Courtice Pounds(1862-1927)
- Actor
Courtice Pounds was a successful stage actor and singer in operetta and
musicals for much of his professional life. The most celebrated part of
his career was possibly his time with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
which he joined in 1881 as Tenor Chorister, understudying Durward Lely,
later progressing to Principal Tenor and creating the roles of Fairfax
in "The Yeomen of the Guard" and Marco Palmieri in "The Gondoliers".
When he left the Carte in 1895, he had also performed the following
principal roles in other Gilbert and Sullivan operas: The Defendant in
"Trial By Jury", Ralph in "HMS Pinafore", Tolloller in "Iolanthe",
Hilarion in "Princess Ida", Nanki-Poo in "The Mikado", and Richard
Dauntless in "Ruddigore". His first wife was fellow D'Oyly Carte
singer, contralto Jessie Gaston (later Jessie Pounds, later Jessie
Gaston-Murray). She sang with the Carte between 1885 and 1886, 1891 and
1892 and 1898 and 1901, playing the roles of Mrs Partlet in "The
Sorcerer", Ruth in "The Pirates of Penzance", Jane in "Patience" and
Inez in "The Gondoliers". Courtice's four sisters also sang with the
D'Oyly Carte: Lily Pounds, who married fellow Carte singer George
Mudie, sang with the company in 1888 as a mezzo-soprano chorister, and
played the role of Kate in "The Pirates of Penzance"; Rosy Pounds, who
sang as a chorister during 1887; Nancy Pounds, who married D'Oyly Carte
bass William H. Kemble, and played the roles of Hebe in "HMS Pinafore", Isabel in
"The Pirates of Penzance", Pitti-Sing in "The Mikado" and Phylla in
"Utopia, Ltd." between 1887 and 1888, 1893 and 1895 and 1901 and 1903;
and principal mezzo-soprano 'Louie Pounds". Courtice Pounds later
married actress Millicent Pine.
