Neil Jenkins

Neil Jenkinssignificant events in a 40-year career

  • 1967 September Joined the Deller Consort, and made 1st recordings for Harmonia Mundi label
  • 1967 October 27th London Debut Recital, Purcell Room, with Roger Vignoles
  • 1967 December 1st performances of the title role in Britten’s St Nicolas
  • 1968 May 17th First solo BBC Broadcast – Haydn Great Organ Mass
  • 1968 August 17th Operatic Debut in Menotti’s The Consul, produced by Giancarlo Menotti
  • 1968-9 Guest soloist with Gary Bertini’s Israel Chamber Orchestra for 2 seasons
  • 1970 Debuts in RFH (March) & RAH (December); 1st solo recording (Finzi song-cycle)
  • 1971 Performs Dies Natalis with Newbury Strings, conducted by Christopher Finzi
  • 1972 Winner of the NFMS Award; 1st Prom; 1st appearance with Kent Opera
  • 1974 WNO debut; Professor of Singing at R.C.M; 1st Three Choirs Festival
  • 1975 1st concert with David Willcocks and the Bach Choir; 1st Aldeburgh Festival
  • 1976 ‘Johnny Inkslinger’ in Britten’s Paul Bunyan at Aldeburgh and on tour
  • 1979 1st appearance with Netherlands Opera in The Consul, produced by Menotti
  • 1981 Peter Grimes at Brighton Festival; Scottish Opera debut in Pearl Fishers
  • 1981 – 5 Records entire canon of G & S operettas for BBC Radio 2, conductor Mackerras
  • 1982 1st appearance at Glyndebourne in Higglety Pigglety Pop, recorded on Video
  • 1983 Opera North debut in Eugene Onegin & The Cunning Little Vixen
  • 1986 1st appearance with Geneva Opera in Strauss Elektra, revived & recorded *1990
  • 1987 Soloist in Tippett’s A Child of our Time at televised First Night of the Proms
  • 1989 Soloist in Bernstein’s Candide recorded for DG, conducted by the composer
  • 1991 1st appearance with Ditchling Choral Society, as Evangelist in St John Passion
  • 1993 First musical editions, recordings and publications for Kevin Mayhew Ltd.
  • 1995 First musical editions and translations for Novello Edition and OUP
  • 1995 - 2001 Begins his conducting career as Musical Director of Brighton Chamber Choir
  • 2002 Appointed Cummins-Harvey Fellow Commoner at Girton College, Cambridge
  • 2002 - present Musical Director of Ditchling Choral Society, later Sussex Chorus
  • 2004 Sir Charles Santley Memorial Award presented by Worshipful Co. of Musicians
  • 2007 August Begins Ardingly International Music School (AIMS) with his wife Penny .....

The Times Saturday 28th October *1967

“Welcome to a new English Tenor”“Well-schooled tenors are never thick on the ground, so when a new one, such as Neil Jenkins, appears on the musical scene word spreads fast – and word was confirmed at his Purcell Room recital. Here is a clear, soundly produced, not over-large voice, rather in the Wilfred Brown mould. Such was his assurance that there was hardly a bad note or an ill-formed phrase all evening, doubtless the fruit of hard training...”