Charles Goulding(1886-1939)
- Actor
Goulding was orphaned in infancy and brought up by relatives in Bristol
where he sang as a choirboy at St. Mary Redcliffe at the age of eight.
He sang at the Colston Hall with Dame Clara Butt, Santley, and Saunders
at one of the Triennial Festivals and served with distinction with the
army during the First World War, being wounded several times. On his
demob, in 1919, he joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as Principal
tenor. At that time there were two companies on tour, the Repertory
Company, which visited the big cities, and the New Company. It was the
New Company that Charles Goulding joined, later transferring to the
Repertory Company in 1924, subsequently playing in several London
seasons and touring abroad. His roles with the Carte were: Box in "Cox
& Box" (broadcast by BBC Radio in 1929), Defendant in "Trial by Jury",
Alexis in "The Sorcerer", Ralph in "HMS Pinafore" (recorded), Frederic
in "The Pirates of Penzance", Duke in "Patience", Strephon or Tolloller
in "Iolanthe", Cyril (recorded) or Hilarion in "Princess Ida",
Nanki-Poo in "The Mikado" (broadcast by BBC Radio in 1926), Richard in
"Ruddigore", Fairfax in "Yeomen of the Guard", and Marco in "The
Gondoliers". Goulding often he attended functions of the G. & S.
Society, was one of the golfing members of the D'Oyly Carte Company,
and was a member of the St. Augustine Lodge of Freemasons. After he
left the Company he taught singing, and gave a number of G. & S.
recitals, and produced one or more amateur companies in G. & S. operas.
However, his life after the Carte was shortlived and lasted less than a
year.