 1894. Returning to D'Oyly Carte in 1894, he played Picorin in Mirette and created the role of Count Vasquez de Gonzago in The Chieftain late in 1894. He then went on tour briefly with D'Oyly Carte as Picorin, Vasquez, and possibly Rev. Sandford in 1895 before leaving D'Oyly Carte again. Pounds then traveled to Australia, appearing in Yeomen in 1896 with J. C. Williamson's opera company, but he soon returned to London to play Lancelot in La Poupee in 1897–98). The Chieftain is a two-act comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand based on their 1867 opera, The Contrabandista. ...

Later career

Over the next twenty-five years, Pounds appeared regularly in London in a variety of roles ranging from Shakespeare to music hall. In 1901, he appeared as the clown Feste in Twelfth Night, Sir Hugh Evans in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Touchstone in As You Like It, which role established his reputation as a popular Shakespearean character actor. In 1902, he played Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Twelfth Night has at least three meanings: Twelfth Night (holiday), celebrated by some Christians Twelfth Night, or What You Will, a comedic play by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night (band), a progressive rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare featuring the fat knight Falstaff. ... Scene from As you like it, Francis Hayman, c. ...

Some of Pounds's most notable roles were in musical comedies, including Papillon in The Duchess of Dantzic (1903), The Belle of Mayfair (1906), and Ali Baba in Chu Chin Chow (beginning in 1916, he starred in this role for over 2,000 performances). He was well remembered for his role as Franz Schubert in Lilac Time (1922). Pounds also appeared in Princess Caprice and The Boatswain's Mate, among others. Chu Chin Chow was a musical comedy loosely based on the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. ... Franz Schubert. ...

Four of Pounds' sisters (Lily, Louie — a very successful actress in her own right—Nancy, and Rosy) appeared with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, and he was married to D'Oyly Carte performers Jessie Gaston (also known as Jessie Pounds) and, later, Millicent Pyne. He died in Surbiton. Surbiton is a suburban area of London situated in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. ...

Recordings

Pounds recorded a few songs for HMV in 1916, and four from Lilac Time for Vocalion in 1923, but his only Gilbert and Sullivan recording ("Is Life a Boon?", 1916) was never issued. He is heard on "The Art of the Savoyard" (Pearl GEMM CD 9991) singing "When a Pullet is Plump" from Chu Chin Chow. His Masters Voice, usually abbreviated to HMV, is a famous trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record company. ...

Reference

• Ayre, Leslie (1972). The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion. London: W.H. Allen & Co Ltd. Introduction by Martyn Green.

Martyn Green (1899 - 1975) was an actor primarily known for his work in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. ...

External links

• Courtice Pounds at Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte

• Profile of Pounds

• Profile and photos of Pounds

• Courtice Pounds at the Internet Movie Database