Paul Carey Jones

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Paul Carey Jones (born

11th March 1974 in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh-Irish bass-baritone opera singer.[1]

Early life and education

Jones was born in Cardiff, to a Welsh father (from

Queen's College, Oxford University, where he was awarded a Styring Exhibition in 1993, but "became increasingly aware that the course of the rest of my life was going to diverge from Physics".[4] After completing a PGCE teacher training course at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, he then returned to Ysgol Glantaf to teach Physics for two years, before resigning in 1998 to study singing at the Royal Academy of Music and then the National Opera Studio in London, supported by Welsh National Opera.[5] He appeared in the first round of University Challenge as team captain for the Royal Academy of Music, in 1999.[6]

Career

Jones has appeared as a principal guest artist several times for Scottish Opera and Northern Ireland Opera, as well as for the Royal Opera, The Icelandic Opera, Welsh National Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Comunale Bolzano, Teatro Rossini, at the Wexford Festival, Buxton Festival, for Opera Holland Park, Longborough Festival Opera, Opera East, Bampton Classical Opera, Diva Opera, and Lyric Opera Dublin.[7]

Wagnerian roles

Jones was joint winner of the 2013 Wagner Society Singing Competition,

Wotan in Die Walküre (2021) and Siegfried (2022), and is due to reprise the role in their full cycle of Der Ring des Nibelungen in 2024, in a production directed by Amy Lane and conducted by Anthony Negus.[10]

Contemporary music

Jones has given world premiere performances of works by the composers

2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe); David Power (his set Forever and Other Songs); Emily Hall (four settings of words by Toby Litt at the 2010 Grimsby St Hugh's Festival); Sadie Harrison (Heartoutbursts); and Timothy Raymond (From Dark to Dark). For Northern Ireland Opera in 2012 he created the roles of the Policeman in Ed Bennett's Jackie's Taxi, the Father in Christopher Norby's The Girl Who Knew She Could Fly and the Father in Brian Irvine's May Contain Flash Photography.[12]

His work in contemporary opera has also included the role of Blazes in

Daniel Bjarnason's Brothers for The Icelandic Opera.[13]

Collaboration with Oliver Mears

Jones works regularly with the director

Hansel and Gretel) and Noye (Noye's Fludde) for Northern Ireland Opera;[14] Scarpia (Tosca) and Speaker (The Magic Flute) for Nevill Holt Opera; and Sam (Trouble in Tahiti) and Monsieur Juste (The Three Wishes) for Second Movement.[15]

Collaboration with Llŷr Williams

As a member of Yehudi Menuhin's Live Music Now! scheme he gave over 200 concerts,[16] mainly in partnership with the pianist Llŷr Williams, with whom he continues to collaborate; their debut album of classical songs, titled Enaid – Songs of the Soul, was released in November 2007 by Sain.[17]

In November 2008 they premiered a set of songs, Four Poems of

Schubert's Winterreise.[18]

Recordings

Jones' debut album of classical songs, titled Enaid – Songs of the Soul, was released in November 2007 by Sain.[19], with the pianist Llŷr Williams. A track from the album was included on Sain's 2009 compilation album, The Welsh Gold Collection.[20]

His second solo album, Songs Now, of songs by contemporary British composers, was released in August 2012 by Meridian Records, with the pianist Ian Ryan.[21] His third solo album, of songs by Clara Schumann and Rhian Samuel, with soprano Katharine Dain and pianist Jocelyn Freeman, was released in 2019 by Ty Cerdd Records under the title Song Lied Cân.[22]

Jones sings the roles of Squire Allworthy and Dobbin on

Naxos' recording of Edward German's Tom Jones, released in August 2009. He appears in various roles, including Dancing Williams, Sinbad Sailors and Mr Pugh, on the original cast recording of John Metcalf's Under Milk Wood: An Opera, released by Ty Cerdd in 2014,[23] and in Stephen McNeff's 2117 / Hedd Wyn as Y Bon Pebr, also from Ty Cerdd in 2022, with a libretto by Gruff Rhys.[24]

On DVD, Jones appears as

Jackie O, and in various roles on the BBC's 2005 film of Rachel Portman
's The Little Prince.

A recording by Jones of

Puccini's aria Questo Amor was used on the soundtrack of San Banarje's multi-award-winning 2010 film Bodhisattva.[25]

Writing

Jones publishes a long-running blog under the title Ranitidine & Tonic.

Giving It Away: Classical Music in Lockdown and other fairytales.[27]

Campaigning Work

Since 2021 Jones has been a member of the steering group of the voluntary campaigning organisation Freelancers Make Theatre Work,[28] being particularly active on the impact of Brexit on the performing arts industry in the UK.[29]

References and notes

  1. ^ "Paul Carey Jones, Bass-baritone".
  2. ^ Interview with Art Scene Wales, 14 September 2021
  3. ^ Interview with Art Scene Wales, 14 September 2021
  4. ^ The Queen's College Newsletter, Autumn/Winter 2004
  5. ^ The Western Mail, 7th January 2006
  6. ^ Opera News, February 2007
  7. ^ Official website
  8. ^ The Wagnerian, 4th December 2013
  9. ^ Official website
  10. ^ Longborough Festival Opera
  11. ^ Premiere of Prometheus Symphony
  12. ^ Official website
  13. ^ Official website
  14. ^ NI Opera
  15. ^ Official website
  16. ^ Live Music Now interview with Paul Carey Jones, 16th September 2021
  17. ^ Sain website
  18. ^ Official website
  19. ^ Sain website
  20. ^ Sain website
  21. ^ Meridian Records
  22. ^ Ty Cerdd Records
  23. ^ Ty Cerdd Records
  24. ^ Ty Cerdd Records
  25. ^ Official website
  26. ^ Ranitidine & Tonic
  27. ISBN 9798552628056
    .
  28. ^ Freelancers Make Theatre Work official website
  29. ^ "British Musicians Face Up to Brexit's Perfect Storm", 29 March 2021
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