James Bernard.

About James Bernard

James Bernard was an English reciter, elocutionist, author, Primitive Methodist and Unitarian lay preacher. Bernard was well known for his frequent radio broadcasts of 'character sketches' in the 1920s and early '30s and as a foremost teacher of 'dramatic interpretation' in the North West of England. He performed works by Shakespeare and Dickens and popular authors of the day. On radio, he was remembered for his rendition of excerpts from Hardy's epic-drama of the war with Napoleon, The Dynasts. He was Professor of Elocution at the Leeds College of Music from about 1911 to 1929 and, most influentially, at the Royal Manchester College of Music (RMCM) from 1929. From here and his studio in Lord Street, Fallowfield he taught a generation of northern actors. Following his death, he was succeeded at the RMCM by his student Sheila Barlow, MBE who through many successful years of collaboration with the Principal, Frederick Cox, developed the reputation of its Opera Department. For many years, he also taught elocution at Hartley College, Manchester a major institution for training men for the Methodist ministry.