Gertrude Newton

Newton, Gertrude

Gertrude Newton. Soprano, teacher, b Manchester 1895, d Victoria, BC, 30 May 1972. She was a pupil of Rhys Thomas in London and, after moving in 1910 to Winnipeg, of Winona Lightcap. She became a soloist at Fort Rouge United Church in 1916 and at Knox United Church in 1923. With the Winnipeg Oratorio Society she sang in Beethoven's Mount of Olives and Mendelssohn's Elijah in 1923 and Debussy's The Blessed Damosel in 1924. While studying 1930-2 with a Mme Cappiani in London she sang on BBC radio; in Stockholm, Oslo, and Copenhagen; and in 1932 at Wigmore Hall, London. Returning to Winnipeg she sang Nadina in The Chocolate Soldier (1933), Serpolette in Chimes of Normandy (1934), and Hanna in The Merry Widow (1935) with the Winnipeg Light Opera Company and during the next 10 years was one of the city's reigning oratorio sopranos, appearing in Messiah, The Creation, and other works with the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir. She taught and coached voice in Winnipeg and in Kenora, Ont. Her pupils included William Goertzen. After serving 1947-54 as soloist and choir leader at Harstone United Church, she moved to California. She returned to Canada in 1964 and spent her remaining years in Victoria, BC.