Contralto Corner
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contralto Profiles
    • A >
      • Daphne Alderson >
        • Daphne Alderson Articles Websites and Resources
        • Daphne Alderson Discography
        • Daphne Alderson YouTube Videos
      • Jean Allister >
        • Jean Allister Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jean Allister Discography
        • Jean Allister YouTube Videos
      • Avery Amereau >
        • Avery Amereau Articles Websites and Resources
        • Avery Amereau YouTube Videos
      • Lindsay Ammann >
        • Lindsay Ammann Articles Websites and Resources
        • Lindsay Ammann YouTube Videos
      • Sanja Anastasia >
        • Sanja Anastasia Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sanja Anastasia YouTube Videos
      • Marian Anderson >
        • Marian Anderson Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marian Anderson Discography
        • Marian Anderson YouTube Videos
      • Ulrike Andersen >
        • Ulrike Andersen Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ulrike Andersen Discography
        • Ulrike Andersen YouTube Videos
      • Elizabeth Anker >
        • Elizabeth Anker Articles Websites and Resources
        • Elizabeth Anker Discography
        • Elizabeth Anker YouTube Videos
      • Elisaveta Antonova >
        • Elisaveta Antonova Articles Websites and Resources
        • Elisaveta Antonova Discography
        • Elisaveta Antonova YouTube Videos
      • Meredith Arwady >
        • Meredith Arwady Articles Websites and Resources
        • Meredith Arwady Discography
        • Meredith Arwady YouTube Videos
    • B >
      • Galina Baranova >
        • Galina Baranova Articles Websites and Resources
        • Galina Baranova Discography
        • Galina Baranova YouTube Videos
      • Tanja Ariane Baumgartner >
        • Tanja Ariane Baumgartner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Tanja Ariane Baumgartner Discography
        • Tanja Ariane Baumgartner YouTube Videos
      • Eula Beal >
        • Eula Beal Articles Websites and Resources
        • Eula Beal Discography
        • Eula Beal YouTube Videos
      • Ursula Boese >
        • Ursula Boese Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ursula Boese Discography
        • Ursula Boese YouTube Videos
      • Romina Boscolo >
        • Romina Boscolo Articles Websites and Resources
        • Romina Boscolo Discography
        • Romina Boscolo YouTube Videos
      • Giovanna Dissera Bragadin >
        • Giovanna Dissera Bragadin Articles Websites and Resources
        • Giovanna Dissera Bragadin YouTube Videos
      • Karin Branzell >
        • Karin Branzell Articles Websites and Resources
        • Karin Branzell Discography
        • Karin Branzell YouTube Videos
      • Carol Brice >
        • Carol Brice Articles Websites and Resources
        • Carol Brice Discography
        • Carol Brice YouTube Videos
      • Birgit Breidenbach >
        • Birgit Breidenbach Articles Websites and Resources
        • Birgit Breidenbach Discography
        • Birgit Breidenbach YouTube Videos
      • Gwendolyn Brown >
        • Gwendolyn Brown Articles Websites and Resources
        • Gwendolyn Brown Discography
        • Gwendolyn Brown YouTube Videos
      • Margrét Brynjars >
        • Margrét Brynjars Articles Websites and Resources
      • Bridget Budge >
        • Bridget Budge Articles Websites and Resources
      • Natalie Burdeny >
        • Natalie Burdeny Articles Websites and Resources
        • Natalie Burdeny YouTube Videos
      • Dame Clara Butt >
        • Dame Clara Butt Articles Websites and Resources
        • Dame Clara Butt Discography
        • Dame Clara Butt YouTube Videos
    • C >
      • Lili Chookasian >
        • Lili Chookasian Articles Websites and Resources
        • Lili Chookasian Discography
        • Lili Chookasian YouTube Videos
      • Karen Clark >
        • Karen Clark Articles Websites and Resources
        • Karen Clark Discography
        • Karen Clark YouTube Videos
      • Belle Cole >
        • Belle Cole Articles Websites and Resources
        • Belle Cole YouTube Videos
      • Ala Coroid >
        • Ala Coroid Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ala Coroid YouTube Videos
      • Sara Couden >
        • Sara Couden Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sara Couden YouTube Videos
      • Emma Curtis >
        • Emma Curtis Articles Websites and Resources
        • Emma Curtis Discography
        • Emma Curtis YouTube Videos
      • Bonnie Cutsforth-Huber >
        • Bonnie Cutsforth-Huber Articles Websites and Resources
        • Bonnie Cutsforth-Huber YouTube Videos
    • D >
      • Jess Dandy >
        • Jess Dandy Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jess Dandy Discography
        • Jess Dandy YouTube Videos
    • E >
      • Marion Eckstein >
        • Marion Eckstein Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marion Eckstein Discography
        • Marion Eckstein YouTube Videos
    • F >
      • Ursula Ferri >
        • Ursula Ferri Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ursula Ferri Discography
        • Ursula Ferri YouTube Videos
      • Kathleen Ferrier >
        • Kathleen Ferrier Articles Websites and Resources
        • Kathleen Ferrier Discography
        • Kathleen Ferrier YouTube Videos
      • Arabella Fields Short Profile
      • Birgit Finnilä >
        • Birgit Finnilä Articles Websites and Resources
        • Birgit Finnilä Discography
        • Birgit Finnilä YouTube Videos
      • Bernadett Fodor >
        • Bernadett Fodor Articles Websites and Resources
        • Bernadett Fodor YouTube Videos
      • Patricia Forbes >
        • Patricia Forbes Articles Websites and Resources
        • Patricia Forbes YouTube Videos
      • Maureen Forrester >
        • Maureen Forrester Articles Websites and Resources
        • Maureen Forrester Discography
        • Maureen Forrester YouTube Videos
      • Noa Frenkel >
        • Noa Frenkel Articles Websites and Resources
        • Noa Frenkel Discography
        • Noa Frenkel YouTube Videos
    • G >
      • Delphine Galou >
        • Delphine Galou Articles Websites and Resources
        • Delphine Galou Discography
        • Delphine Galou YouTube Videos
      • Martine Gaspar >
        • Martine Gaspar Articles Websites and Resources
        • Martine Gaspar YouTube Videos
      • Jeanne Gerville-Réache >
        • Jeanne Gerville-Réache Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jeanne Gerville-Réache Discography
        • Jeanne Gerville-Réache YouTube Videos
      • Anne Gjevang >
        • Anne Gjevang Articles Websites and Resources
        • Anne Gjevang Discography
        • Anne Gjevang YouTube Videos
      • Gráinne Gillis >
        • Gráinne Gillis Articles Websites and Resources
        • Gráinne Gillis YouTube Videos
      • Candida Guida >
        • Candida Guida Articles Websites and Resources
        • Candida Guida YouTube Videos
    • H >
      • Alice Habellion >
        • Alice Habellion Articles Websites and Resources
        • Alice Habellion Discography
        • Alice Habellion YouTube Videos
      • Victoria Hart >
        • Victoria Hart Articles Websites and Resources
        • Victoria Hart YouTube Videos
      • Ruby Helder >
        • Ruby Helder Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ruby Helder Discography
        • Ruby Helder YouTube Videos
      • Aafje Heynis >
        • Aafje Heynis Articles Websites and Resources
        • Aafje Heynis Discography
        • Aafje Heynis YouTube Videos
      • Jennifer Hines >
        • Jennifer Hines Articles Websites and Resources
      • Alfreda Hodgson >
        • Alfreda Hodgson Articles Websites and Resources
        • Alfreda Hodgson Discography
        • Alfreda Hodgson YouTube Videos
      • Marga Höffgen >
        • Marga Höffgen Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marga Höffgen Discography
        • Marga Höffgen YouTube Videos
      • Louise Homer >
        • Louise Homer Articles Websites and Resources
        • Louise Homer Discography
        • Louise Homer YouTube Videos
      • Wiebke Hoogklimmer >
        • Wiebke Hoogklimmer Articles Websites and Resources
        • Wiebke Hoogklimmer Discography
        • Wiebke Hoogklimmer YouTube Videos
      • Claudia Huckle >
        • Claudia Huckle Articles Websites and Resources
        • Claudia Huckle YouTube Videos
    • J >
      • Louise Jones >
        • Louise Jones Articles Websites and Resources
        • Louise Jones YouTube Videos
    • K >
      • Raisa Kotova >
        • Raisa Kotova Articles Websites and Resources
        • Raisa Kotova Discography
        • Raisa Kotova YouTube Videos
      • Biljana Kovac >
        • Biljana Kovac Articles Websites and Resources
        • Biljana Kovac YouTube Videos
      • Dalma Krajnyak >
        • Dalma Krajnyak Articles Websites and Resources
        • Dalma Krajnyak YouTube Videos
    • L >
      • Anna Larsson >
        • Anna Larsson Articles Websites and Resources
        • Anna Larsson Discography
        • Anna Larsson YouTube Videos
      • Guadalupe Larzabal
      • Katerina Lavrinyuk Short Profile
      • Oksana Lazareva >
        • Oksana Lazareva Articles Websites and Resources
        • Oksana Lazareva Discography
        • Oksana Lazareva YouTube Videos
      • Wiebke Lehmkuhl >
        • Wiebke Lehmkuhl Articles Websites and Resources
        • Wiebke Lehmkuhl Discography
        • Wiebke Lehmkuhl YouTube Videos
      • Emmi Leisner >
        • Emmi Leisner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Emmi Leisner Discography
        • Emmi Leisner YouTube Videos
      • Marie-Nicole Lemieux >
        • Marie-Nicole Lemieux Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marie-Nicole Lemieux Discography
        • Marie-Nicole Lemieux YouTube Videos
      • Nan Li Short Profile
      • Christel Lindstat >
        • Christel Lindstat Articles Websites and Resources
        • Christel Lindstat YouTube Videos
      • Marjana Lipovšek >
        • Marjana Lipovšek Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marjana Lipovšek Discography
        • Marjana Lipovšek YouTube Videos
      • Ariana Lucas >
        • Ariana Lucas Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ariana Lucas YouTube Videos
      • Angharad Lyddon Short Profile
    • M >
      • Jean Madeira >
        • Jean Madeira Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jean Madeira Discography
        • Jean Madeira YouTube Videos
      • Bernadette Manca di Nissa >
        • Bernadette Manca di Nissa Articles Websites and Resources
        • Bernadette Manca di Nissa Discography
        • Bernadette Manca di Nissa YouTube Videos
      • Emily Marvosh >
        • Emily Marvosh Articles Websites and Resources
        • Emily Marvosh YouTube Videos
      • Marijana Mijanovic >
        • Marijana Mijanovic Articles Websites and Resources
        • Marijana Mijanovic Discography
        • Marijana Mijanovic YouTube Videos
      • Antonina Minecan-Parghel Short Profile
      • Sara Mingardo >
        • Sara Mingardo Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sara Mingardo Discography
        • Sara Mingardo YouTube Videos
      • Nicole Mitchell >
        • Nicole Mitchell Articles Websites and Resources
        • Nicole Mitchell YouTube Videos
      • Lina Mkrtchyan >
        • Lina Mkrtchyan Articles Websites and Resources
        • Lina Mkrtchyan Discography
        • Lina Mkrtchyan YouTube Videos
      • Maura Moreira >
        • Maura Moreira Articles Websites and Resources
        • Maura Moreira Discography
        • Maura Moreira YouTube Videos
      • Rachelle Moss >
        • Rachelle Moss Articles Websites and Resources
        • Rachelle Moss YouTube Videos
      • Dilyara Muravitskaya >
        • Dilyara Muravitskaya Articles, Websites & Resources
        • Dilyara Muravitskaya YouTube Videos
      • Sharmay Musacchio >
        • Sharmay Musacchio Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sharmay Musacchio YouTube Videos
    • N >
      • Makiko Narumi >
        • Makiko Narumi Articles Websites and Resources
        • Makiko Narumi YouTube Videos
    • O >
      • Sigrid Onégin >
        • Sigrid Onégin Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sigrid Onégin Discography
        • Sigrid Onégin YouTube Videos
    • P >
      • Kismara Pessatti >
        • Kismara Pessatti Articles Websites and Resources
        • Kismara Pessatti Discography
        • Kismara Pessatti YouTube Videos
      • Elizabeth Petillot >
        • Elizabeth Petillot Articles Websites and Resources
        • Elizabeth Petillot Discography
        • Elizabeth Petillot YouTube Videos
      • Ewa Podles >
        • Ewa Podles Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ewa Podles Discography
        • Ewa Podles YouTube Videos
      • Bally Prell >
        • Bally Prell Articles Websites and Resources
        • Bally Prell Discography
        • Bally Prell YouTube Videos
      • Sonia Prina >
        • Sonia Prina Articles Websites and Resources
        • Sonia Prina Discography
        • Sonia Prina YouTube Videos
      • Norma Procter >
        • Norma Procter Articles Websites and Resources
        • Norma Procter Discography
        • Norma Procter YouTube Videos
    • R >
      • Ellen Rabiner >
        • Ellen Rabiner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ellen Rabiner Discography
        • Ellen Rabiner YouTube Videos
      • Maria Radner >
        • Maria Radner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Maria Radner YouTube Videos
      • Rebecca Raffell >
        • Rebecca Raffell Articles Websites and Resources
        • Rebecca Raffell YouTube Videos
      • Marion Ramsay >
        • Marion Ramsay Articles Websites and Resources
      • Jadwiga Rappé >
        • Jadwiga Rappé Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jadwiga Rappé Discography
        • Jadwiga Rappé YouTube Videos
      • Helena Rasker >
        • Helena Rasker Articles Websites and Resources
        • Helena Rasker Discography
        • Helena Rasker YouTube Videos
      • Lois Raye Short Profile
      • Monica Reinagel >
        • Monica Reinagel Articles Websites and Resources
      • Hilde Rössel-Majdan >
        • Hilde Rössel-Majdan Articles Websites and Resources
        • Hilde Rössel-Majdan Discography
        • Hilde Rössel-Majdan YouTube Videos
    • S >
      • Cindy Sadler >
        • Cindy Sadler Articles Websites and Resources
        • Cindy Sadler YouTube Videos
      • Ernestine Schumann-Heink >
        • Ernestine Schumann-Heink Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ernestine Schumann-Heink Discography
        • Ernestine Schumann-Heink YouTube Videos
      • Thalie Séféris >
        • Thalie Séféris Articles Websites and Resources
        • Thalie Séféris YouTube Videos
      • Tamara Sinyavskaya >
        • Tamara Sinyavskaya Articles Websites and Resources
        • Tamara Sinyavskaya Discography
        • Tamara Sinyavskaya YouTube Videos
      • Judith Skinner >
        • Judith Skinner Articles Websites and Resources
      • Angela Christine Smith >
        • Angela Christine Smith Articles Websites and Resources
        • Angela Christine Smith YouTube Videos
      • Samantha Stiner >
        • Samantha Stiner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Samantha Stiner YouTube Videos
      • Nathalie Stutzmann >
        • Nathalie Stutzmann Articles Websites and Resources
        • Nathalie Stutzmann Discography
        • Nathalie Stutzmann YouTube Videos
      • Hilary Summers >
        • Hilary Summers Articles Websites and Resources
        • Hilary Summers Discography
        • Hilary Summers YouTube Videos
      • Susanna Sundberg >
        • Susanna Sundberg Articles Websites and Resources
        • Susanna Sundberg Discography
        • Susanna Sundberg YouTube Videos
    • T >
      • Kerstin Thorborg >
        • Kerstin Thorborg Articles Websites and Resources
        • Kerstin Thorborg Discography
        • Kerstin Thorborg YouTube Videos
      • Claramae Turner >
        • Claramae Turner Articles Websites and Resources
        • Claramae Turner Discography
        • Claramae Turner YouTube Videos
    • V >
      • Lydia Vierlinger >
        • Lydia Vierlinger Articles Websites and Resources
        • Lydia Vierlinger Discography
    • W >
      • Elsa Waage >
        • Elsa Waage Articles Websites and Resources
        • Elsa Waage Discography
        • Elsa Waage YouTube Videos
      • Helen Watts >
        • Helen Watts Articles Websites and Resources
        • Helen Watts Discography
        • Helen Watts YouTube Videos
      • Ortrun Wenkel >
        • Ortrun Wenkel Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ortrun Wenkel Discography
        • Ortrun Wenkel YouTube Videos
      • Jasmin White >
        • Jasmin White Articles Websites and Resources
        • Jasmin White YouTube Videos
      • Ewa Wolak >
        • Ewa Wolak Articles Websites and Resources
        • Ewa Wolak Discography
        • Ewa Wolak YouTube Videos
    • Y >
      • Jiansheng Yang Short Profile
    • Z >
      • Mira Zakai >
        • Mira Zakai Articles Websites and Resources
        • Mira Zakai Discography
        • Mira Zakai YouTube Videos
      • Ulrike Zech >
        • Ulrike Zech Articles Websites and Resources
      • Qiu Lin Zhang >
        • Qiu Lin Zhang Articles Websites and Resources
        • Qiu Lin Zhang YouTube Videos
  • Resources
    • Arias
    • Interview with Ewa Podleś
  • Contact

Ruby Helder

English contralto Ruby Helder was a contralto profondo known in her time as the "girl tenor". She had a range from C3 to C5, a fine working tenor range, and was praised by such figures as Charles Santley and Enrico Caruso. In fact, Caruso had asked the Metropolitan Opera Company to give Hender some tenor roles in thier productions, though the Met declined to do so.

Return to Contralto Profiles
HOME > CONTRALTO PROFILES > RUBY HELDER
Ruby Helder went from humble beginnings in Bristol to worldwide fame thanks to a powerful tenor voice that wowed opera audiences, writes Terry Hallet

Bristol is shortlisted for the 2008 European Capital of Culture title but it is unlikely the name of Ruby Helder will be highlighted as part of that city’s cultural heritage, even though she achieved worldwide fame in the early part of the last century due to her unique singing voice.

She was born as Emma Jane Holder on March 3, 1890 at 7 Brooklyn Terrace in the Easton district of Bristol. Her father, Thomas, a dairyman at the time, later became landlord of the nearby Glasshouse pub, where little Emma would sing to entertain the regulars. From these humble beginnings an outstanding operatic career was launched.

Encouraged to take formal singing and piano lessons, the young Emma Holder became Ruby Helder on finding out someone else in her class had the same surname. This tiny child’s deep and powerful singing voice astonished everyone who heard her perform. Her aunt, housekeeper to the great Scottish music hall star Harry Lauder, made arrangements for Helder to train at the Guildhall School of Music under Charles Tinney, before she received tuition from one of the outstanding figures in British music, Charles Santley.

He later wrote: “Miss Ruby Helder possesses a natural, pure tenor voice of great beauty and power. She also possesses what few can boast, a thoroughly artistic temperament. In my opinion, she has no rivals among the artists of the day.”

Helder began recording for Pathe as early as 1908 and in July 1909 made her first public appearance on the operatic stage at the Queen’s Hall, London. After making further records for Edison Bell Velvet Face, in 1911 Ruby signed a recording contract with HMV. By this time, her remarkable voice was known worldwide and invitations to sing poured in from many countries, including Russia. An American millionaire is said to have persuaded Ruby to cross the Atlantic in 1913, for the sole purpose of singing at his private party.

The United States witnessed some of Helder’s greatest concert triumphs, especially in Philadelphia and Chicago, and in 1915 the great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso took an interest in her career. On hearing her voice, he was so amazed by its two octave range – from C to high C, only three notes short of his own – he approached the management of the Metropolitan Opera in New York and suggested they offer Helder tenor roles.

They declined, fearful of engaging someone who might be regarded as a freak. Undeterred, she continued performing and recording a mixture of operatic pieces and light, sentimental music of the time, while pursuing further music studies at the Grinnell College Faculty between 1916 and 1917.

While rehearsing at New York’s Hippodrome Theatre, the petite 5ft 3ins tall Helder, sporting a bob hairstyle long before it became fashionable, attracted the attention of the legendary John Philip Sousa. Impressed by her voice, he invited her to join his band and she enjoyed a lengthy tour of the United States and Canada with them.

In 1920, Helder returned to England with the eminent American architect and artist Chesley Bonestell and they were married at St Marylebone Register Office on July 12. In 1925, to further both their careers, they undertook an extensive tour of Italy, living in Florence for most of the time. But her popularity had started to diminish, with her last recording having been made in 1921, and most catalogues no longer listed her work.

A Gramophone magazine review reflected the opinion of Helder’s abilities by certain critics. “Miss Helder, if she will forgive me saying so, has a fresh voice, a tenor, yet not a tenor… it is quite lacking in the characteristic power and expression of the tenor’s top register.”

She and Bonestell returned to England before moving back to the United States in 1927, where they set up home in Berkeley. Helder made a number of radio broadcasts from New York in the late twenties, prior to announcing her retirement from singing in 1935. During this period she threw many lavish parties, which were attended by her musician friends from the operatic world. Jam sessions took place with Ruby adding her unusual voice. It was said that at any one party up to one hundred people would pass through the house.

But there was a price to pay for this high living and on November 21, 1938 she died, aged just 48 years, at the Highland Hotel, Hollywood, after a long battle with alcoholism.

Britain’s world famous lady tenor has not been completely forgotten in her birth city of Bristol. In June 2001 a plaque was unveiled at her birthplace by the city’s Lord Mayor. Also, a few years ago, a CD containing some of her best recordings, including Come into the Garden Maude, Songs of Araby, Good Night Beloved and My Dreams was issued by Pearl Records.
© Terry Hallett - The Stage 2013

Articles, Websites & Resources

Picture

Discography

Picture

YouTube & Multimedia


© James Edward Hughes 2012

No Intellectual Property Rights are claimed to the material on this website, unless stated.