Young (real name, Youngs), (Basil) Alexander

views updated

Young (real name, Youngs), (Basil) Alexander

Young (real name, Youngs ), (Basil) Alexander, English tenor; b. London, Oct. 18, 1920; d. Macclesfield, March 5, 2000. He was a pupil of Steffan Pollmann at the Royal Coll. of Music in London. He sang with the BBC and Glyndebourne choruses (1948-9); in 1950 he made his operatic debut as Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Edinburgh Festival. He sang regularly at London’s Covent Garden (1955-70), appeared with other English opera companies and in the U.S., and toured widely as a concert artist. From 1973 to 1986 he was head of the school of vocal studies at the Royal Northern Coll. of Music in Manchester; was also founder-conductor of the Jubilate Choir of Manchester (1977). His operatic repertory ranged from Monteverdi to Stravinsky; he was particularly admired for his performances of Handel’s music.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire