Emile BELCOURT

EMILE BELCOURT

Emile Belcourt died after a brief illness on Thursday, August 3, 2017, surrounded by his family, at St. Michael's hospital in Toronto, Canada. He is survived by his wife Norma Burrowes, their children Sebastien and Romilly, his children from his previous marriage to Margaret Eagle (d.1994): Pierre, Therese, Michel, Adrien, Paul, and David (another son, Claude, died in 1980).
Emile was born in Lafleche, Saskatchewan, in 1926, to Adrien and Jeanne Belcourt. He served in the Navy at the end of WWII. He earned a degree in Pharmacy at the University of Saskatchewan in 1949, before beginning a career in opera that would take him all over the world. He sang with the ENO for 30 years, in dozens of leading roles, garnering international acclaim for his expressive voice and brilliant, precise acting. He was renowned as Loge in Sir Reginald Goodall's famed English production of The Rhinegold for making the English text come alive. Later on, he received much critical acclaim for playing the romantic lead in the 1988 London revival of South Pacific, which also toured in Japan.
Emile spent his last years surrounded by music and family and enjoying the little things in life, especially good red wine. He lived his whole life with great zeal, loved his family and friends, and generally charmed everyone he met. He will be sorely missed.
A celebration of his life will be held at the HELICONIAN HALL, 35 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto, on Sunday, September 24, at 3:00 p.m.