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Patricia Leonard (9 March 1936 – 28 January 2010) was an English opera singer, best known for her performances in mezzo-soprano and contralto roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. After working as a secretary, Leonard turned to singing in concerts and on the radio. She began to sing opera, first with Sadler's Wells Opera, and joined the D'Oyly Carte in 1972. There she moved up from chorister to small-role player, understudying larger roles, taking on the major mezzo-soprano role of Mad Margaret in ''Ruddigore'' in 1975. In 1977, she took over as the company's principal contralto, playing ten of these leading roles with the company until its closure in 1982. She married Michael Buchan (né Michael Fox), who joined D'Oyly Carte with her and performed frequently with her in later years. In later years, she continued to perform in Gilbert and Sullivan operas with various opera companies and with the group Gilbert and Sullivan for All. She also returned to singing in concerts, including oratorios, opera pieces and other classical works, including in a series of The Proms evenings with the National Concert Orchestra, as well as operetta, musical theatre and music hall. She appeared on BBC broadcasts and in plays, films and commercials until about 2008 and gave singing lessons. ==Life and career== Patricia Leonard was born in Stoke-on-Trent and brought up in Stourbridge, Worcester, England. She studied the piano and took voice lessons from the bass-baritone John Dethick in Sheffield.〔"Patricia Leonard", ''The Savoyard'', Vol. XV, No. 2, September 1976〕 While working as a secretary, she began to perform with an amateur operatic society, where she met bass-baritone Michael Fox (who later used the stage name Michael Buchan), whom she would later marry. Becoming more serious about performing, she began to study voice with concert singer John Dethick in Sheffield and at the Birmingham School of Music. Among other awards, she won the Rose Bowl at the Blackpool Music Festival at the age of twenty.〔("Patricia Leonard: principal contralto of the D'Oyly Carte opera", ) ''The Times'', 22 February 2010〕〔Stone, David. (Patricia Leonard ) at ''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte'', 27 August 2001, accessed 8 February 2010〕 Leonard began her career a soloist in oratorio and a recitalist for BBC Radio. She also performed with the Midland Music Makers Grand Opera Society, in such roles as Conchakovna in ''Prince Igor''. She then sang with Sadler's Wells Opera for two years as a chorister and in concerts and oratorios after which she and her husband joined D'Oyly Carte in 1972.〔Information from biography in the 1976 D'Oyly Carte North American tour souvenir program published by Raydell Publishing & Distributing Corp., New York, 1976.〕〔Stone, David. (Michael Buchan ) at ''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte'', 27 August 2001, accessed 8 February 2010〕 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「Patricia Leonard」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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