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Giles Davies Biography

Giles studied at the Purcell School of Music (Piano, Violin, Bassoon and Recorder) and on a vocal scholarship with Norman Bailey at the Royal College of Music in London, where he was the winner of the Lieder Competition. He was also a Finalist and Prizewinner in the Royal Overseas League, Tillett Trust and English Singers and Speakers Competitions. Since then, his concert and opera engagements have taken him across the globe, in repertoire from all periods. He has recorded for the BBC, Capriol Films, Naxos, Chandos, Divine Art Records and Boo Productions, and on numerous film soundtracks. In 2000 for Cunard he joined a world cruise to South Africa, Australia and the Far East, in shows including Noel Coward, Gilbert and Sullivan and Kurt Weill.

Operatic roles have included Figaro in Rossini's Barber of Seville (Scottish Opera Tour / European Chamber Opera, English Pocket Opera), Don Bartolo in Rossini's 'Barber' (Scherzo Ensemble, London) Dr Kolenaty in Janacek's Makropoulos Case (Scottish Opera), Schaunard in La Boheme, (Castleward/ Holland Park Opera/ Scottish Opera), Marcello in 'La Boheme' (European Chamber Opera) Masetto and Leporello in Mozart's Don Giovanni (DGOS and ECO), Dandini in Rossini's 'La Cenerentola' (EPOC), Figaro in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro (Holland Park Opera), Guglielmo in Mozart's 'Cosi fan Tutte', (London Opera Players) Don Bartolo in Mozart's 'Figaro' (Beechwood Opera), Papageno in Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' (EPOC and Opera Brava), Lieutenant Sir Richard Cholmondeley in 'The Yeomen of the Guard', Strephon in 'Iolanthe' and Major in 'Patience' (Carl Rosa Opera UK Tour), Colonel Calverley in 'Patience' (King's Head Theatre, London), Strephon and Lord Chancellor in 'Iolanthe' (Buxton Opera House), Dr Falke in 'Die Fledermaus' (Chichester Festival Theatre and Carl Rosa), Schlendrian in Bach's 'Coffee Cantata', Saul in Marc Antoine Charpentier's 'David et Jonathas' and Seneca in Monteverdi's 'L'Incorronazione di Poppea' (Suffolk Villages Festival), Elviro and Ariodates in Handel's 'Xerxes', (NCO, Oxford and OTC, Ireland), 'Pimpinone' by Telemann (British Embassy, Paris) Besso in Cavalli's Giasone, (Megaron, Athens), and Ferryman/ Ananias/ Father in the Church Parables of Benjamin Britten, (Opera du Rhin, Strasbourg). For Music Theatre Wales at the Linbury Theatre, Covent Garden, he created the title role of Edgar Drake in 'The Piano Tuner' by Nigel Osborne MBE and Amanda Holden (based on the bestselling novel by Daniel Mason), for which he received critical acclaim in the UK National press. ('Commanding', 'Outstanding', 'Rich and smooth toned', 'A sympathetic figure).

He appeared as the singer John Goss in Anthony Britten's film 'Peter Warlock, some

little joy', (Signum DVD) and his song album dedicated to Goss, 'Gossiana', featured in the I-tunes chart in 2009.

 

He has toured the UK and America as Pish-Tush in The Mikado, (Carl Rosa) and also for Raymond Gubbay at the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, Symphony Hall and the Bridgewater Hall. He made his debut with Surrey Opera in Bernstein’s ‘Candide’, and recently created the role of the Counsel for the Prosecution in the new Opera 'Madeleine' by David Hackbridge Johnson and Jonathan Butcher, based on the film by David Lean. He also appeared as Dr Elastoplast in Offenbach's comedy 'The Princess of Trebizonde' at the Britten Theatre, London with New Sussex Opera.

In 2022, he returned to Surrey Opera for the revival of 'Madeleine' in concert, and in Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’, in the role of Leporello. (Minack Theatre, Cornwall)

He also appeared as Bass soloist in Handel's Messiah (Bedford Messiah Choir)

and returned to the G and S Festival (Buxton/Harrogate) as Phantis in 'Utopia Limited' in Jeff Clarke's acclaimed production. He also appeared as Belhomme and La Boisene in Offenbach's 'La Belle Lurette' for New Sussex Opera.

Appearances in 2023 will include the role of Jack Point in Gilbert and Sullivan's 'The Yeomen of the Guard' for Kentish Opera, and the role of Sir John in 'Sense and Sensibilty' (Haddow and Hampton) with Surrey Opera.

 

Giles can be heard on ‘Prayers of the Rosary’, (2020) the latest CD by Katharine Blake and the Mediaeval Baebes celebrating 25 years of the group, which featured on BBC Radio 6.

He is an active committee member of the Peter Warlock Society, regularly contributing articles for Newsletters, and is a specialist in early pre-electric sound recordings. He appeared with the Countess of Wessex's Orchestra at the Guard's Chapel, London, in orchestral arrangements of songs by Peter Warlock.

He is also an experienced voice and drama coach.

His new English translation of the French Mediaeval Song 'L'amour de moi' is published by Fand Music Publishing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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