THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Nelson Varley

Nelson Varley (1880-83)

[Born Stanningley, Yorkshire 21 Apr 1844, died Cardiff 1 Dec 1883]

Tenor Nelson Varley (real name John Smith Varley) was an accomplished concert singer who toured British concert halls in the late 1860s and early '70s. He alos had an American tour in which he made at least three appearances in New York area concerts in 1873-74. These included a performance of the oratorio Elijah at the Academy of Music, Brooklyn, with the Handel & Haydn Society of Boston.

He later joined Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "Second 'Pinafore'" (later "A") Company, as chorister and understudy in early 1880, and made his first appearance as Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore in February 1881, filling in for Lyn Cadwaladr. When Cadwaladr left the Company (by then known as "B" Company) in August 1881, Varley took over as Ralph and as Alexis in The Sorcerer, though he was himself replaced as principal tenor in November of that year. He remained in the "B" Company chorus in 1882.

Varley was later a chorister with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "Pinafore" and "Pirates" Company, on tour between January and September 1883. When that Company disbanded he joined Carte's No. 2 "Iolanthe" Company but took ill in Cardiff in November and died there at age 39.

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