Miriam Licette

Miriam Licette was an English lyric soprano born in Chester in 1892 and died in Twyford in 1969. Trained with Marchesi, Jean de Reszke and Sabbatini, she made her debut in Rome as Butterfly in 1911, after which she enjoyed success on various European stages.

On returning to England, she became one of the leading lyric sopranos of her day. She sang with the Beecham Opera Company from 1916, with the British National Opera Company from 1922, and at Covent Garden between 1919 and 1929. Her roles included Mimì, Desdemona, Eva and Louise, and she was especially admired in the music of Mozart.

Her voice was described as pure and steady, with a well-placed tone and a notably even scale. This quality is captured in Beecham's 1930 complete recording of Faust in English.