Dorothy Bond

Dorothy Bond (1921 – 20 November 1952) was an English coloratura soprano whose star shone brightly but briefly. She was noted for the purity of her tone and the accuracy of her intonation. She became a favourite singer of Sir Thomas Beecham's, recording the voice of Olympia for the Powell and Pressburger film of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann in 1950. She also recorded Delius's A Village Romeo and Juliet under Beecham, and Ernest Bloch's Sacred Service under the composer. She was killed in a road accident at the age of 31.

Dorothy Bond studied piano and cello at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She expressed an interest in becoming a singer, but Professor Evelyn Langston advised her to wait till she turned 20. This proved to be sound advice, as the fine coloratura voice she developed by the mid-1940s earned her a solid reputation in the concert hall.

In 1948 she participated in Thomas Beecham's recording of Frederick Delius's A Village Romeo and Juliet. She sang the roles of Vreli as a child, and the Gingerbread Woman.

In 1949 she participated in a recording of Ernest Bloch's Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service), conducted by the composer. The same year she sang final floated high D in a recording of the Sleepwalking Scene from Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth, conducted by Beecham, which was otherwise sung by Margherita Grandi. This was followed in 1950 by a film soundtrack recording of Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann, made under Beecham at Shepperton Film Studios by London Films. Bond sang the role of Olympia; the role was played on-screen by dancer Moira Shearer. The recording was then licensed by Decca and released on LP in 1951 - Beecham having tried and failed in the courts to prevent its release.

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