(1928 – 1961)
Ever his brief self, George allows his imaginary reader to discover the brilliance of the talent he mentioned in these 40-odd diary entries. This small window into the performing life of baritone James Milligan does give an idea of the scope of his ability, the recognition that here indeed was someone special.
Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and studying at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music with teachers Emmy Heim and Leslie Holmes, Milligan honed his art as a dramatic baritone at first in Canadian centres. Possessing an imposing physical presence (he was six feet, five and one-half inches tall), an impressive stage personality and a glorious ringing voice, he won accolades in whatever genre of music he chose to perform. In 1956 he made his debut at England’s Glyndebourne Festival; in 1957 he won first prize in the International Competition for Musical Performers in Geneva, Switzerland; 1958 and 1959 found him performing increasingly in Europe. He became a favourite baritone of famed English conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent.
By summer 1961 Milligan was age 33, and developing a major career as a Wagnerian baritone. So revealing is the following excerpt from Penelope Turing’s book New Bayreuth, describing the astounding young singer she witnessed that summer in his portrayal of the Wanderer in Wagner’s Siegfried:
“For a singer possessed of a fine bass-baritone voice and a gift for acting it is not so very difficult to make a good impression with the Wanderer. Several artists have started their Wotan careers in this way, working backwards progressively to the dramatic and vocal subtleties of Rheingold. They do not all succeed in the earlier operas. A fine Wanderer does not always become Wotan in toto. Therefore it is dangerous to hail even an outstanding performance of the Wanderer as promise of a world Wotan. Yet there was that in Milligan’s singing which made many of us throw caution to the winds and believe that we had heard one of the very great Wagnerians of the future.
“He had a glorious voice of beautiful ringing quality, power and range, and he used it with real musicianship. As an actor he had that indefinable quality which we call stage presence. He moved well, and played his part with the naturalness which conceals art. He was the Wanderer in a way which I have never seen displayed except by singers who have had years of experience in this part. It was a thrilling occasion.”
– From New Bayreuth (pub. 1969) by Penelope Turing page 73
(Turing, an opera critic, had seen every single production in Bayreuth since the Second World War, and reported from the Bayreuth Festival almost every year between 1952 and 2009. She was the first writer to devote a whole book to a year-by-year study of Wagner’s operas as presented at the Bayreuth Festival. She died in 2010.)
That, then, was James Milligan. How powerful those Wagner roles were to become with the grandeur he would bring to them.
How bewilderingly tragic then, that November day in 1961, when his life was snuffed out suddenly by a heart attack, suffered while rehearsing in Basel.
Here is a link to take you back to that Bayreuth performance of Wagner’s “Siegfried” in the summer of 1961, where you can hear the power in his depiction of “der Wanderer” in Act 3, Scene 1. Rudolf Kempe is the conductor.
“Broadcast performance of Messiah – Mendelssohn Choir. Audrey Farrell, Reg. Heal, Nellie Smith, James Milligan.” {December 27 1950}
“CBC performance of Figaro, I at the piano in recitatives – with James Milligan, Marguerite Gignac, Ernest Adams, Louise Roy.” {January 16 1952}
“Accompanied Jim Milligan CBC Opera Stars series.” {July 9 1952}
“To the CBC Symphony Concert, Unger conductor. Mahler & Strauss, & Jim Milligan singing Mahler’s “Songs of a Wayfarer”.” {October 6 1952}
“Supper at the Milligans, with Ed Johnson.” {March 15 1953}
“CBC Production of ‘Falstaff’ conducted by Nicholas Goldschmidt – Glenn Gardiner (Falstaff), Jim Milligan, Pat Snell, Nellie Smith, Jean Marie Scott, Libby, Andy MacMillan, Ernest Adams.” {May 6 1953}
“Played for … Jim Milligan’s broadcast CJBC (including An die ferne Geliebte).” {May 12 1953}
“Supper at the Milligans – & rehearsing with Jim & Louise Roy …” {November 8 1953}
“Concert with Louise Roy & Jim Milligan at Etobicoke Collegiate.” {November 16 1953}
“To Brantford with Jim Milligan & Doreen Hulme for concert for the Music Club. A puncture just before returning & arriving Toronto about 2 a.m.” {November 26 1953}
“CBC broadcast of ‘La Traviata’ from Massey Hall, with audience, conducted by Barbini – with Libby Guy, James Milligan & Shields. A wretched night, with deep snow & many seats empty.” {January 27 1954}
“CBC Wednesday night ‘Tale of Two Cites’ by Benjamin conducted by Mazzoleni – large cast included Trudy Carlyle, Milligan, Vickers, Morrison, Adams & 50 chorus.” {May 5 1954}
“Accompanied Jim Milligan in CBC Distinguished Artists Recital – Bach Cantata 56 – Ich will den Kreutzstab gerne tragen – & the 3 Harfner Songs from Wilhelm Meister by Schubert.” {February 21 1955}
“Performance of ‘Othello’ CBC Wednesday Night – Barbini conducting – with William McGrath, Elizabeth Guy & Jim Milligan – an excellent performance except for the trumpet fanfare catastrophe.” {May 4 1955}
“Recording of a programme with Jim Milligan for CBC Wednesday Night Recital – R.V.W.’s Five Mystical Songs & Four Purcell Songs arr. Britten. And recorded in new CBC studio on Parliament St. – the old Carlton theatre.” {April 6 1956}
“To the Milligans in Wimbledon for lunch & supper & walking & rehearsing (Bach Cantata, Seasons, Damnation of Faust).” {September 5 1956}
“Rehearsing with Jim M. & Jacqueline Delman for concert in Grimsby with Alec Redshaw’s choir.” {October 13 1956}
“Grimsby concert with Jim M. & Jacqueline D. Operatic programme – Alec Redshaw & G. Philharmonic Choir.” {October 26 1956}
“To ‘The Seasons’ at Festival Hall – BBC Symphony & Sargent, with Jim Milligan singing Simon remarkably well. To morning rehearsal also & met Jennifer Vyvyan.” {November 7 1956}
“The coldest for years, a piercing N. wind & lasting most of the week. Jim Milligan again in Toronto & rehearsing with him almost every day.” {January 14 1957}
“Recording with Jim Milligan for the 20th (Britten-Purcell, & Britten Folk Songs).” {February 18 1957}
“Recording with Jim Milligan for CBC Concert Hall (Keith MacMillan) to be broadcast April 16th – 6 religious songs (Beethoven), 4 Serious Songs (Brahms).” {February 24 1957}
“Recording with Jim Milligan for CBC Distinguished Artists (Gibbs) (Irish Songs, Schubert, Bach, Humfrey).” {February 26 1957}
“… Jim M. & I on Radio – recorded programme of two months ago.” {May 1 1957}
“Recording of CBL programme with Jim Milligan, & broadcast late to-night – 4 Duparc & 5 Beethoven.” {July 10 1957}
“Recording with Milligan for Distinguished Artists Series CBL – to be broadcast Sept. 3rd – 10 English Songs, produced by Ernest Morgan.” {July 24 1957}
“To Kitchener with Jim Milligan – deputizing for John Boyden in two concerts given by Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. One group with orchestra & one with piano.” {October 23 1957}
“Kitchener (at the Walper Hotel) & the 2nd concert with Jim M. & orchestra.” {October 24 1957}
“To Huntsville with Jim Milligan & a concert in High School (Mason & Risch Grand) – Empire Hotel & reception Home Ec. room.” {October 30 1957}
“CBL recording with Jim Milligan, & broadcast to-night. Two Gretry songs, An die ferne Geliebte, & three songs by Sam Dolin.” {November 6 1957}
“9 p.m. recital at Hart House with Jim Milligan – programme includes An Die Ferne Geliebte, 3 Duparc, 4 English & 4 Irish Folk Songs.” {November 10 1957}
“Messiah I & I at the organ (Conn electric), Fred Silvester conducting, & soloists Lois Marshall, Jean Fraser, Bob Reid, James Milligan.” {December 31 1957}
“ ‘Tosca’ on TV conducted by Barbini, with Milligan & Kombrink in the cast, I at the organ & celeste.” {January 16 1958}
“Recording of CBC programme with Jim Milligan for some future CBC Concert Hall – Butterworth “Shropshire Lad”, R.V.W. 3 Shakespeare songs, & 4 Willan.” {January 24 1958}
“Concert with Jim M. at Ontario Ladies College, Whitby p.m.” {January 31 1958}
“By car with Jim M. to Kirkland Lake, excellent roads & 6 ¼ hrs. driving time, 370 miles …” {February 4 1958}
“Concert with Jim M. at Strand Theatre, sponsored by Rotary Club of K. L. Reception at Hotel.” {February 5 1958}
“CBC Distinguished Artists programme with Jim Milligan – all R.V.W. – the three Whitman Songs & Seven Songs from Pilgrims Progress.” {October 6 1958}
“… (to) a party for the Milligans who leave for England Tuesday.” {December 21 1958}
“CBC recording with Jim Milligan.” {September 21 1959}
“CBC recording with Jim Milligan.” {September 23 1959}
