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The English tenor, Vernon Midgley, was a distinguished student at the Royal Academy of Music, having won a three year scholarship and been honoured with an Associateship. On leaving the Royal Academy he spent two seasons with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
Vernon Midgley’s career has subsequently embraced opera, operetta, oratorio, recitals and concerts, appearing at most of the country’s major concert halls including all those at London’s South bank and the Royal Albert hall. His trips abroad have taken him to America, Canada, Holland, Germany, Israel, Greece, Iran, Italy, Australia and France.
Vernon Midgley’s first television appearance was on Brannigan for Tyne Tees Television. Since then he has been seen in a number of operas and as a guest on spectacular shows and in such serials as Colditz, The French Connection, Love for Lydia and Father Matthew’s Daughter. He was also a guest on Pebble Mill at One. After one of his many appearances on the famous Good Old Days he received a postal response unequalled by any other artists in the twenty five year history of the programme. His voice was constantly heard advertising numerous and diverse commodities in a large number of television commercials.
Vernon Midgley has sung and appeared in a number of films including Willow, Bad Timing, Dangerous Liaisons, Tree of Hands. Hitler’s S.S. and Hear my Song, in which he dubs the voice of Josef Locke. On radio he has appeared on countless light music programmes including, for a number of years, the International Festival of Light Music. However, the programme which has helped most to make him a household name is Friday Night is Music Night. He has, on a number of occasions, presented with his sister Maryetta, their own highly successful series. He has been heard in numerous operas and operettas the last of which was The Gondoliers conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras. Some years ago he sang in version of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah with the Huddersfield Choral Society and brass band accompaniment conducted by Harry Mortimer.
Vernon Midgley has recorded various miscellaneous items for most of the major recording companies with leading orchestras conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli, Claudio Abbado, Georges Prêtre, Riccardo Muti, James Levine, Claudio Scimone, Fenby and Lorin Maazel. He also produces records on his own label, again with his sister, the latest of which is The Romance of Ivor Novello, available on LP, Cassette and CD.
Vernon Midgley has sung on a number of occasions for members of the Royal Family, including the Princess of Wales. He and his sister were greatly honoured by being chosen by the Queen Mother to take part in her Royal Command Performance to celebrate her 85th birthday. |
