Averil Mary Thomas (2 August 1932 – 17 April 1997) was a Welsh soprano.
Career edit
After studying at the Royal Academy of Music,[1] she established herself in the 1960s as a successful early music performer. She appeared as a soloist as well as a member of the Deller Consort. She was also notable for her work in contemporary music. Peter Maxwell Davies wrote pieces with her voice and dramatic ability in mind.[1][2]
Notable performances edit
She gave the first performances of a number of works by Peter Maxwell Davies, accompanied by the Fires of London.
- Revelation and Fall (premiered February 1968, adapted 1980).[3]
- Missa super l'homme armé (premiered February 1968, revised 1971).[4]
She appeared at the Proms between 1962 and 1983, singing music ranging from Baroque to Maxwell Davies.[5]
Selected recordings edit
- Thomas's vocals appeared on the 1976 ELO tracks "Rockaria!" and "Shangri-La" from the album A New World Record; "Rockaria!", released as a single in 1977, reached the Top Ten on the UK Singles Chart.[6][7]
- Revelation and Fall (reissued on CD in 2004)[8]
References edit
- ^ a b Ten Kate, Lynn (22 April 1997). "Obituary: Mary Thomas". The Independent. London. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ^ Richard Dyer, Globe Staff. "Vivid score, vibrant singing make for compelling `Medium'." The Boston Globe, 1991. Archived 24 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Missa super l'homme armé. Boosey & Hawkes
- ^ "Performances of Mary Thomas at BBC Proms". BBC. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ "Rockaria! – Electric Light Orchestra | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ "Rockaria | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ Clements, Andrew (29 October 2004). "Maxwell Davies: Revelation and Fall (record review)". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 May 2024.