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Michael Rayner (1933 – 13 July 2015) was an English opera singer, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Rayner worked in his family's motor car company before eventually pursuing classical singing and, in his '30s, he trained at the Birmingham School of Music. He then joined Welsh National Opera's "Opera for All", to tour for two years. He played more than a dozen Gilbert and Sullivan roles with the D'Oyly Carte continuously from 1971 to 1979, also recording most of these roles with the company. Afterwards, he sang on the concert stage and in opera and worked with several more Gilbert and Sullivan companies for three more decades, playing some of his old D'Oyly Carte roles and a dozen new ones. He also appeared with Hinge and Bracket and performed his own autobiographical musical show. ==Early life and career== Rayner was born in Burton in Staffordshire in early 1933,〔(Michael J Rayner: England & Wales, Birth Index, 1916–2005 ), Ancestry.com (pay to view)〕 the son of Howard T Rayner and Irene (née Docking).〔(Howard T Rayner: England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916–2005 ), Ancestry.com (pay to view)〕 He was raised in Derby, where he was a choirboy at St Werburgh's Church.〔("Michael Rayner, singer – obituary" ), ''The Telegraph'', 3 September 2015〕 As a young man, he worked in his family's motor car company and performed in amateur productions in Corby and elsewhere, including Derby Opera Company and Opera da Camera.〔"Michael Rayner", ''The Savoyard'', Vol. 12, Issue 3, January 1974, p. 7, reprinted in part here: ("Michael Rayner" ), ''Memories of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'', accessed 20 July 2015〕 In 1955 he married Sylvia Groome.〔(Sylvia I S Groome: England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916–2005 ), Ancestry.com (pay to view)〕 The couple had four children.〔 In his 30s Rayner decided to focus on singing and was accepted into the Birmingham School of Music, after which he joined the Wales National Choir〔Peddy, Chris. ("Friends and family pay their tributes to Derby singer Michael" ), ''Derby Telegraph'', 20 July 2015〕 and Welsh National Opera's "Opera for All", to tour for two years in such roles as Figaro in ''The Barber of Seville'', Sharpless in ''Madam Butterfly'' and Frank in ''Die Fledermaus''.〔Stone, David. ("Michael Rayner" ), ''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'', 27 August 2001, accessed 20 July 2015〕 Rayner joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, the UK's full-time professional Gilbert and Sullivan company,〔("Patricia Leonard: principal contralto of the D'Oyly Carte opera" ). ''The Times'', 22 February 2010 〕 as a principal baritone, immediately assuming the roles of Mr. Cox in ''Cox and Box'', Counsel for the Plaintiff in ''Trial By Jury'', Captain Corcoran in ''H.M.S. Pinafore'', Samuel in ''The Pirates of Penzance'', Strephon in ''Iolanthe'', and Giuseppe in ''The Gondoliers''. As Corcoran, he won critical praise for his air of authority and 'vocal size, enough to impress'".〔 In 1972, he dropped the role of Samuel to add to his repertoire the Sergeant of Police in ''Pirates'', and he also began to appear as Pish-Tush in ''The Mikado''. In 1974, he added the small role of Guron in ''Princess Ida''. For the company's 1975 Centennial Season at the Savoy Theatre, Rayner recreated the role of Mr. Goldbury ''Utopia Limited'' and sang Dr. Tannhäuser in the single concert performance of ''The Grand Duke''. Later that year, he dropped the role of Counsel in ''Trial'' and added the role of Lieutenant of the Tower in ''The Yeomen of the Guard''. He also exchanged the role of Cox for Sergeant Bouncer, in ''Cox and Box'', and stepped up from Guron to Arac in ''Ida''.〔〔Rollins and Witts, 3rd supplement, p. 28〕 Rayner participated in the company's tours of North America and Italy, and its Royal Command Performance of ''HMS Pinafore'' at Windsor Castle during his tenure.〔〔"Michael Rayner, Principal Bass Baritone", Grim's Dyke Opera programmes distributed at Grim's Dyke in 2008〕 Rayner's roles recorded with D'Oyly Carte included Pish-Tush (1973), Strephon (1974), Counsel (1975), Mr. Goldbury (1976), Dr. Tannhäuser (1976), Giuseppe (1977), Bouncer (1978) and Lieutenant (1979). He also played Corcoran in the company's 1973 video production of ''H.M.S. Pinafore''.〔〔Shepherd, Marc. ("The 1973 D'Oyly Carte ''Pinafore'' Video" ), Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 12 April 2009, accessed 20 July 2015; and (Rayner, Michael" ), Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, accessed 20 July 2015〕 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「Michael Rayner」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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