Death of two British singers
RIPWe have been informed of the death, aged 85 after a long illness, of the soprano Margaret Curphey, famed for singing Eva in Reginald Goodall’s English performances of Mastersingers at Sadlers Wells.
She also sang Sieglinde, Gutrune and Brunnhilde in Goodall’s Ring and was much admired on record. But colleagues felt she never received the international acclaim she deserved.
She retired to the Isle of Man in 1994 with her husband, the baritone Philip Summerscales.
We also hear that the tenor and historian Edmund Bohan has died aged 88 at Christchurch, New Zealand.
He was a stalwart of Kent Opera.
Very sad to read of Margaret’s death. She was a Stafford Law client, and I have find memories of her from my childhood. Her career was cut short by health issues – I seem to remember her having to have surgery on both her knees, which affected her mobility on stage – otherwise she would have undoubtedly had a major international career.
Sad news. Ms Curphey, along with many Sadlers Wells/ENO singers were my introduction to opera. Not, I might add in London but through the touring system that brought the best of English singers to Manchester and other cities.
Ms Curphey was my first Sieglinde and over her time at ENO few bettered her in her chosen fach, as the same could be said for many singers of the time.
I seem to recall that she struggled with arthritis but despite the limitations on her movements her radiant singing was always wonderful. Glorious memories and may she rest in peace.
Margaret Curphey was a wonderful Sieglinde in the Goodall Ring recordings with ENO. She also brought more character to Gutrune than many singers manage with that role.
I wasn’t aware that she sang Brunnhilde with Goodall. In the famous ENO recordings, that was Rita Hunter.
It’s very sad news and yes, she deserved wider recognition than she achieved, but for admirers of the Goodall Ring, she will always be one of the greats.
If memory serves, she sang Brunnhilde in the ENO 1979 cycles, but I’m not sure Goodall was conducting. I have a recollection that it was Groves. However, I could be wrong on both points.
However, the Goodall recording is my default version. He praised her Sieglinde to the skies and her Gutrune was admirable.
Very sad to hear of Margaret Curphey’s death. I worked with her at the ENO in the 70’s, including on the Goodall Ring Cycle. A very fine artist and a warm and delightful person.
Growing up, Margaret Curphey was part of my operatic education at the Coliseum, first as Micaëla, Santuzza and Elizabeth de Valois, then as Eva, Sieglinde and Gutrune. She sang The Valkyrie Brünnhilde in 1976 and one complete cycle, conducted by Charles Mackerras, in 1977 of which at least the Siegfried survives. She was a most beautiful singer and musician and although hampered by bad arthritis a sympathetic figure on stage too. One should never speculate, but I am sure that if she had indeed been able to sing Isolde for Goodall’s WNO Tristan in 1981 her recognition would have been much higher, She was replaced by Linda Esther Gray, but that’s another story…