Alan Styler
Encyclopedia
Alan Styler was an English opera singer, best known for his performances in baritone
roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
. He married former D'Oyly Carte chorister Vera Ryan.
, Worcestershire
. He joined the Grenadier Guards
at the age of seventeen. After leaving the service in 1946, he pursued his aspirations to become a professional singer. He joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company chorus in 1947 and soon assumed the role of Antonio in The Gondoliers
.
In 1948, Styler added the role of Second Yeoman in Yeomen of the Guard
and was also understudy for the "juvenile" baritone roles. He began, in 1949, to fill in frequently as the Counsel in Trial by Jury
, Strephon in Iolanthe
, Pish-Tush in The Mikado
, and Giuseppe in The Gondoliers. In 1949, he added the roles of Mr. Cox in Cox and Box
, the Associate in Trial, and Grosvenor in Patience
. He continued to play these roles through 1952, except for brief periods when he was ill or when others briefly played some of these roles. In 1953, Styler added Richard Cholmondeley
, the Lieutenant of the Tower, in Yeomen.
From 1953 through 1962, Styler steadily played Cox, the Counsel, Strephon, the Lieutenant, and Giuseppe. He also appeared during several seasons as Pish-Tush, and Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore
, also adding Florian in Princess Ida
in 1957, and Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance
in 1962. In 1962, Styler fell ill again and left the company for several months. He returned in 1963, playing or sharing his old roles and also, for several seasons, the Earl of Mountararat in Iolanthe. After a lung operation in 1968, his doctor advised him to give up performing.
Styler died in Manchester
, England at the age of only 45. A charming man with a kind word for everyone and a winning sense of humor, Styler was popular with both audiences and with his fellow members of D'Oyly Carte. Members of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and the touring company "Gilbert & Sullivan for All" (former D'Oyly Carte members) joined together to pay tribute to Styler in a memorial service at St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden.
(1966).
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
. He married former D'Oyly Carte chorister Vera Ryan.
Life and career
Alan Styler was born in RedditchRedditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. He joined the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
at the age of seventeen. After leaving the service in 1946, he pursued his aspirations to become a professional singer. He joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company chorus in 1947 and soon assumed the role of Antonio in The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances , closing on 30 June 1891...
.
In 1948, Styler added the role of Second Yeoman in Yeomen of the Guard
Yeomen of the Guard
The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard are a bodyguard of the British Monarch. The oldest British military corps still in existence, it was created by Henry VII in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field. As a token of this venerability, the Yeomen still wear red and gold uniforms of Tudor...
and was also understudy for the "juvenile" baritone roles. He began, in 1949, to fill in frequently as the Counsel in Trial by Jury
Trial by Jury
Trial by Jury is a comic opera in one act, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was first produced on 25 March 1875, at London's Royalty Theatre, where it initially ran for 131 performances and was considered a hit, receiving critical praise and outrunning its...
, Strephon in Iolanthe
Iolanthe
Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh collaboration of the fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan....
, Pish-Tush in The Mikado
The Mikado
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, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, and Giuseppe in The Gondoliers. In 1949, he added the roles of Mr. Cox in Cox and Box
Cox and Box
Cox and Box; or, The Long-Lost Brothers, is a one-act comic opera with a libretto by F. C. Burnand and music by Arthur Sullivan, based on the 1847 farce Box and Cox by John Maddison Morton. It was Sullivan's first successful comic opera. The story concerns a landlord who lets a room to two...
, the Associate in Trial, and Grosvenor in Patience
Patience (opera)
Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride, is a comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. First performed at the Opera Comique, London, on 23 April 1881, it moved to the 1,292-seat Savoy Theatre on 10 October 1881, where it was the first theatrical production in the...
. He continued to play these roles through 1952, except for brief periods when he was ill or when others briefly played some of these roles. In 1953, Styler added Richard Cholmondeley
Richard Cholmondeley
Sir Richard Cholmondeley was an English farmer and soldier, who served as Lieutenant of the Tower of London from 1513 to 1520 during the reign of Henry VIII. He is remembered because of his tomb at the Tower of London and because he is fictionalized as a character in Gilbert and Sullivan's...
, the Lieutenant of the Tower, in Yeomen.
From 1953 through 1962, Styler steadily played Cox, the Counsel, Strephon, the Lieutenant, and Giuseppe. He also appeared during several seasons as Pish-Tush, and Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
, also adding Florian in Princess Ida
Princess Ida
Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen. Princess Ida opened at the Savoy Theatre on January 5, 1884, for a run of 246 performances...
in 1957, and Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
in 1962. In 1962, Styler fell ill again and left the company for several months. He returned in 1963, playing or sharing his old roles and also, for several seasons, the Earl of Mountararat in Iolanthe. After a lung operation in 1968, his doctor advised him to give up performing.
Styler died in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England at the age of only 45. A charming man with a kind word for everyone and a winning sense of humor, Styler was popular with both audiences and with his fellow members of D'Oyly Carte. Members of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and the touring company "Gilbert & Sullivan for All" (former D'Oyly Carte members) joined together to pay tribute to Styler in a memorial service at St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden.
Recordings
Styler's roles recorded with D'Oyly Carte included Pish-Tush (1950, 1958), Giuseppe (1950, 1961), Strephon (1952, 1960), Grosvenor (1952), Cox (1961), and a role he never played on stage with the company, Doctor Daly in The SorcererThe Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of The Sorcerer is based on a Christmas story, An Elixir of Love, that Gilbert wrote for The Graphic magazine in 1876...
(1966).
External links
- Alan Styler at Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte
- Profile of Styler