(1912 – 1996)
“First meeting with Joan Hammond & Miss Marriott {her personal representative}.” {January 15 1949}
“I accompany Joan Hammond in CBC Wednesday Night Recital. Love went a-riding, Have you seen but a whyte lily grow, R.V.W.’s Water Mill & Delius’ Love’s Philosophy, Wolf’s Elfenlied, Anakreon’s Greb & Storchen-botschaft. Two Operatic Arias by Cilea & Massenet.” {January 19}
“Rehearsals continue with Joan Hammond approximately 2 hours daily for the next week.” {January 20}
After George and Australian soprano Joan Hammond first worked together in January 1949 their paths diverged until, in November of that year, they toured together in the USA – a series of five concerts (broken up into two parts) which took them to Norfolk Virginia, Sweet Briar Virginia, Danbury Connecticut, Annapolis Maryland and Lexington Kentucky.
“I get photos & finger-prints taken & various aspects of Red Tape dealt with for my visit to U.S.A.” {September 26 1949}
“Leave Toronto for New York, via Buffalo, Rochester, Albany. Changed stations N.Y. to Pennsylvania Railroad & night-train to Norfolk, Virginia – in a roomette – a fascinating affair with every conceivable gadget fitted into the smallest possible space.” {October 30}
“Concert with Joan Hammond in the Center Theatre, seating about 2000 – Steinway concert grand.” {November 2 (Norfolk Virginia)}
“Joan & I row on the lake before breakfast – this is lovely country – big rolling woodlands & the Autumn much later down here.” {November 5 (Sweet Briar Virginia)}
“Concert with Joan Hammond in High School auditorium … Wonderful reception at Marion Anderson’s home.” {November 16 (Danbury Connecticut)}
“… concert at the Naval Academy … The audience ‘dressed’, the Hall was lovely & the piano a Steinway. A midshipman turned pages …” {November 19 (Annapolis Maryland)}
THE 49-CONCERT TOUR
All of the above was prior to a rather large hiatus in George’s Canadian life: On December 14th 1949, he sailed back to England – yes, to visit family; but more especially to embark on a 49-concert tour of England, Scotland and Wales with Joan Hammond, which extended till May 3rd 1950.
“More farewells … just before leaving on R.M.S. Franconia, with 32000 bags of Mail & approximately 1000 passengers & crew.” {December 14 1949}
“Concert with Joan Hammond at Albert Hall (London). Good audience, approximately 4000 & enthusiastic. Ma & Pa there.” {January 8 1950}
The whole thing was kicked off on December 31 1949 with an appearance on the BBC radio chat program “In Town Tonight”.
“Accompanied Joan Hammond on “In Town To-night” – “Night has 1000 Eyes” … Also same programme – Robert Donat, Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding.” {December 31 1949}
After that, their itinerary was as follows: (CLICK TO VIEW)
- January 8 1950: London (Albert Hall);
- January 10: Leicester
- January 13: Nottingham
- January 15: Leeds
- January 17: Harrogate
- January 20: Manchester
- January 22: Newcastle
- January 24: Glasgow
- January 26: Edinburgh
- January 29: Lincoln
- February 1: Bolton
- February 3: Hanley
- February 5: Beckenham
- February 7: Sheffield
- February 9: Bradford
- February 12: Kingston-upon-Thames
- February 14: Huddersfield
- February 16: Stockport
- February 19: Hammersmith
- February 21: Rochdale
- February 23: Liverpool
- February 26: Cardiff
- February 28: Newport
- March 2: Swansea
- March 7: Coventry
- March 9: Halifax
- March 12: Bath
- March 15: Dundee
- March 17: Aberdeen
- March 19: Tunbridge Wells
- March 21: Middlesbrough
- March 23: Hull
- March 26: Willesden
- March 28: Southampton
- March 30: Portsmouth
- April 2: Merthyr Tydfil
- April 4: Walsall
- April 6: Rotherham
- April 9: Doncaster
- April 11: Greenock
- April 13: Paisley
- April 19: Bristol
- April 23: Eastbourne
- April 25: Preston
- April 27: Norwich
- April 29: Chatham
- May 1: Derby
- May 3: Southall
Joan Hammond: a true diva, adored by many during her time. You can watch videos on YouTube of master classes she gave, hear her singing and discussing her life in interviews, discover for yourself the appeal of her 1947 recording of Puccini’s O mio babbino caro from the opera Gianni Schicchi (which she sang in English) – a recording that made the aria and the singer famous throughout the world. That she was able to come through a recital tour of 49 concerts all over the UK with aplomb is not surprising. She was a robust woman, a singer with a very disciplined technique, a champion golfer and a sports writer, also a violinist until a traffic accident put an end to her aspirations to become a professional.
By the time of the 1950 UK tour she was well-known in Britain, having entertained the troops and others involved in the war effort. Though she is not much remembered now, she sang in the world’s major opera houses and was favoured by such conductors as Boult, Beecham, Sargent, Furtwängler, Ormandy, Klemperer. And one is astonished to realize the breadth of her repertoire (listed at the end of her autobiography) – the major soprano roles in 39 operas (Purcell, Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Richard Strauss and many others) and 27 oratorios; she also built up an impressive discography, issued on Columbia and H.M.V.
From her writings and appearances in various online videos she seems an extremely forthright and sincere person, very thoughtful, someone one might have liked to know. George, who was quite sympathetic toward most people he worked with, would no doubt agree.