Derek Hammond-Stroud

Background

Hammond-Stroud, Derek was born on January 10, 1926 in London. Son of Herbert William and Ethel Louise (Elliott) Stroud.

Education

Born in London, Hammond-Stroud was educated at the Salvatorian College, Harrow and studied optometry at Northampton Institute, graduating in 1949. He then studied voice at Trinity College of Music in London and abroad with Elena Gerhardt and Gerhard Hüschool

Career

He also made recordings, including a series of recordings of the Gilbert and Sullivan patter roles. His concert debut was in 1955, with the United Kingdom premiere of Joseph Haydn"s L"anima del filosofo (also known as Orfeo ed Euridice) at the Street Pancras Festival. Hammond-Stroud made his lieder recital debut in 1956 at the Wigmore Hall, accompanied by Gerald Moore.

His stage debut came in 1957 as Publio in Louisiana Clemenza di Tito.

With Sadler"s Wells Opera, his roles included Papageno in The Magic Flute, Doctor Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Melitone in Forza del Destino. There, he was also noted for his superb comic acting and fine diction in several Gilbert and Sullivan roles, including Ko-Ko in The Mikado.

Foreign ten years from 1961, Hammond-Stroud was a principal baritone with the English National Opera. He also appeared regularly at The Proms beginning in 1968.

He became particularly known for performances as Alberich in Wagner"s Der Ring des Nibelungen, Herr Faninal in Der Rosenkavalier and Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

In such roles, Hammond-Stroud sang "with a strong, agreeable tone" and "brought the words vividly to life." He also excelled in such modern opera roles as the vicar in Albert Herring. Operatic engagements included Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, Munich State Opera, Theater an der Wien, the Netherlands Opera, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and Glyndebourne. His concert and oratorio performances included appearances at the Edinburgh, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Windsor and English Bach Festivals.

In 1986 he inaugurated the Malta Festival of Music with a performance of Schubert"s Winterreise song cycle.

He appeared regularly at the British Broadcasting Corporation Prom Concerts, and sang in Spain, Iceland and Denmark. He also taught extensively.

In retirement, from the late 1990s, he enjoyed playing chess and studying philosophy. After hospitalisation, he moved into Shropshire in 2009 to go into a care home at Roden near Shrewsbury.

He died there three years later, aged 86.

Hammond-Stroud recorded extensively in both opera and Lieder. He sang in the British Broadcasting Corporation television premieres of Sir William Walton"s The Bear and Façade at the Royal Albert Hall, the Aeolian Hall and at the Edinburgh Festival. Foreign the British Broadcasting Corporation, between 1966 and 1989, Hammond-Stroud also recorded his ENO and other Gilbert and Sullivan roles, including nearly the entire series of "patter" roles in 1989, as well as the roles of Reginald Bunthorne and Lord Chancellor in the 1982 Brent Walker videos of Patience and Iolanthe.

He was praised for his 1979 live recording of Schubert"s Winterreise, with Geoffrey Parsons.

Achievements

• Derek Hammond-Stroud has been listed as a noteworthy baritone by Marquis Who's Who.

Membership

In 1976 Hammond-Stroud was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music and in 1982 an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College of Music.

Connections

Father:

Herbert William Stroud

Mother:

Ethel Louise (Elliott) Stroud