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Ivor Lewis Emmanuel, image, copyright, fair usage

Ivor Emmanuel

Actor and Singer

Ivor Lewis Emmanuel was born on 7 November 1927 at 3 Prince Street, Margam, near Port Talbot — and before his first birthday his family had moved to Pontrhydyfen, the tight-knit mining village in the upper Afan Valley where Richard Burton had been born the previous year. The two boys grew up together, and the friendship endured. Welsh-speaking and steeped in the eisteddfodic tradition, young Ivor sang in chapels and village halls from an early age, inspired above all by the recordings of the great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, which he carried up the hillsides on a wind-up gramophone to listen to in solitude.

On 11 May 1941, when Ivor was thirteen, a German bomb — almost certainly intended for the nearby steelworks — destroyed the Emmanuel family home. His father Stephen, his mother Ivy, his sister Mair and his grandfather were all killed. Ivor and his younger brother John survived. The two boys were raised separately; Ivor went to live with his Aunt Flossie. On leaving school he worked first in the Port Talbot steelworks and then in a coalmine, but the stage had already claimed him. He began performing with local operatic societies, took singing lessons, and at twenty landed his first professional theatre job — in the musical Oklahoma!

He joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a chorister in 1950, married fellow chorister Jean Beazleigh in 1951, and moved steadily upward through the West End — small roles in South Pacific, The King and I and Plain and Fancy, then his first leading role as Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees (1957), followed by a tour as Woody Mahoney in Finian's Rainbow. The Broadway debut came in 1966 in A Time for Singing — a musical version of How Green Was My Valley — in which he played David Griffith (Gruffydd). The great American musical theatre baritones of his era — Howard Keel, John Raitt, Gordon MacRae — were his peers, and a five-disc box set later described him as one who "really stands out... in the fine tradition of the great American musical theatre baritones."

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Another fantastic talent from the Afan Valley, exceptional Actor and Singer

It was a single film role that made him immortal. In Zulu (1964), directed by Cy Endfield and starring Stanley Baker and a young Michael Caine, Ivor Emmanuel played Private Owen — the Welsh soldier who, as the four thousand warriors of the Zulu Impis advance on the outnumbered garrison at Rorke's Drift, turns to Stanley Baker and observes: "They've got a very good bass section, mind, but no top tenor, that's for sure" — then leads the defenders in a stirring rendition of Men of Harlech. The scene owed more to dramatic licence than strict historical fact, but it lodged itself permanently in Welsh cultural mythology. As Peter Stead noted in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, it contributed prominently to the popular place that Zulu came to occupy in Welsh consciousness. Max Boyce later retold the story with characteristic irreverence, imagining one of the soldiers saying to Emmanuel as the Zulus resumed their attack: "For God's sake, Ivor, sing them something they can join in!"

In Wales he was equally beloved as the lead singer of Gwlad y Gan (Land of Song), the TWW television series that ran from 1958 to 1964 and drew audiences of up to ten million viewers. He performed at the first televised Royal Variety Performance in 1960, appeared on cast recordings of Show Boat, Kiss Me, Kate, The King and I and The Pirates of Penzance, and released his own album The Best of Ivor Emmanuel. He married three times — to Jean Beazleigh (1951), Patricia Bredin (1963) and Malinee Samakarn Oppenborn (1978) — and had three children: Siân, Simon and Emily. He retired to a hillside house near Malaga in Spain, where his tranquillity was disturbed in 1991 when the collapse of BCCI wiped out nearly his entire life savings. He died in Malaga on 20 July 2007. He was, in the words of his Independent obituarist, remembered with affection and admiration as "the soldier who sang Men of Harlech to such stirring effect in that effortless, mellifluous, Welsh voice of his."

ℹ️ Born in Pontrhydyfen, Port Talbot, South Wales
ℹ️ Ivor died in Spain on the 16th July 2007

Born in Pontrhydyfen, Port Talbot, South Wales

From: Wellington
Ivor is my fathers brother, we now live in New Zealand. Ivor lives in Spain, very happily retired
From: LiteMeUp
In response to the person who wanted info about Ivor he is, like me, living on the Costa Del Sol, but is known as a bit of a recluse around these parts. Also living here is Sian Hopkins who used to appear on his TV shows, I believe.
From: QuizMe
I remember Ivor Emannuel so well My father would not let you speak when he was on. A friend claims he died several years back. Is this so?
From: RoverRanger
I am Ivor's younger brother. I have lived in New Zealand since 1963. He lives in Spain consequently we have seen each other only three times in thirty-eight years. we are in touch by phone quite regularly.
From: BetterHalf
We just purchased 'The Best of Ivor Emmanuel' CD. Absolutely love it and have almost worn it out. My mother is from Cwmgwrach in the Vale of Neath. I was born in Brampton, near Carlisle, England, and I am very proud of my Welsh and English heritage. (My Welsh friends say they will forgive me for being half English!) I now live in Eastpointe, Michigan, in the USA.
From: TechnoMan
vor was born within a 'spit' of Richard Burton. This is noted on a plaque commemorating this fact in the town of Pontrhydyfen (Near Port Talbot).
From: biggemma
When was Ivor born? Is he still alive? I think he lives in Spain - Ed.
From: Dorian
Does anyone remember Gwlad y Gan transmitted from the Pontcanna TV studios in Cardiff?
From: peterkg
I would like to contact Ivor Emmannuel if anyone (e.g., his relatives in New Zealand) could provide an address that I could write to. My father Denis Griffiths (d. 2001) sang with Ivor on the popular TWW series 'Land of Song' / 'Gwlad y Gan' from 1958- 1964. I'd love to here Ivor's own memories of that time.
From: Dancer
I worked with Ivor in many shows in England when I was a professional dancer there, I always thought he was a charming person and a great singer and wondered what happened to him and if he married or had children?
From: JSully
Is it possible that there is only one CD of the Greatest Base Baritone? Are their any other recordings of his wonderful voice?
From: wendy7
Ivor knew my grandmother's friend Sal very well and was often at her house where I met him when I was about twelve years old. He was a lovely man and I would love to get in touch to talk about old times. Is it possible?
From: ScottWhitehead
I would like to send my best wishes to Ivor Emmanuel and also to Sian Hopkins if they are still in Spain. I'm related to Norman Whitehead, Director of Music for TWW at the time of 'Land of Song'. Norman, as you will know is long deceased but his wife, Eileen is still alive and well. She sends her best wishes with fond memories of the 1960's and Land of Song. Incidentally, I nominated Ivor recently as on of the greatest Welshmen. The only singer who could frighten off the Zulu army with his rendition of Men of Harlech!
From: Valentino
Ivor is alive and well on the Costa Del Sol. I see him most weeks taking life slow and easy.
From: fforwchdwm
I have an old book in the house given to me by my late piano teacher. It is inscribed to him from Ivor in 1951. My piano teachers name was Sydney Jones from Pontrhydyfen. I was wondering if anyone knew them and if it was the Ivor Emmanuel who inscribed the book?
From: emeraldsong
Ivor Emmanuel first came to my attention years ago in a fine recording of 'The Pirates of Penzance,' starring the famous Martyn Green. Recorded about 1966. Ivor sang the tenor role as well, maybe better, as any tenor has on any of the many recorded versions. He also recorded several shows including 'The King and I' and, with other singers, a collection of Ivor Novello songs. A wonderful, sincere and musical singer, who deserved even bigger stardom. Look for his old records second-hand, such as on e-bay. Well-worth the search. Bravo, Mr. Emmanuel!
From: cherehunter
I was a member of the Pontcanna Children's Choir who were on 'Land of Song' with Ivor. He was a lovely man and so kind to us children, there were about a dozen of us. They were such happy years. I was on the programme for years, possibly because my dad knew Norman Whitehead, the Musical Director quite well! My father was Frank James, who was principal tenor with the Welsh National Opera for fourteen years.
From: gerry239
Sadly Ivor died died in Span on 16th July 2007. There was a beautiful programme about is life on BBC2 Wales. A lovely tribute to a true Welshman who never forgot his roots.
From: Rafferty
Did ivor ever present the popular quiz show Mr and Mrs which I believe was transmitted on TWW or HTV
From: hubahuba66
I worked on Mr and Mrs on HTV West I believe if memory serves, that the master of ceremonies was Allan Taylor.
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