Wallace, Ian Bryce OBE

1919

Ian Wallace, who is caricatured in a drawing by Charles Yorke on the menu of the Garrick Club dinner in 1997, was born in London on 10 July 1919, the son of Sir John Wallace, Kirkcaldy, Fife, and Mary Bryce Wallace (née Temple). He was educated at the Charterhouse and Trinity Hall, Cambridge (MA). After service in the Second World War, he made his stage debut at Sadler’s Wells in “The Foreign Reel” in 1945 and has since sung principal roles with the New London Opera Company, at Glyndebourne, Edinburgh, Berlin, Parma and with the Welsh National Opera. He has appeared regularly on television and radio as singer, actor, compere and panelist. His recordings include Gilbert and Sullivan operas with Sir Malcolm Sargent and humorous songs by Flanders and Swan. Wallace devised, wrote and presented three series of adult education programmes on opera entitled “Singing for your Supper”, for Scottish Television, 1967-1970. St Andrews University awarded him an Hon DMus in 1991. His publications include the autobiographical volumes “Promise Me You’ll Sing ‘Mud’” (1975), “Nothing Quite Like It” (1982) and “Reflections on Scotland” (1988). He received the OBE in 1983. Wallace joined the Garrick Club in 1954 and is a Life Member.