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Jennifer Toye

( Toye Family )

Life and career
Recordings
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February She Toye Witts

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Jennifer Gay Bishop (16 December 1933 – 17 January 2022), known by her stage name Jennifer Toye, was a British operatic soprano best known for performances with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in the 1950s and 1960s, including as Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance and Yum-Yum in The Mikado. She later performed in musical theatre and opera with other companies.

Life and career

Toye was born in Holywell, Flintshire, in North Wales, the daughter of the professional singer Eleanor Toye and her husband, Joseph Richard Bishop, a lawyer."A Woman's Note", Liverpool Echo, 18 November 1958, p. 8 She had a brother, Francis. "Jennifer Toye, singer who rose from the D’Oyly Carte chorus to principal soprano – obituary", The Telegraph, 17 February 2022 Her maternal uncles included Francis Toye and Geoffrey Toye; her use of her mother's family name as a stage name connected her with her uncles' established musical careers. She was educated at Bon Sauveur Convent, Anglesey, and studied vocal music at the British Institute of Florence, which was at the time under the direction of her uncle Francis.Stone, David. "Jennifer Toye", Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 18 January 2022, accessed 12 February 2022

In September 1953, having performed with amateur companies in North Wales, Toye joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company,Rollins and Witts, p. 178 of which her uncle Geoffrey had been musical director in the 1920s.Rollins and Witts, Appendix p. II In the 1954–55 season she was given the small roles of Ada and Chloe in Princess Ida.Rollins and Witts, p. 179 In 1957 she sang the Plaintiff in Trial by Jury, Sacharissa in Princess Ida and Kate in The Yeomen of the Guard,Rollins and Witts, p. 182 and added Casilda in The Gondoliers the following season.Rollins and Witts, p. 183

In May 1960 Toye was promoted to principal soprano in succession to Jean Hindmarsh and took on the roles of Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Lady Ella in Patience and Elsie Maynard in The Yeomen of the Guard.Rollins and Witts, p. 184 The following season she added Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Lady Psyche in Princess Ida,Rollins and Witts, p. 186 and Celia in Iolanthe.Rollins and Witts Supplement 1, p. 3 She also made occasional appearances as Phyllis in Iolanthe and Zorah in Ruddigore during the 1963–64 season.Rollins and Witts Supplement 1, p. 5 She continued to perform with D'Oyly Carte until 1965. Having joined the company for experience, she told a press reporter that she felt it time to move on: "I can't pretend I'm here for experience any more … I'm not tired of it at all, but if I'm ever to get any other experience the time is now".

During her time with D'Oyly Carte, Toye took part in two tours of North America.Rollins and Witts, p. 180 and Supplement 1, p. 4 During the second tour she married a flautist in April 1965."One of the Few Steady Jobs in Theatre", The Montreal Star, 11 March 1963, p. 1 While with the company she also took part in concert performances ranging from Bach's St John Passion"The Passion", Chester Observer, 2 April 1955, p. 1 to Gilbert and Sullivan miscellanies with D'Oyly Carte colleagues."D'Oyly Carte Artists", Hartlepool Northern Mail, 19 February 1958, p. 4

After leaving D'Oyly Carte, Toye appeared on a cruise ship for nine months and on stage in Lock Up Your Daughters in York,"On This Week", The Stage, 3 February 1966, p. 16 on television with Arthur Askey and the Fol-de-Rols, target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> "Show of the Week: The Fol-de-Rols", BBC Genome. Retrieved 15 February 2022 and in pantomime in the title role in Cinderella,"Cambridge", The Stage, 5 January 1967, p. 22 and as the Empress in Aladdin."York", The Stage, 8 January 1970, p. 29 In the early 1970s she was a member of the chorus of Sadler's Wells Opera (later English National Opera) company,"Why Jennifer Will Feel at Home", Cheshire Observer, 12 September 1975, p. 38 where she sang in a wide range of operas by composers from Monteverdi to Richard Wagner.Gilbert, pp. 597−598 She left that company in the mid-1970s to care for her father during his final illness. In 1979, she married Michael Rees, a business executive; they settled in Kingston-Upon-Thames, where they operated a bespoke hardwood joinery business for the next 30 years.

Toye died on 17 January 2022, at the age of 88.

Recordings

On recordings made by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Toye performs as Peep-Bo in the 1957 Mikado,Shepherd, Marc. , A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2005, accessed 12 February 2022 as Celia in the 1960 Iolanthe,Shepherd, Marc. , A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2008, accessed 12 February 2022 as Casilda in the 1961 GondoliersShepherd, Marc. , A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2008, accessed 12 February 2022 and as Lady Ella in the 1961 Patience.Shepherd, Marc. , A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2008, accessed 12 February 2022 She also voices Zorah in the 1967 Halas and Batchelor animated film of Ruddigore.Shepherd, Marc. , A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2000, accessed 12 February 2022

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