Donald Smith (tenor)

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Donald Sydney Smith OBE (27 July 1920 – 1 December 1998) was an Australian operatic tenor. His voice had a bright Italianate quality, which could match in size, carrying power and tonal allure the voices of most sopranos and mezzos. He attracted a fiercely loyal public following, and many Australians who had no prior experience of opera became opera lovers through Smith's work. His performances were regularly sold out with The Australian Opera at the Sydney Opera House.

Biography

Donald Sydney Smith was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, on 27 July 1920. Donald's early schooling and education was spasmodic and at around 10 years old, while in 4th grade primary school, he was removed from school by his parents (Donald Sydney Smith and Elizabeth Maud Smith - nee Clarque), to help work on his family's milk run and dairy property.

At around the age of 12 years Donald was sentenced to the Westbrook Farm Home for boys (outside Toowoomba). Here he spent some seven months for allegedly stealing and 'joy riding' in a friend's father's motor vehicle. Donald was subsequently released into the care of relatives of his mother (Leslie Robertson), who lived at that time in Toowoomba Queensland. During this period in his early teenage years Donald continued to educate himself whilst working as a sugar cane cutter on properties in and around the Bundaberg area.

When he was 18 years old, Donald met Thelma Joyce (Joy) Lovett, (who was 16 year old at that time). They were subsequently married in Bundaberg on 13 September 1941, as per the original of Robin Donald's son, Donald Robin Smith's Birth Certificate (born 26 March 1942) shows. Donald remained a loving husband to Joy, for over fifty seven years until his death on 1 December 1998, at the Pleasantville Nursing Home in Brisbane. After his marriage, Donald worked in the capacity as a sugar chemist for the Bundaberg Sugar Millaquin Mill. In 1942 their son Robin was born, and his two daughters Deanna Joy and Carol Beth were born in 1943 and 1945 respectively.

The original of Donald's Certificate of Discharge, shows that Donald enlisted on the 20th December 1941, (as private QX48655), and that he was discharged from the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion of the Citizens Military Forces on 28 October 1943. During this period, he served in the Citizens Military Forces and the Australian Imperial Force, for a total of a total of 678 (six hundred and seventy eight) days, on continuous full time war service. This included active service in Australia for 339 (three hundred and thirty nine) days and active service outside Australia for a period of 224 (two hundred and twenty four) days. It was during the latter period of active service, that Donald served at Milne Bay in New Guinea. It was in New Guinea whilst serving as private and a machine gunner, that he was wounded in the right hand by friendly fire, after being mistaken for the enemy, whilst setting up range markers for the machine guns. He was first transported to an American-based hospital ship for treatment of his injuries. The Australian Army at that time were unaware of where he had been taken. Therefore, it was during this time that his wife Joy (who was on her way to hospital to deliver their first daughter Deanna), was advised by the Army that he was reported "missing in action, believed to be deceased". During recuperation for his injuries and after being repatriated to Australia, Joy was then advised that Donald was still alive.

Donald began his career singing on the local radio station 4BU Bundaberg, singing mainly country and western songs. His first singing teacher in Bundaberg was a lady named Kate Gratehead. It was she who helped him refine his musical ability and vocal technique for his natural tenor voice. After the birth of their third child, Donald and his wife Joy left Bundaberg and relocated firstly to Toowoomba and later to Brisbane. Here Donald became acquainted with the well known band leader J.J. Kelly. Under Kelly's direction, he performed some of the tenor roles in his first foreas into opera. This included the lead tenor role of 'Sir Walter Raleigh', in Sir Edward German's Merrie England in Brisbane in 1944. He also performed the lead tenor role of 'Thaddeus' in Michael William Balfe's The Bohemian Girl and the role of 'Don Caesar de Bazen' in William Vincent Wallace's Maritana.

In 1948, he joined the Brisbane Opera Society, and sang roles such as 'Don José' (Carmen), the title role in Faust, the 'Duke of Mantua' (Rigoletto), 'Roméo' (Roméo et Juliette) and 'Canio' (Pagliacci). Canio was a role for which Donald became renowned throughout his long career . In 1952 he began two years of study at London's National School of Opera, after winning the 'Mobil Quest' singing competition. He returned to Australia, and sang with an Italian touring company in 1955, alongside singers such as Gabriella Tucci and Ken Neate. In 1958 he appeared with the then Elizabeth Trust Opera Company, singing 'Count Almaviva' (The Barber of Seville) and 'Tamino' (The Magic Flute). In 1960 he sang the role of 'Pinkerton' opposite Dame Joan Hammond's Madama Butterfly.

He made his Sadler's Wells debut in England in 1962, where he performed many Verdi operas such as Attila. He also sang at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where he made his debut as 'Calaf 'in Puccini'sTurandot opposite the English soprano Amy Shuard. He made his career in the UK for six years, returning in 1967 to sing with the Australian Opera in roles such as 'Canio', 'Manrico' (Il trovatore), 'Bob Boles' (Peter Grimes), the 'Duke of Mantua', 'Dick Johnson' (The Girl of the Golden West), 'Cavaradossi' (Tosca), 'Radames' (Aida), and 'the King' (A Masked Ball). He also appeared in German roles, such as 'Florestan' in Fidelio.

In 1968, the first opera telecast in Australia, Tosca, featured Marie Collier in the title role, Donald Smith as 'Cavaradossi', and Tito Gobbi as 'Scarpia'.

On 21 January 1973 Donald was the first voice to sing in the Sydney Opera House, when he appeared in the first test concert in the Opera Theatre, along with Elizabeth Fretwell and members of the ABC National Training Orchestra, conducted by Robert Miller.

While Italian opera (and particularly where sung in English) was his natural metier, he also performed many concerts and song recitals. Together with his son Robin Donald Smith, who performed professionally under the name Robin Donald, they presented in 1974 a series of "Smith & Son" concerts throughout Australia.

Donald Smith's last performance for the Australian Opera was in Verdi's I masnadieri with Joan Sutherland. This was the only occasion that these two singers sang a complete opera together. Donald health began to fail and in 1981 he retired from the professional operatic stage. He later became a singing teacher in Brisbane at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

Donald made many individual recordings both in England with the Sadler's Wells Opera Company and in Australia with EMI records and other recording companies. He also appears in compilation videos and CDs such as Celebration – 40 Years of Opera, and Australian Singers of Renown in Opera, Operetta & Song, compiled by John Cargher.

Donald Smith died in the Pleasantville Nursing Home in Brisbane on 1 December 1998. His beloved wife Joy, son Robin and his wife Jennifer (Jeni) were the only members of his family present at his passing. Joy died on 26 November 2009 in the Brisbane Greenslopes Hospital, with both Robin and Jeni at her bedside. Neither of Joy's daughters nor any of their respective families paid their respects, or attended either her funeral, or the memorial held in honour of and in celebration of her life as a loving wife and mother.

In 2015, Donald and Joy are survived by their son Robin his wife Jeni, their son Brent and his children Sharn and Reece, and Robin and Jeni's daughter Jodie-Joy and Jodie's daughter Zara Joy. One of Donald and Joy's grandsons is the former English Premier League player Jason Cundy, eldest son of his youngest daughter Carol Beth Cundy.

Honours

In 1973 Donald Smith was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. He was the first resident member of the Australian Opera to be awarded this honour.

Sources

• Sydney Morning Herald, obituary, 5 December 1998
• The Dictionary of Performing Arts in Australia