Charles Goulding

Charles Eric Goulding (c.1887 – 9 November 1939) was a British operatic tenor and actor best known for his performances with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in the Gilbert and Sullivan repertory.

After training as a choirboy, considerable youthful performing and distinguished service in the Army, Goulding joined D'Oyly Carte in 1919, with whom he would spend nearly all of his professional career.

His first roles, in the summer of that year, were Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Colonel Fairfax in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Marco in The Gondoliers.

Box until the autumn of 1929, when Derek Oldham returned to the company to sing Ralph, Frederic, Nanki-Poo, Fairfax, Marco and Hilarion for several months.

At that time, Goulding took over the role of Cyril in Princess Ida and shared Tolloller with Oldham, while continuing with the other five characters.

The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company travelled to New York City in the autumn of 1934, but Martin Beck, the manager of the eponymous theatre, insisted that the more famous Oldham play the tenor roles.

[2] Goulding rejoined the Company in February 1935, replacing Oldham for the rest of the North American tour, playing nearly all the tenor roles.

[4] Goulding also played Nanki-Poo in a four-minute silent promotional film made of the D'Oyly Carte Mikado in 1926.