Latest news with #StuartBurrows
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Stuart Burrows obituary
The apparently inauspicious thoroughfare of William Street, in the village of Cilfynydd, near Pontypridd in the south Wales valleys, was the birthplace not only of Lord Merlyn-Rees, the former Labour home secretary, but of two singers of worldwide fame: the bass-baritone Geraint Evans and the tenor Stuart Burrows. Burrows, who has died aged 92, had a mellifluous, highly expressive voice that made him first choice for many opera houses, especially in Mozartian roles, and also with the viewing public. For eight years (1978-86) he had his own hugely popular television show on the BBC, Stuart Burrows Sings, on which he presented Victorian ballads, and folk songs from Wales and elsewhere, as well as classical favourites. For 22 years, between 1967 and 1989, he supplied Mozartian staples such as Tamino, Titus, Idomeneo and Ottavio at Covent Garden, interspersed with the occasional Fenton in Falstaff, Lensky in Onegin, Ernesto in Don Pasquale and Alfredo in La Traviata. Over the same period he was a regular visitor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and was said to be the first UK singer to appear in 12 consecutive seasons. There he sang Pinkerton opposite Leontyne Price and Alfredo opposite Beverly Sills' Violetta, and appeared in Die Entführung aus dem Serail conducted by James Levine, alongside Edda Moser, Kathleen Battle and Martti Talvela. He appeared at the San Francisco Opera first in 1967, as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte – also his first role at the Vienna State Opera in 1970 – and as Don Ottavio at the 1970 Salzburg festival, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. The son of Albert Burrows, a coalminer, and Gladys (nee Powell), who also worked for a mining company as an administrator, Stuart excelled at rugby as a boy and initially aspired to become a professional player – but he turned down the offer of a contract to play with Leeds Rugby League Club. Instead he took employment as a schoolteacher until he won the tenor solo prize at the Royal National Eisteddfod in 1959 – despite only having voice training as a child until the age of 12 – and went on to study at Trinity College, Carmarthen. He made his stage debut in 1963 with the Welsh National Opera in the comprimario role of Ismaele in Nabucco, also at that time essaying heavier roles such as Rodolfo in La Bohème and the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, which were not to feature in his repertoire as his career developed. In 1965 he was invited to sing the title role in Oedipus Rex in Athens under the baton of Igor Stravinsky himself. His long run at Covent Garden began with the role of the First Prisoner in Fidelio (1967). The following year he was kept busy there: in January he sang Tamino, in April Jack in The Midsummer Marriage, in May Fenton in Falstaff, in October Tamino again and in November Edmondo in Manon Lescaut. In roles such as Tamino, Titus and Idomeneo, he displayed an ideal combination of an appealingly honeyed tone, aristocratic command and heroic address. He deployed a similar mode of delivery in Bach and Handel (the latter's oratorios were particular favourites) and his performances of this repertory were winning even if they showed little affinity with the historically informed style by then gaining momentum. It stood him in good stead, however, in bel canto opera, as heard, for example, in a privately recorded Covent Garden performance as Elvino in La Sonnambula with Renata Scotto, or on a commercial recording of him singing Leicester in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda, with Sills and Eileen Farrell as the rival queens. Here his aptitude for a natural legato fuses with a plaintive quality of timbre, under immaculate control, to produce a stylish and highly affecting account of the role that makes one wish he had devoted more time to the repertory. A second (privately recorded) taping of Burrows in that role, at San Francisco in 1971, also exists, with Joan Sutherland and Huguette Tourangeau as the two queens. He excelled, too, in lyric tenor roles of French operas. His recordings included The Damnation of Faust with Seiji Ozawa, Mahler's Das Klagende Lied with Pierre Boulez and The Midsummer Marriage with Colin Davis. On the concert platform he appeared with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim and Eugene Ormandy. He also gave solo recitals (often with the pianist John Constable), specialising in songs by Beethoven, Schubert and English composers, as well as ballads and folk songs. In later years Burrows acted as an adjudicator at prestigious song competitions, including Cardiff Singer of the World. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and honorary fellowships from Aberystwyth and Cardiff universities, and Trinity College, Carmarthen. He was particularly proud to have a LeShuttle locomotive named after him. He married Enid Lewis in 1957. She died in 1985; he is survived by their two children, Mark and Meryl, and two grandchildren. James Stuart Burrows, tenor, born 7 February 1933; died 29 June 2025
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Stuart Burrows, Welsh Lyric Tenor Who Straddled the Atlantic, Dies at 92
Stuart Burrows, a Welsh lyric tenor prized by conductors on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s and '80s for his agile singing in Mozart, becoming a mainstay at the Metropolitan Opera and at Covent Garden in London, died on Sunday in Cardiff, Wales. He was 92. His death, in a hospice facility, was confirmed by his son, Mark. Mr. Burrows was a coal miner's son who was schooled in the chapels of Cilfynydd, the village where he was born. His clear voice and attention to detail would make him an ideal Ottavio in 'Don Giovanni' and Tamino in 'The Magic Flute.' His control was effortless throughout the full tenor range, his tone rich and unforced, as in his role as Lensky in Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin.' In Georg Solit's 1974 recording of that opera, Mr. Burrows's voice was 'most beautiful and sensitive,' the critic John Warrack wrote in a review in the magazine Gramophone. Mr. Burrows nearly opted for a professional rugby career as a young man in the early 1950s — he turned down a contract with the club in Leeds at the last minute — but he knew he had a gift that he could not ignore, though his career wouldn't blossom for another decade. 'I knew I could sing,' he told the BBC in 1972. Yet, he added, 'I never had ambition to be a singer.' Singing was merely part of the landscape in bardic Wales; the renowned baritone Geraint Evans was born in the same village — and even on the same street — as Mr. Burrows. He had settled happily into a role as a schoolteacher in nearby Bargoed, teaching woodworking and music, 'a job which he enjoyed immensely,' Roger Wimbush wrote in a biographical sketch in Gramophone in 1971. But then Mr. Burrows sang 'Il Mio Tesoro' from 'Don Giovanni,' in Welsh, in a singing competition in 1959 at the age-old national Eisteddfod festival, and won. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Species could be wiped out' if new solar farm is built in Wales, planners told
Species could be wiped out if a new solar farm is built in the Gwent Levels, planners heard on Wednesday. Plans for a solar farm at Wentlooge on the Levels south of Newport are being considered this week by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW). The application has been submitted by Wentlooge Farmers Solar Scheme Ltd, funded by Next Energy Capital, and would cover 318 acres of the levels landscape. If approved it will be there for 40 years. Wildlife such as lapwings, skylarks, geese, and shrill carder bees are among the hundreds of species to use the Wentlooge site, which falls within the levels site of special scientific interest (SSSI), and on Wednesday the hearing heard there was still uncertainty over how solar panels in the ground would affect biodiversity there. READ MORE: The best photos as people enjoy Barry Island on hottest day of the year so far READ MORE: Welsh opera star Stuart Burrows dies aged 92 The hearing is of particular importance because Wentlooge is one of seven renewable energy parks planned for the Gwent Levels by developers. If they are all approved it would significantly change the landscape for decades and campaigners who say this planning decision could set a precedent for development on the levels and argue the land will never recover. So far there is one solar farm on the levels – the Llanwern solar park near Nash where it is clear that since panels went into the ground five years ago the population of lapwings has diminished considerably. While planning inspector Melissa Hall urged caution in drawing comparisons between the apparent 'failures' in mitigation efforts at the Llanwern site and what might happen if the site at Wentlooge was to be covered in panels as the only viable case study the Llanwern solar park did form the basis of much discussion during the first day of the hearing on Wednesday. The Wentlooge developer, represented by Stephen Humphreys, told the hearing there are lapwings at the Llanwern site, albeit the land specifically covered by panels has seen a decrease in lapwings. They asked to be given time and said the project was only in its fifth year out of 40 years. The developer's ecologist Jon Garner, who has also worked for the developer at Llanwern, took exception to the inference that the Llanwern solar park had failed in its mitigation attempts for lapwings. He said: 'Just to reiterate this is early days. We are only looking at four years of results [for the Llanwern site]. It's too early to establish the long-term impact on species. 'It's fair to acknowledge that the results haven't been brilliant. But lapwings have continued to breed around the scheme. On a positive note this year our surveys have shown breeding within the panels from lapwings for the first time.' Dr Michael Bowes, representing Friends of the Gwent Levels, said: 'I'm confused by that approach. It seems a wait and see approach would clearly favour the applicant. How long [to wait]? It's very unclear. You may have a species here which may or may not be wiped out. We have a lot of uncertainty here. 'This is a moving target. This hearing is not about giving the applicant flexibility to learn. To proceed despite doubt would be inconsistent with the planning policy.' SSSI land covers 12% of all land in Wales. The Welsh Government's own planning policy guidance states developing on a SSSI should only be approved if there is wholly exceptional need and if the development is considered necessary for the management of the SSSI. Developers targeting the Gwent Levels for renewable energy are arguing that the current chase to reach net zero by the end of the decade is a global emergency. This map shows how applications for renewable development would cover the levels: Mr Humphreys said: 'From a 'wholly exceptional' point of view it's important to highlight that the policy describes renewable energy as being of 'paramount importance'. ''Paramount' means 'more important than anything else' or 'supreme'. That is a specific use of that word. It's incredibly important and perhaps the most important point within the planning policy.' Wentlooge Farmers Solar Scheme Ltd argue that the SSSI at Wentlooge is currently failing its targets. The developer said its solar panels would not only mitigate but 'enhance' biodiversity. Mr Humphreys said: 'The suggestion seems to be that this scheme would cause harm to the SSSI. The developer absolutely refutes that. 'Natural Resources Wales agrees that mitigation and restoration should lead to the improved condition of the SSSI. The current state of the SSSI is poor.' Lindy Marshall, senior development planning advisor for Natural Resources Wales (NRW), clarified what NRW thinks. She said: 'We don't believe this development is necessary for the overall management of the SSSI.' She also described the current performance of the Wentlooge site as 'suboptimal' rather than poor. The land at the Gwent Levels is being targeted by developers because of its flat geology and proximity to the grid hookup. Mike Webb of the Gwent Wildlife Trust asked the hearing why other areas which are not SSSI areas had not been looked at. He said: 'There are many developments in the pipeline on the Gwent Levels. Can they all be exceptional? The developer goes on to say the nature emergency is wholly exceptional. "It's becoming more apparent that the developer is a minority of one in saying this development isn't damaging.' Prior to the hearing CEO of the Gwent Wildlife Trust Natalie Buttriss said: "'If development like this is allowed on SSSIs in Wales it will set a precedent. "In terms of important landscapes and biodiversity corridors in Wales it opens doors to that not being valued or seen as important. It would just completely change the characteristics of the area for communities too. 'On one field you'd have giant solar panels and on the other you'd have a biodiverse criss-cross of waterways that it is at the moment. That's what people would see as they walked the Wales coastal path." The hearing continues on Thursday. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Welsh opera star Stuart Burrows dies aged 92
Welsh tenor Stuart Burrows has died at the age of 92 after a short illness, his son has confirmed. Born in Cilfynydd, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, his voice was world-renowned. He first sang with the Welsh National Opera in the early 1960s. He performed in some of the most famous venues in the world including La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Carnegie Hall, and the Royal Opera House in London. In 1965, his career took off after the composer Igor Stravinsky asked him to perform Oedipus Rex in Athens. He was particularly well known for singing music by Mozart and in the 1970s and 80s, but then reached even more people with his own BBC Two series, Stuart Burrows Sings. Before becoming a professional singer, he was also a talented rugby player and turned down an offer to play for Leeds so he could focus on his music. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter. READ MORE: Original lead singer of The Searchers dies aged 84 READ MORE: Girl, 13, found man committing sex act and touching her while he thought she was asleep Over the years he has received a number of honours including an OBE in 2007 for his services to music and honorary awards from Welsh universities. Broadcaster Beverley Humphreys said he had an "astounding career" and a voice that "touched hearts all over the world". His son, Mark, shared the news of his passing on Facebook, writing: 'It is with very great sadness that I write about the passing of my lovely Dad this morning after a short illness Words cannot express how much I will miss this true Welshman who (as he liked to say) loved to sing a bit! "Sleep now my lovely man and Dad. Love Mark B, Cathy and Patricia." The Fron Male Voice Choir shared: 'We at the Fron Male Voice Choir had the great honour of sharing the stage with Stuart Burrows at Venue Cymru, Llandudno – a memory we will always treasure. "His warmth, humility, and extraordinary musicianship left a lasting impression on all who were present." Classic FM shared a statement from Aled Jones. "Aled, who was mentored by Burrows as a boy, described the great Welsh opera singer as the greatest lyric tenor of his generation, adding, how lucky that we still have recordings of his to enjoy." Labour MP for Rhondda and Ogmore Chris Bryant also shared in a post on X: "Really sad to hear that the magnificent tenor, the Rhondda's own Stuart Burrows has died aged 94. Requiescat in pace."
Wales Online
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Welsh opera star Stuart Burrows dies aged 92
Welsh opera star Stuart Burrows dies aged 92 He has been described as the 'great Welsh opera singer as the greatest lyric tenor of his generation' Portrait of opera singer Stuart Burrows, September 1983 (Image: Tim Roney/) Welsh tenor Stuart Burrows has died at the age of 92 after a short illness, his son has confirmed. Born in Cilfynydd, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, his voice was world-renowned. He first sang with the Welsh National Opera in the early 1960s. He performed in some of the most famous venues in the world including La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Carnegie Hall, and the Royal Opera House in London. In 1965, his career took off after the composer Igor Stravinsky asked him to perform Oedipus Rex in Athens. He was particularly well known for singing music by Mozart and in the 1970s and 80s, but then reached even more people with his own BBC Two series, Stuart Burrows Sings. Before becoming a professional singer, he was also a talented rugby player and turned down an offer to play for Leeds so he could focus on his music. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . Over the years he has received a number of honours including an OBE in 2007 for his services to music and honorary awards from Welsh universities. Broadcaster Beverley Humphreys said he had an "astounding career" and a voice that "touched hearts all over the world". His son, Mark, shared the news of his passing on Facebook , writing: 'It is with very great sadness that I write about the passing of my lovely Dad this morning after a short illness Words cannot express how much I will miss this true Welshman who (as he liked to say) loved to sing a bit! Article continues below "Sleep now my lovely man and Dad. Love Mark B, Cathy and Patricia." The Fron Male Voice Choir shared: 'We at the Fron Male Voice Choir had the great honour of sharing the stage with Stuart Burrows at Venue Cymru, Llandudno – a memory we will always treasure. "His warmth, humility, and extraordinary musicianship left a lasting impression on all who were present." Article continues below Classic FM shared a statement from Aled Jones. "Aled, who was mentored by Burrows as a boy, described the great Welsh opera singer as the greatest lyric tenor of his generation, adding, how lucky that we still have recordings of his to enjoy." Labour MP for Rhondda and Ogmore Chris Bryant also shared in a post on X: "Really sad to hear that the magnificent tenor, the Rhondda's own Stuart Burrows has died aged 94. Requiescat in pace."
