PR84 Descriptive List of the Personal Archive of Rita Lynch
IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference:
PR84
Title:
Rita Lynch, Soprano, Personal Archive
Level of description:
fonds
Date:
(mid/late 1800s) 1928 - 1990s (2002)
Extent:
fonds
CONTEXT Creator
Lynch, Rita | aka Shaw | Soprano, b1914-d2009
Biographical/Administrative History Rita Shaw, nee Lynch, (performer name Rita Lynch) was born on the 2nd December 1914 in Macroom, Co. Cork, into a family rich in musical talent. Her singing career spanned the two decades between 1935 and 1955 during which the 'Golden Voiced Soprano' won every accolade both in competition and in public performance, made records and toured extensively in Ireland, the U.K. and the U.S. She received her early education, including piano lessons, at the Mercy Convent, Macroom and attended Secondary School at the Ursuline Convent, Blackrock, Cork. It was here that her obvious talent as a singer was nurtured under the watchful eyes of Mother Peter and Mrs. Mary Sheridan, and she was to star in many school productions including 'The Gondoliers'. Having left school in 1933, Rita continued her voice training with Mrs. Sheridan in Cork and began to make her mark in earnest when she won the Junior Soprano Cup, the Senior Soprano Cup and the O'Neill Cup at the Father Maitiu Feis in Cork. She also made several live radio broadcasts from the 2RN studio in Shanakiel-formerly the Women's Gaol. During this period, she excelled in the Dublin Feis Ceoil where she won the Soprano Gold Cup and the Geoghegan Cup in 1938. The adjudicator, Mr. Toplis Green, pronounced her a singer 'whose breath control was well nigh perfect'. In 1939 Rita moved to Dublin to study under Miss Jean Nolan. During the same year she won the coveted Count John McCormack Competition, the final of which was broadcast live on radio and attracted huge interest and record listening figures. For the final Rita sang Thomas Moore's 'The Last Rose of Summer' the song with which she was afterwards always associated. In April 1940 she made her operatic debut in 'L 'Elisir d' Amore. The 'Irish Press' reported that, ' ... she sang with rare charm, the lovely quality of her voice being splendidly evident'. In May 1941 she won the Feis Ceoil's most coveted trophy, the Lieder Prize. After the Winners' Concert the 'Irish Press' reported' the outstanding performance of the concert was the singing of 'Der Nussbaum' (Schumann) by
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