Rosina Buckman, singer

Rosina Buckman, 1881-1948,  was born in Blenheim, New Zealand, on 16 March 1881, the second child of Henrietta Matilda Chuck, a skilled singer and organist, and her carpenter husband, John Buckman.

Rosina showed early signs of a well-above-average singing voice, receiving her initial training from her mother.

Rosina Buckman. Image supplied by author

Rosina Buckman's clear coloratura soprano and fine sense of the dramatic were soon attracting much favourable public and critical attention, and, after leaving the Birmingham School of Music in July 1903, she was able to support herself by taking concert engagements.

A serious illness intervened, however, and the consequent lack of income caused her to accept an offer from her parents to pay her fare back to New Zealand. She arrived home in March 1904 and almost immediately embarked on a tour with the American baritone Hamilton Hodges.

Rosina Buckman continued to extend her stage experience in Australia and New Zealand, becoming sufficiently well respected by 1910 to be included in an opera company being formed by J. C. Williamson to tour both countries.

She eventually returned to Britain in mid-1912. There she soon obtained work, including an engagement conducted by Thomas Beecham.

Playing long seasons of opera in London and in the provinces throughout the war, Bee-cham's group achieved new heights of performance and became recognised as reaching a degree of excellence that has seldom been surpassed.

On 24 December 1919 in London Rosina Buckman married the tenor Emile Maurice d'Oisly. Together and separately they sang throughout Britain with many leading orchestras and in distinguished celebrity concerts.

After a serious illness Rosina Buckman died in London at the age of 67 on 31 December 1948. Her husband survived her but there were no children. Colleagues at this time con-firmed the very high esteem in which she was held and referred to a voice which had been characterised by great clarity, beauty and warmth, capable of all the finest shades of col-our, and matched by her impressive sincerity and total integrity as an artist. She was known to be warmhearted, kindly and generous, in appearance a large woman with an exceptionally beautiful complexion.

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