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Thomas Fisher Morgan (1908 – 18 January 1959) was a Welsh singer and actor best remembered as a principal bass-baritone with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company during the 1950s. Morgan studied music at London's Trinity College of Music and began his career in concert work and radio. He broadcast on the BBC Forces network during World War II. From 1951 to 1956, he became a principal player with the D'Oyly Carte, recording three of his roles for Decca. After leaving the company, he played in pantomime. He died suddenly at the age of 50. ==Life and career== Born in Glamorgan in Wales,〔Stone, David. (Fisher Morgan ) at ''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte'', 27 February 2003, accessed 23 November 2009〕 Morgan participated as a youth in amateur productions of Gilbert and Sullivan, playing the role of Sergeant Meryll in ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' at the age of 17.〔''The Gilbert and Sullivan Journal'', May 1959, p. 271〕 He studied at Trinity College of Music in London,〔''The Observer'', 18 June 1939, p. 17〕 and while still a student, he appeared in recitals〔''The Musical Times'', January 1940, p. 36〕 and broadcast for the BBC in regional programmes.〔''The Manchester Guardian'', 23 January 1939, p. 2; and ''Daily Mirror'' 8 April 1939, p. 20〕 In 1939, ''The Observer'' wrote of him, "a fine discovery ... who should very soon develop into a singer Glyndebourne would be proud to possess."〔 During World War II, Morgan broadcast on the BBC Forces network.〔''Daily Express'', 15 November 1940, p. 5〕 His concert work included the bass lead in Bach's ''St. Matthew Passion'' in 1940, and in British works by composers from Henry Purcell to Hubert Parry.〔''The Musical Times'', March 1940, p. 129; and July 1940, p. 313〕 In April 1951, Morgan was engaged by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, immediately taking on the roles of Sergeant Bouncer in ''Cox and Box'', and Richard Cholmondeley in ''The Yeomen of the Guard'', and understudying, and occasionally performing, the roles of Private Willis in ''Iolanthe'', Pooh-Bah in ''The Mikado'', Wilfred Shadbolt in ''The Yeomen of the Guard'', and Don Alhambra in ''The Gondoliers''.〔Rollins and Witts, p. 175〕 In the autumn of that year, after the departure of the company's principal bass-baritone, Richard Watson, Morgan began to regularly perform the roles of the Learned Judge in ''Trial by Jury'', the Sergeant of Police in ''The Pirates of Penzance'', Private Willis in ''Iolanthe'', Pooh-Bah in ''The Mikado'', Sir Despard in ''Ruddigore'', Wilfred in ''Yeomen'' and Don Alhambra in ''The Gondoliers''.〔Rollins and Witts, p. 176〕 In 1954, when the company revived ''Princess Ida'', he also took on the part of King Hildebrand, having dropped the role of Bouncer the previous year.〔Rollins and Witts, pp. 178–79.〕 In his final D'Oyly Carte season, which ended in April 1956, he gave up the role of the Judge.〔Rollins and Witts, p. 180〕 Record producer Chris Webster wrote that Morgan "must be one of the best Pooh-Bahs ever".〔Webster, Chris. ("Original D'Oyly Carte Broadcasts", ) ''A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography'', 16 July 2005, accessed 23 November 2009〕 In ''The Manchester Guardian'', Edward Greenfield wrote of Morgan's Don Alhambra, "His ability to overact pompously is unrivalled, and more than anyone else last night he managed to project his personality to everyone in the audience."〔''The Manchester Guardian'', 16 February 1954, p. 5〕 Of the 1954 recording of ''Princess Ida'', Mel Moratti commented, "Fisher Morgan, as King Hildebrand, has the most stunning voice I have heard for some time".〔Moratti, Mel. ("The Very Best of G&S", ) ''Gilbert and Sullivan Down Under'', accessed 23 November 2009〕 A 1973 article in ''The Savoyard'' magazine ranked Sir Despard as Morgan's greatest role: "his grisly first entrance () brilliantly contrasted with just the right degree of sobriety and sedateness in Act II ... a superb performance of singing and dancing."〔Bourne, R. F. "Old Favourites", ''The Savoyard'', May 1973, p. 25〕 After leaving D'Oyly Carte, Morgan appeared in pantomime.〔 He played the role of the Emperor of China for three seasons in ''Aladdin'' at three different theatres. These were the London Palladium (1956–57, with Sonnie Hale and Norman Wisdom),〔"Pantomime at the Palladium", ''The Times'', 24 December 1956, p. 10〕 at Nottingham (1957–58), and at the Empire Theatre Liverpool (1958–59).〔 On 18 January 1959, returning to his home in Cheam, Surrey, after a performance of ''Aladdin'', Morgan died suddenly, aged 50.〔''The Musical Times'', March 1959, p. 156〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fisher Morgan」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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