Kathlyn Hilliard
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Kathlyn Hilliard | |
|---|---|
 Kathlyn Hilliard in costume as Polly Peachum in The Beggar's Opera (1922) | |
| Born | 17 April 1892 Glasgow, Scotland, U.K. |
| Died | 7 October 1933 Worthing, Sussex, U.K. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
| Spouse | George Baker |
Kathlyn Hilliard (17 April 1892 – 7 October 1933) was a Scottish singer and actress. She was principal soprano with the British National Opera Company (BNOC) from 1925 to 1928.
Hilliard was born in Glasgow.[1]
Career
Hilliard appeared on the London stage in musical comedies, revues, and operas, including The Beggar's Opera (1922, 1925),[2] The Way of the World (1924), The Street Singer (1924), Riverside Nights (1926),[3] Parsifal (1927), Götterdämmerung (1927), The Pride of the Regiment (1932) and The Dubarry (1933).[4][5] She toured in Australia in 1922 and 1923.[6][7] She was principal soprano with the British National Opera Company from 1925 to 1928. Her appearances with the BNOC included parts in Coffee Cantata (1925), Pagliacci (1926), Hansel and Gretel (1926),[8] Romeo and Juliet (1926), The Tales of Hoffmann (1926), The Marriage of Figaro (1926, 1927), La bohème (1926, 1927), Carmen (1927), Faust (1928),[9] and La Vie Parisienne (1929).[10] In 1930 she was in a production of Lilac Time in Cardiff and Liverpool.[11] She fell ill while performing in a 1932 production of Noël Coward's Bitter Sweet in Liverpool.[12]
Hilliard made several recordings.[13][14] In 1926 she was a soloist at the Crystal Palace, for a concert of Handel opera choruses arranged by Sir Henry Wood.[15] She appeared in two short silent films, Lily of Killarney (1927) and Maritana (1927).[16] In 1932 she sang at the opening of a housing and furniture exhibition at Alsager,[17] and sang on radio broadcasts.[18]