Johanna Veronique Waterston Nettlefold

The following is extracted from Volume I of the 1986 edition of South African Music Encyclopedia (J.P. Malan, ISBN 0 86965 586 8)

VILLIERS, VERA DE (Johanna Véronique Waterston Graaff, Mrs Albert Coates), dramatic mezzo-soprano, born 26 September 1891 in Cape Town, died ?

Vera de Villiers was the only daughter of Sir Jacobus and Lady de Villiers Graaff. She attended school in Brussels, in Bedford and in Dresden and was only launched on her career as a singer eight years after her marriage to Dr P Daneel, when she was awarded a gold medal at the South African Eisteddfod in Cape Town (1922). At that stage she had only been trained as a singer for a few months. After this success she studied in England under Raimund von Zur-Muehlen for nine years, giving her first Lieder recital in the Wigmore Hall on 18 October 1928. After singing with the London Symphony Orchestra in the Albert Hall in 1932, the conductor, Hans Weisbach, invited her to join a concert party which was scheduled to give concerts in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, The Hague, Rome, Prague, Zürich, Düsseldorf, Stockholm, Oslo and Vienna.

She created a sensation in Vienna when she was invited on various occasions to sing with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Weingartner, Bruno Walter and Albert Coates. In the same year, she was honoured by being nominated as an Honorary Member of this orchestra - until then, the only singers to be honoured in this way had been Richard Mayr, Lotte Lehmann and Elisabeth Schumann. In November 1933 she made her debut in America, appearing in three concerts in New York, Boston and Chicago respectively, after which she returned to Vienna in 1934 to sing with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Bruno Walter. A further honour was the award of the "Ritterkreutz" by the chancellor, Dr Schusschnigg. She was also invited to open the Music Festival at Salzburg with a recital of Lieder (1934).

In 1936 she was the soloist at a symphony concert in London conducted by Albert Coates. Her next appearance was in Russia where, with Albert Coates as her accompanist, she gave a series of eight concerts. She had, until that time, concentrated on Lieder but, after meeting the Russian producer Stanislavsky, her career changed direction and she began to concentrate on the production techniques of opera. On her return in England she, in association with Albert Coates and Vladimir Rosing, established the British Music, Drama and Opera Association. During the Second World War they were in America where they established a similar organisation - the Southern Californian Opera Association. These associations were intended to train singers in stage craft, and also in the technique of opera production and presentation. Stanislavsky's principles and methods were adopted throughout.

In 1945 she was married to Albert Coates in London and, when he was appointed conductor of the newly-established Johannesburg City Orchestra in 1946, the couple came to South Africa. Three months after their arrival, they had to leave Johannesburg for Cape Town on account of Albert Coates's health. There they established their third opera company - The South African Opera and Ballet Group - without any financial aid. Vera de Villiers acted as producer of their presentations, and also sang the main roles.

After the death of her husband (1953), she retired from musical life. Her last appearance was with the London Symphony Orchestra on 1 July 1959, in a concert to the memory of her husband, Albert Coates. The programme was devoted entirely to his works. Vera sang the three songs, To an isle in the water, and two arias from his opera, Gainsborough's Duchess.

During her period of study in England she was married to FJ Nettlefold, who had done much to encourage her in her career as a singer.