Roy Henderson (baritone) - Glyndebourne and Mozart

Glyndebourne and Mozart

He did not return to opera until 1934, when he participated in the first ventures at Glyndebourne. He sang on the opening night and appeared in every season until 1939, also singing on the last night before the outbreak of war in 1939. He sang the role of the Count in The Marriage of Figaro, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, and Papageno in The Magic Flute, under the direction of Fritz Busch, who commended him highly. He also took the role of Peachum in The Beggar's Opera. His Count is preserved in the Busch (Glyndebourne 1936) HMV recording of The Marriage of Figaro. His Masetto is in the Busch (Glyndebourne, c.1937-8) Don Giovanni. For these years, Glyndebourne became his artistic home. Henderson was an outstanding Mozart singer.

He recorded the first complete Purcell Dido and Aeneas with Nancy Evans and the Boyd Neel ensemble conducted by Clarence Raybould before 1936. In 1938, Henderson was one of the original 16 soloists in Vaughan Williams's Serenade to Music (his is the solo line to the words ‘Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds’). In March 1940, he was involved in the Glyndebourne Company revival of The Beggar's Opera, directed by John Gielgud, at the Haymarket Theatre in London.

In his later career, he specialized more in recitals, and delivered a fine collection of English songs at the first Edinburgh Festival in 1947.