16 Facts About Robert Radford

Robert Radford was a British bass singer who made his career entirely in the United Kingdom, participating in concerts and becoming one of the foremost performers of oratorios and other sacred music.

Robert Radford had equally great success in a broad spectrum of operatic roles, ranging from Wagner to Gilbert and Sullivan, due to the strength and burnished beauty of his well-trained voice.

Robert Radford studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, mainly under the conductor Alberto Randegger, but received lessons from Battison Haynes and Frederic King.

Robert Radford had natural dramatic gifts which from the outset suggested an operatic career, but his early professional life was devoted particularly to oratorio and the concert platform.

Robert Radford's debut was at the Norwich Music Festival in 1899.

Robert Radford appeared for Henry J Wood at a Queen's Hall prom on 9 February 1900 in Arthur Sullivan's The Martyr of Antioch.

Robert Radford was a soloist at Wood's Trafalgar Day Centenary Concert of 21 October 1905.

Robert Radford was in the Leeds Chorus performance of the Mass in B minor, with Carrie Tubb, John Coates and others, in the 'Three B's' Festival' of April 1915, again at Queen's Hall, under Henri Verbrugghen with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Robert Radford was again engaged for Richter's Ring cycle in 1908, taking the roles of Fasolt in Das Rheingold, Hunding in Die Walkure, and Hagen in Gotterdammerung.

Robert Radford was then engaged with the Grand Opera Syndicate at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and he was successively engaged by Thomas Beecham in his productions at various venues, including Covent Garden, Drury Lane and His Majesty's Theatre.

Robert Radford continued to record from time to time during the Great War, and was a valuable asset to the promenade concerts in that period.

Robert Radford appeared in The Dream of Gerontius with the Northampton Musical Society under Charles King on 29 October 1920, with Norah Dawnay and Gervase Elwes: this was to be the last occasion on which Elwes sang the work.

Robert Radford sang in two Philharmonic Society performances of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, first under Felix Weingartner in March 1924 with Florence Austral, Margaret Balfour and Frank Titterton, and again in October 1925 with Dorothy Silk, Muriel Brunskill and Walter Widdop, under Albert Coates.

Robert Radford continued to make recordings for His Master's Voice after the advent of the electric microphone in 1925.

Robert Radford is said to have suffered from ill-health all his life, and it was this handicap which prevented him from developing his career on the international scene.

Robert Radford is the subject, too, of a brief story in Peter Dawson's autobiography.