Death at 95 of soprano Norah

A Midlands soprano who performed on numerous radio programmes and left audiences spellbound throughout the 1950s and 1960s has died aged 95.

Norah Pegg, better known by her stage name of Norah Bennett, performed in a number of radio and television concerts throughout her career and was a well-known figure in the region for a number of years.

She performed as leading lady in every Stourbridge Operatic Society production until 1956 and was one of the four founding members of Stourbridge Gilbert and Sullivan Club along with her husband Ashley.

Mrs Pegg, of Stourbridge Road, Hagley, near Stourbridge, died last week and is survived by son Bev, who tours with his Good Time Jazz Gang. Her funeral is at 1.30pm at Stourbridge Crematorium on Thursday.

She was born in Blackheath, the second of three daughters, to Tom and Elizabeth Bennett and left school at 14 to be an office clerk at T W Lench Ltd.

Mrs Pegg started to sing in her mid-teens, came to the attention of operatic societies and got leading roles.

It was in one of these she met future husband, Ashley Pegg. They married in 1940.

She studied at Birmingham School of Music and auditioned for the Carroll Leviss Discovery Show at Birmingham Hippodrome in 1938 winning the Midlands and National Competitions.

While touring with the show she broadcast on Radio Lyons, Normandy and Luxembourg. She became a pupil of Midland singing teacher Mavis Bennett.

As well as performing with Stourbridge Operatic Society in the 50s and 60s she did radio and TV duets with Bruce Dargavel of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and tenor Murray Dickie.

In 1959 she successfully auditioned at The Royal Opera House but rejected being a full-time professional in favour of her family. Her last appearance for Stourbridge Gilbert and Sullivan Club was in HMS Pinafore 1967.

Son Bev said that she continued to sing duets with her husband until his death in 1981 after which she never sang another note.

By Lee Watton