Early years Watson was born in
Adelaide. After training at the
Elder Conservatorium, he taught locally before being awarded a scholarship to the
Royal College of Music in London in 1925. He also studied with the
baritone Dinh Gilly. Also in the cast was Walter Johnstone-Douglas, who had taught Watson at the Royal College. Later that year, he sang in
Charpentier's Louise, conducted by
Malcolm Sargent. In 1929 Watson played Falstaff in the original production of Vaughan Williams's
Sir John in Love, conducted by Sargent. Later in the year, he sang in
The Tales of Hoffmann with the
Carl Rosa Opera Company and then joined the
Covent Garden Opera touring company, under
John Barbirolli, in a wide repertory from
Wagner (
The Mastersingers), to
Verdi (
Falstaff), to
verismo (
Cavalleria rusticana and
Pagliacci). Watson was invited to sing with the international opera company at Covent Garden in the summer of 1930. He performed in
Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande and in
Die Meistersinger (this time in German) under
Bruno Walter. The latter was broadcast live by the
BBC. After the international season, Watson again joined the touring company, performing in a range of operas, including
Turandot,
Rigoletto,
Aida and
Tosca, which were relayed by the BBC. In 1932, he sang in
Sir Thomas Beecham's Wagner festival at Covent Garden, in a company headed by
Lotte Lehmann,
Frida Leider,
Lauritz Melchior and
Friedrich Schorr. All the main Wagner operas were performed, with the exceptions of
Parsifal (which Beecham never conducted) and
Lohengrin; Watson appeared in every production. From the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s, Watson was in demand as a concert singer and as a broadcasting and recording artist. He sang in
Elgar's
The Apostles, in Worcester Cathedral under
Sir Ivor Atkins, Schubert's
Mass in A-flat under
Adrian Boult with the
Bach Choir,
Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, and the Verdi
Requiem.
D'Oyly Carte and later career In August 1932, Watson joined the
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, remaining with the company for two years. His roles were Private Willis in
Iolanthe and King Hildebrand in
Princess Ida, which he took over from the company's veteran bass-baritone
Sydney Granville, and
the Lieutenant of the Tower in
The Yeomen of the Guard, previously played by
Leslie Rands. In December 1932, when
The Sorcerer was revived, he was also given the small role of the Notary; in June 1933 he took over the role of Old Adam in
Ruddigore. During his two seasons, he also deputised occasionally for
Darrell Fancourt as the Pirate King in
The Pirates of Penzance and for Granville as Don Alhambra, the Grand Inquisitor, in
The Gondoliers. In June 1934, Watson left D'Oyly Carte to rejoin the Carl Rosa company, touring for six months in a range of operas including Wagner's
Tannhäuser. At the end of the tour, he returned to Australia, touring with the
J. C. Williamson Company in 1935–36 in the
Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and three other pieces,
Lilac Time,
The Chocolate Soldier, and a rare revival of
Robert Planquette's
Paul Jones. Also in the company were other former D'Oyly Carte performers, including
Winifred Lawson and
Ivan Menzies. the Learned Judge in
Trial by Jury, the Sergeant of Police in
The Pirates of Penzance, Colonel Calverley in
Patience, Pooh-Bah in
The Mikado, Sir Despard Murgatroyd in
Ruddigore, Shadbolt in
The Yeomen of the Guard, and Don Alhambra in
The Gondoliers. Watson returned to England in 1936, and from then to 1939 appeared in concerts and operas, including a last-minute engagement to sing in
The Bartered Bride at Covent Garden when the singer cast as Krušina fell ill. Watson and another bass, Booth Hitchen, learned the role within 24 hours, rehearsed by Beecham, and played the role for one act each. Watson then returned to Australia for another Williamson tour. During the tour, he added the Savoy opera roles of Doctor Daly in
The Sorcerer and Bill Bobstay in
H.M.S. Pinafore to his repertory. In December 1940, Watson married Joyce Armitage Tapson in Melbourne. In 1943, he was appointed principal teacher of singing at his old college, the Elder Conservatorium. In September 1947, Watson returned to England and rejoined the D'Oyly Carte company. His roles were Bouncer, Private Willis (both shared with
Richard Walker), the Learned Judge, Captain Corcoran in
Pinafore, Pooh-Bah, the Lieutenant, and Don Alhambra. He substituted for Fancourt in the 1947–48 season as the Pirate King. Walker, finding so many of his roles given to Watson, soon left the company, and Watson then took over Walker's remaining roles of Sergeant of Police in
Pirates and Shadbolt in
Yeomen. In the 1947–48 season, Watson gave up the role of Captain Corcoran and played Bill Bobstay in
Pinafore. He also filled in on occasion for Fancourt as Colonel Calverley in
Patience. From November 1948, Watson also appeared as Sir Despard in
Ruddigore. He played most of these roles for his last three seasons with the company. The choice was highly unpopular among the actors and contributed to a wave of defections, including the company's principal comedian,
Martyn Green. Green wrote: "Discontent grew, changes were constantly taking place, and criticism became rampant. ... [Evans's methods] suggest a complete lack of knowledge, evidenced ... by constant self-contradiction. There were other accusations levelled against her, of a more serious nature". In addition to Green, "
Ella Halman left too. So did Richard Watson ...
Radley Flynn and no fewer than twenty-two other small part players and choristers. It was the largest single exodus of performers in D'Oyly Carte history".
Last years From 1951 to 1955, Watson was Director of the Regina Conservatory of Music at the
University of Saskatchewan in Canada. He returned to Australia and made a final tour with the Williamson company from 1956 to 1958, playing his accustomed Gilbert and Sullivan roles. In the early 1960s, Watson played his last known part, as Bumble the beadle in the original Australian production of
Lionel Bart's
Oliver!. Watson died in Adelaide in 1968, aged 65. ==Recordings==