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Frances JamesCanadian opera singer (soprano) and teacher
Date of Birth: 03.02.1903
Country:  Canada |
Content:
Biography of Francis James
Francis James, a Canadian opera singer (soprano) and pedagogue, was awarded the Medal of the Canadian Music Council in 1984. Mary Francis James was born on February 3, 1903, in Saint John, NB. She spent her childhood in Halifax and Montreal. From 1925 to 1929, James was a soloist at the United Church of St. James in Montreal and performed on the CKAC radio station. In approximately 1930, she moved to Toronto, where she was involved in two radio series, 'Musical Crusaders,' produced by CPR, and 'Canadian General Electric Vagabonds.' Francis studied French and German texts under Lisette Patterson and vocal technique under Jeanne Dusseau in 1936. Later, she studied vocal technique in New York with Enrico Rosati and Maria Kurenko and worked with Roland Hayes in Boston. In 1929, James went on a tour of western Canada with tenor Stanley Maxted, participating in concerts sponsored by CPR. She participated in the CPR Festivals in the late 1920s and performed solo recitals at CPR hotels from 1931 to 1949.
Performances and Achievements
Francis performed in Quebec, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Vancouver, and Victoria. In Banff in 1931, she sang at the premiere of Healey Willan's ballad opera 'Prince Charlie and Flora' and met and married Murray Adaskin. In the same city in 1939, she performed in Adaskin's 'Toronto Trio' before King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. In Toronto in 1934, James performed with the Toronto Bach Choir under the direction of Reginald Stewart, and on February 11, 1936, she became a soloist with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, performing Beethoven's 'Missa Solemnis.' James made her debut in the 'Hart House Sunday' evening concert series with Gwendolyn Williams Kodolfsky in 1935. Her national-level breakthrough came through her performances in many CBC radio series, including 'Midweek Recital,' 'Distinguished Artists,' 'Canadian Mosaic,' and 'Friendly Music.' The 'Midweek Recital' series in 1946, which ran for 20 weeks and featured 150 art songs, garnered special interest. For CBC, James performed in six Handel oratorios in 1942, conducted by Sir Ernest MacMillan. She was involved in the premieres of Willan's 'Transit through Fire' in 1942 and 'Deirdre' in 1946, as well as Bernard Naylor's 'King Solomon's Prayer' in 1953. When Murray Adaskin became the head of the music department at the University of Saskatchewan in 1952, Francis taught vocal technique there until her husband's retirement in 1973. The couple then moved to Victoria, where they continued teaching privately, as well as at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and the University of Victoria. James' students included Sheila Osborn, Audrey Shore Dowler, Greta Clark, Dorothy Howard, Jane MacKenzie, and others. Francis was awarded the Medal of the Canadian Music Council in 1984. She passed away on August 22, 1988.
Legacy and Artistic Style
James was a pioneer in presenting 20th-century musical material in Canada. Her concerts for CBC were the primary source of introduction to the songs of Debussy, Hindemith, Milhaud, Britten, and contemporary Canadian composers for students of music institutions at that time. Francis possessed a beautiful voice, although she was not known for her emotional interpretation. Nevertheless, she had her own style of performance, a serious approach to exploring musical material, and great ability to convey cultural values. Many composers, including Britten, Hindemith, and Milhaud, admired James' performances.
