Draft:Archie Drake
Early life
[edit]Archie Drake | |
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| Born | Archie Arthur Drake March 12, 1925 Great Yarmouth |
| Died | May 24, 2006 (aged 81) Seattle |
| Cause of death | Myocardial infarction (Heart Attack) |
Archie Drake was born in Great Yarmouth[1] on March 13, 1925.
As a 15-year-old, Archie left his home in Great Yarmouth to follow the family tradition at sea. He served in World War II as a deckhand in the Merchant Navy. After attending the nautical academy in Newcastle, he joined a shipping line and was working on shore when he joined a choir in Vancouver, B.C. [1] Urged by friends to take up serious vocal study, Archie worked with the renowned singer/teacherLotte Lehmann at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. He won a coveted spot in the Roger Wagner Chorale, and travelled around the world on cultural exchange for the U.S Department of State, singing in more than 500 performances.[1]
Later life
[edit]In 1968, after Archies debut at the San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera founder Glynn Ross offered him a job in Seattle. In a 2001 interview with Seattle Opera's Jonathan Dean, Archie recalled: "Glynn said, 'I can pay you so much, I know it ain't a lot, but it's year-round and I can give you health coverage.' So I thought about it, and I thought, 'This sounds like it might turn into something."[1] Archie believed opera was all about the art of communication. "For me, opera is basically an exploration of the human spirit, and it can take you further into emotions and feelings and concepts and understandings and divining than any other way," he once said.[1] "I talk to children about this, in schools. They'd say, 'Why sing?' and I'd say, 'Did you ever get so mad at somebody that you couldn't even talk?' and they all said, 'Yeah, I did.' I said, 'All right, next time, sing to 'em!' Because you can get more expression into singing than all the talking in the world." He gave small roles the same attention as starring parts. On the Seattle Opera stage, Archie appeared as a Japanese prince, a Mandarin prince, a Russianprince, an Egyptian priest, a Mexican captain, a Bohemian artist, a flying Dutchman, the Kingof the Gods (Wotan) and the Devil (Mephistopheles), among many other roles. During several seasons, he sang in every Seattle Opera production. In his final performance in "Macbeth" he was the doctor.[1] Busy to the end, he was booked for the role of the Notary in an upcoming production of Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalierr" in August 2006. "Through it all, he was an ideal colleague. In the second Intermission of his last performance, he said to me, 'Good show. Everyone is at his best.' I have never known a man for whom I had more respect than Archie Drake. His work, his life, his whole being was concerned with giving.", Jenkins said. Archie is survived by nephews Robin Adams, Douglas "Barney" Adams, Brian Adams and Chris Adams, and by niece Lorraine Saunders, all which are from the United Kingdom.[1] Archie, who was legendary for never missing a performance or a rehearsal, did appear tired during his final production. On several occasions, he expressed concern about whether he would "make it through" the production. On Friday, the next-to-last night of the run, Drake sat backstage and told fellow singer Byron Ellis that "all I need is 30 more hours."[2] That he indeed made it through "Macbeth's" entire run would have been gratifying to him. As Ellis, a Seattle Opera compatriot for 26 years, remarked, "Archie would have been devastated if he had not finished his role in the show and someone else would have had to replace him. He was a good trouper, a wonderful comrade."[2]
Seattle Opera planned & held a memorial event in Archie Drake's honour in June 2006.[1]
Archie Drake was a bass-baritone.[2]
Legacy
[edit]Archie Drake performed over 2,000 performances with Seattle Opera in 109 different roles since his debut in 1968. Seattle Opera general director Speight Jenkins said "Archie Drake stood for all that is best in the opera or the theater, He was always prepared; he never performed at less than 100-plus percent."[1] Mr. Drake also sang with such other companies as the San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Arizona Opera and Portland Opera. He performed as well as a guest artist alongside youngsters in the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, passing to them the fruits of his long experience.[1] Company administrative director Kelly Tweeddale called Drake "the heart and soul of what Seattle Opera is all about. His career encompassed the Wagner repertoire and everything in between. He had a fierce dedication to his art and will be remembered for his wry wit and warm heart. Those of us who heard him sing at the closing night's performance of Macbeth on Saturday night can attest that his voice never sounded stronger, and he made the most of every note he sang."[1]