Wilson, (Sir) (James) Steuart

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Wilson, (Sir) (James) Steuart (b Bristol, 1889; d Petersfield, 1966). Eng. tenor and administrator. Came into prominence singing Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Cambridge 1910, and Vaughan Williams's On Wenlock Edge 1911. Lung damaged in 1914–18 war but resumed career. Involved in Glastonbury Fest. opera ventures. Founder-member of English Singers (specialists in Elizabethan and folk-songs), sang with BNOC, and famous as Evangelist in Bach's St Matthew Passion and as Elgar's Gerontius. Taught at Curtis Inst. 1939–42; overseas mus. dir. BBC 1942–5, mus. dir., Arts Council, 1945–8; head of mus., BBC 1948–9; deputy gen. administrator, CG 1949–55. Prin., Birmingham Sch. of Mus., 1957–60. With A. H. Fox Strangways, made singing trans. of Schubert Lieder. Knighted 1948.

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