# Jennifer Toye > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jennifer_Toye > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jennifer_Toye.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Toye > Source revision: 1324516884 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|British singer and actress (1933–2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} thumb|right|Jennifer Toye, c. 1962 '''Jennifer Gay Bishop''' (16 December 1933 – 17 January 2022), known by her stage name '''Jennifer Toye''', was a British operatic soprano best known for performances with the [D'Oyly Carte Opera Company](/source/D'Oyly_Carte_Opera_Company) in the 1950s and 1960s, including as Josephine in ''[H.M.S. Pinafore](/source/H.M.S._Pinafore)'', Mabel in ''[The Pirates of Penzance](/source/The_Pirates_of_Penzance)'' and Yum-Yum in ''[The Mikado](/source/The_Mikado)''. She later performed in musical theatre and opera with other companies. ==Life and career== [[File:John Reed as Ko-Ko, Thomas Round as Nanki-Poo and Jennifer Toye as Yum-Yum.jpg|thumb|left|Toye as Yum-Yum in ''The Mikado'' alongside [John Reed](/source/John_Reed_(actor)) as Ko-Ko and [Thomas Round](/source/Thomas_Round) as Nanki-Poo]] Toye was born in [Holywell, Flintshire](/source/Holywell%2C_Flintshire), in North Wales, the daughter of the professional singer Eleanor Toye and her husband, Joseph Richard Bishop, a lawyer."A Woman's Note", ''Liverpool Echo'', 18 November 1958, p. 8 She had a brother, Francis.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/02/17/jennifer-toye-singer-rose-doyly-carte-chorus-principal-soprano/?fbclid=IwAR07dn-G5v2MZ_PQB71oVMHsvMgfk-TIYislwtReO9UOQZI0WLyUmKOKRIE "Jennifer Toye, singer who rose from the D’Oyly Carte chorus to principal soprano – obituary"], ''The Telegraph'', 17 February 2022 Her maternal uncles included [Francis](/source/Francis_Toye) and [Geoffrey Toye](/source/Geoffrey_Toye); her use of her mother's family name as a stage name connected her with her uncles' established musical careers. She was educated at Bon Sauveur Convent, [Anglesey](/source/Anglesey), and studied vocal music at the [British Institute of Florence](/source/British_Institute_of_Florence), which was at the time under the direction of her uncle Francis.Stone, David. [https://gsarchive.net/whowaswho/T/ToyeJennifer.htm "Jennifer Toye"], Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 18 January 2022, accessed 12 February 2022 In September 1953, having performed with amateur companies in North Wales, Toye joined the [D'Oyly Carte Opera Company](/source/D'Oyly_Carte_Opera_Company),Rollins and Witts, p. 178 of which her uncle Geoffrey had been musical director in the 1920s.Rollins and Witts, Appendix p. II In the 1954–55 season she was given the small roles of Ada and Chloe in ''[Princess Ida](/source/Princess_Ida)''.Rollins and Witts, p. 179 In 1957 she sang the Plaintiff in ''[Trial by Jury](/source/Trial_by_Jury)'', Sacharissa in ''Princess Ida'' and Kate in ''[The Yeomen of the Guard](/source/The_Yeomen_of_the_Guard)'',Rollins and Witts, p. 182 and added Casilda in ''[The Gondoliers](/source/The_Gondoliers)'' the following season.Rollins and Witts, p. 183 In May 1960 Toye was promoted to principal soprano in succession to [Jean Hindmarsh](/source/Jean_Hindmarsh) and took on the roles of Josephine in ''[H.M.S. Pinafore](/source/H.M.S._Pinafore)'', Mabel in ''[The Pirates of Penzance](/source/The_Pirates_of_Penzance)'', Lady Ella in ''[Patience](/source/Patience_(opera))'' and Elsie Maynard in ''The Yeomen of the Guard''.Rollins and Witts, p. 184 The following season she added Yum-Yum in ''[The Mikado](/source/The_Mikado)'', Lady Psyche in ''[Princess Ida](/source/Princess_Ida)'',Rollins and Witts, p. 186 and Celia in ''[Iolanthe](/source/Iolanthe)''.Rollins and Witts Supplement 1, p. 3 She also made occasional appearances as Phyllis in ''Iolanthe'' and Zorah in ''[Ruddigore](/source/Ruddigore)'' during the 1963–64 season.Rollins and Witts Supplement 1, p. 5 She continued to perform with D'Oyly Carte until 1965. Having joined the company for experience, she told a press reporter that she felt it time to move on: "I can't pretend I'm here for experience any more … I'm not tired of it at all, but if I'm ever to get any other experience the time is now". During her time with D'Oyly Carte, Toye took part in two tours of North America.Rollins and Witts, p. 180 and Supplement 1, p. 4 During the second tour she married a flautist in April 1965."One of the Few Steady Jobs in Theatre", ''The Montreal Star'', 11 March 1963, p. 1 While with the company she also took part in concert performances ranging from [Bach](/source/Johann_Sebastian_Bach)'s ''[St John Passion](/source/St_John_Passion)''"The Passion", ''Chester Observer'', 2 April 1955, p. 1 to Gilbert and Sullivan miscellanies with D'Oyly Carte colleagues."D'Oyly Carte Artists", ''Hartlepool Northern Mail'', 19 February 1958, p. 4 After leaving D'Oyly Carte, Toye appeared on a cruise ship for nine months and on stage in ''[Lock Up Your Daughters](/source/Lock_Up_Your_Daughters_(musical))'' in [York](/source/York),"On This Week", ''The Stage'', 3 February 1966, p. 16 on television with [Arthur Askey](/source/Arthur_Askey) and the Fol-de-Rols,[https://web.archive.org/web/20220215100643/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c268f3a35455475381a8d61fb55fab5a "Show of the Week: The Fol-de-Rols"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 15 February 2022 and in [pantomime](/source/pantomime) in the title role in ''Cinderella'',"Cambridge", ''The Stage'', 5 January 1967, p. 22 and as the Empress in ''Aladdin''."York", ''The Stage'', 8 January 1970, p. 29 In the early 1970s she was a member of the chorus of [Sadler's Wells Opera](/source/English_National_Opera) (later English National Opera) company,"Why Jennifer Will Feel at Home", ''Cheshire Observer'', 12 September 1975, p. 38 where she sang in a wide range of operas by composers from [Monteverdi](/source/Claudio_Monteverdi) to [Wagner](/source/Richard_Wagner).Gilbert, pp. 597−598 She left that company in the mid-1970s to care for her father during his final illness. In 1979, she married Michael Rees, a business executive; they settled in [Kingston-Upon-Thames](/source/Kingston-Upon-Thames), where they operated a bespoke hardwood joinery business for the next 30 years. Toye died on 17 January 2022, at the age of 88. ==Recordings== On recordings made by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Toye performs as Peep-Bo in the 1957 ''Mikado'',Shepherd, Marc. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090804161304/http://gasdisc.oakapplepress.com/mik1957.htm "The 1957 D'Oyly Carte ''Mikado''"]}}, A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2005, accessed 12 February 2022 as Celia in the 1960 ''Iolanthe'',Shepherd, Marc. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090804161150/http://gasdisc.oakapplepress.com/iol1960.htm "The 1960 ''Iolanthe''"]}}, A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2008, accessed 12 February 2022 as Casilda in the 1961 ''Gondoliers''Shepherd, Marc. {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120722234233/http://gasdisc.oakapplepress.com/gond1961.htm "The 1961 D'Oyly Carte ''Gondoliers''"]}}, A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2008, accessed 12 February 2022 and as Lady Ella in the 1961 ''Patience''.Shepherd, Marc. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090911202445/http://gasdisc.oakapplepress.com/pat1961.htm "The 1961 ''Patience''"]}}, A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2008, accessed 12 February 2022 She also voices Zorah in the 1967 [Halas and Batchelor](/source/Halas_and_Batchelor) animated film of ''[Ruddigore](/source/Ruddigore)''.Shepherd, Marc. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160506093506/http://gasdisc.oakapplepress.com/rudanim.htm "The Halas and Batchelor ''Ruddigore''"]}}, A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 2000, accessed 12 February 2022 ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==Sources== * {{cite book|last=Gilbert |first= Susie|year=2009 |title=Opera for Everybody |location=London |publisher=Faber and Faber |isbn= 978-0-571-22493-7}} * {{cite book|last=Rollins|first=Cyril|year=1962|author2=R. John Witts|title=The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Gilbert and Sullivan Operas: A Record of Productions, 1875–1961| location=London|publisher=Michael Joseph|oclc=504581419}} * {{cite book|last=Rollins|first=Cyril|year=1966|author2=R. John Witts|title=The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Gilbert and Sullivan Operas: A Record of Productions, Supplement 1| location=Sutton Coldfield|publisher=C. Rollins|oclc=225338750 }} ==External links== {{Commons}} * {{IMDb name|0870298}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Toye, Jennifer}} Category:Toye family Category:1933 births Category:2022 deaths Category:People from Holywell, Flintshire Category:Welsh operatic sopranos Category:20th-century Welsh women opera singers Category:20th-century Welsh actresses --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jennifer Toye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Toye) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Toye?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.