Norman Allin

Allen as Ramphis "AIDA" Giuseppe Verdi

Norman Allin
1884-1973
English Bass

He studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music 1906-10, and switched from teaching to singing in 1912. His solo debut came in 1916 with the Beecham company as the Hebrew Elder.Sang principal roles such as Méphistophélès. His Wagner roles included King Mark, Hunding, Hagen and Gurnemanz, and his Russian repertoire Dosifei and Konchak (for his debut at Covent Garden in 1919).
With the BNOC throughout its activity from 1922 to 1929 singing several of his Verdi and Wagner roles and was also a director of the company. He sang Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro in the opening season at Glyndebourne in 1934, . From 1942 he sang with Carl Rosa until he retired from singing in 1949.

As a teacher in London, he was a professor at the Royal Academy of Music from 1935 to 1960. He also taught at his old college in Manchester from 1938 to 1942.