ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a biography of mid- to late-19th-century singer Frederic Packard. He was born in North Bridgewater in 1842, a son of Nathan Packard. Packard made his operatic debut at Reggio Emilia, probably in the title-role of Faust, and there he was spotted and signed up by Carl Rosa. Fred Packard sang English opera in England, much of it with the Carl Rosa company, where he shared the tenor duties, in turn, with Nordblom, J W Turner, Joseph Maas, Barton McGuckin or Valentine Smith. In 1879, Packard made the news when, on a visit to America with his affianced, Miss Julia Gaylord, soprano of the Rosa, he was found wandering about Dayton on 29th somewhat deranged. In 1881 he returned to the Rosa company and played Carmen with the ill-chosen Lilian LaRue,Il trovatore, Lily of Killarney, but after the one season he again departed to rejoin Blanche Cole under the banner of the so-called Royal English Opera Company.
