Hemsley, Thomas (1927– )

English baritone. He made his debut as Purcell's Aeneas in London in 1951, and appeared at Glyndebourne 1953–61 as Masetto, the Speaker, Don Fernando, and Dr Reischmann in Henze's Elegy for Young Lovers. He sang with the English Opera Group from 1955, was Demetrius in 1960 in the first production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and appeared in Aachen, Düsseldorf, and Zurich 1953–67. His debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, was in 1970, as Mangus in the first performance of The Knot Garden. He appeared with the Welsh National Opera 1977–85. He was heard in Bayreuth and London as Beckmesser and was a frequent recitalist.