Dermot Troy

I wish to thank Derek Walsh for the recording.

Born in Co. Wicklow (July 1927), Troy studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, won the Irish Independent Caruso competition in 1952, and was invited to join the Glyndebourne chorus. He then sang for about three years at Covent Garden (e.g. with Callas in 'Traviata', 1958; this was recorded); then he was invited to sing in Mannheim. This led to a successful tour in Germany and an engagement in Hamburg, where he was offered a three year contract. Early in 1961 he suffered a heart attack and stopped working for the rest of that year. Hamburg kept a spot vacant for him and in April 1962 he returned to sing Lenskij. It was his last performance, as he died in September. His acting ability, a particular gift for languages and a pleasant tenor voice had gained an international reputation and was opening up an international career, when he died at the age of thirty-five.

He sings with little Irish 'brogue', and shows some empathy with ballads – good pacing, well-founded quiet singing, refined 'British' style. A good example is "As I sit her" (a favourite song of mine and I have regularly sung), of which I have never heard a poor version. I submit: 'An opera singer 1st; a ballad singer 2nd'. Worth having in one's collection, if not compulsory...