Winifred Lawson

Winifred Lawson (15 November 1892 – 30 November 1961) was an English opera and concert singer in the first half of the 20th century. She is best remembered for her performances in the soprano roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas as a member of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.

Lawson was born in Wolverhampton, England. She started out as a concert singer; after a 1918 concert, The Times wrote, "It is becoming rare nowadays to hear a high soprano who sings perfectly in tune, with a flexible voice and without tremolo, and the pleasure is all the greater when it does come." She made her first appearance on the London opera stage in 1920 as the Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro at the Old Vic. She went on to appear in The Magic Flute, as Marguerite in Faust, and as the Princess in Prince Ferelon. She also sang in the Cambridge performances of Purcell's Fairy-Queen.

Lawson made her D'Oyly Carte Opera Company debut as a guest singer in 1922 at the Prince's Theatre in London, playing Princess Ida in Princess Ida. She then joined the company as principal soprano. Lawson regularly appeared as Phyllis in Iolanthe, Elsie Maynard in The Yeomen of the Guard, Casilda in The Gondoliers, Patience in Patience, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore and Yum-Yum in The Mikado.

She toured in the role of Lili in Lilac Time before rejoining the D'Oyly Carte company the 1929-30 season, adding the role of Aline in The Sorcerer to her repertoire, and during the 1930-31 she appeared for the first time as Rose Maybud in Ruddigore. Lawson left D'Oyly Carte in June 1931 in order to look after her mother, who was unwell. However, on her return to the company in February 1932, she appeared as Patience, Phyllis, Ida, Yum-Yum, and Casilda, until June of that year when she left the company for the last time.

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