It is an unusual young opera singer who gets glowing reviews in pantomime as well as for classical roles. An attractive natural blonde and a feisty popular performer with an ebullient personality, the mezzo-soprano Amy Black took to the stage with Cannon and Ball as Fairy Bowbells in Dick Whittington at the New Theatre in Hull and made a success of singing for Hull City football club before their home games. She was also a star attraction at Classics in the Park events staged at Brantingham Park, the home of Hull Ionians rugby club.
Her operatic repertoire ranged from Mercedes in Carmen to Lucilla in La scala di seta, a small role yet challenging enough to have launched Cecilia Bartoli’s recording career. She sang with English Touring Opera both in England and France, Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland, Scottish Opera in Scotland, European Opera in Switzerland and Germany, and had seasons at Glyndebourne and with English National Opera at the Coliseum in London.
Born and brought up in the East Riding of Yorkshire, where her father, Neil, is a shopkeeper and town councillor, Black sang all her life. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Julie Kennard, and with Paul Farrington in London. Her master classes in Brahms lieder with Gundula Janowitz were recorded for the BBC and she had also worked on Rossini roles with Marta Lantieri at the European Opera Centre, on Mozart with Sena Jurinac, and on Sibelius songs with the renowned piano accompanist Ilmo Ranta in Helsinki.
Advertisement
She was England’s representative in the Mirjam Helin competition in Helsinki in 1999 and at the Llangollen International Singer competition in 2000. She was a finalist in the 2002 Royal Overseas League Competition. In 2002 she gave a solo recital for the British Embassy in Asunci?n, Paraguay, to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was invited back the next year to perform as a guest with the Asunci?n Symphony Orchestra. As well as solo recitals and opera galas she often performed in oratorio, including Messiah, Elijah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and Poulenc’s Gloria. She performed as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem at the Brighton Festival and gave a gala concert at St John’s, Smith Square, London, with Sir Thomas Allen.
She was in English National Opera’s populist revivals of On the Town with June Whitfield and Kismet with Michael Ball, and appeared as guest soloist in a gala concert with the Reg Vardy and Scottish Co-op Brass bands at The Sage, Gateshead.
Advertisement
She had only a few weeks ago returned to singing after major heart surgery. She is survived by her parents, her sisters and by her boyfriend Manus de Lang.
Amy Black, singer, was born on September 17, 1973. She was found dead on November 24, 2009, aged 36