Browning Mummery

Tenor Browning Mummery was born at Melbourne in 1888. He worked as a mechanic while taking singing lessons, and eventually made his debut with a traveling Italian opera company as Faust. He went to study at London, and appeared there first with the British National Opera Company. From 1925-1928, Mummery sang at Covent Garden, where he had a particular success as the Italian Singer in ROSENKAVALIER.

Dame Nellie Melba invited the tenor to sing with her during her 1924 tour of Australia, and she selected him to sing the role of Rodolfo in BOHEME at Covent Garden opposite her Mimi in 1926.

Mummery appeared in London in operetta and musical comedy, and he sang in Promenade concerts. In 1928 he toured Australia again, with the Melba-Williamson Company. He toured the USA from 1929-1931, and sang on NBC Radio in New York City. In 1933, Mummery appeared the musical film Evensong with Evelyn Laye. Thereafter, he returned to Australia, where he continued to sing in opera and concert. Later he became a vocal pedagogue in Melbourne, and then in Canberra, where he died in 1974 at the age of 85.

Throughout his career, Mummery sang lyric-tenor roles in MADAME BUTTERFLY, MAGIC FLUTE, BOHEME, TOSCA, and as David in DIE MEISTERSINGER; he worked with such great conductors as Sir John Barbirolli, Sir Malcom Sargent, and Sir Thomas Beecham.

Browning Mummery – TOSCA aria