A story of love and music

After an anecdote first caught author Sara Hardy’s attention, it was inevitable that she would craft Dame Joan Hammond’s biography.

A friend told me that he saw Joan Hammond scale a locked gate after a late night party and that she hauled her life-time companion, Lolita Marriott, up after her, she said.

I thought she sounded like a fascinating diva -” and the more I discovered about her, the more extraordinary her story became. For instance, she was famous for being a champion golfer before she made her name as an opera singer.

Hammond was a New Zealand-born Australian soprano, in a same-sex relationship, and
accomplished in many fields including golfing.

The singer first came to the spotlight after a meeting with Lady Gowrie, the wife of the then Governor of New South Wales, Lord Gowrie, who made the young performer’s dreams of studying in Europe possible.

Joan Hammond became a household name during WW2 because she was the best of the young sopranos of her day. She made a point of making opera and classical songs accessible as well as meaningful and so -˜non-opera’ that people began to listen -” and enjoy, Hardy said.

Her voice, manner and interpretation touched people’s hearts -” so much so that she was the first operatic singer to sell a million copies of a disc. She was born with exceptional talents, intelligence and was determined, passionate and fearless -” which led her into diverse and dramatic situations, which she dealt with in an inspiring way.

The term lesbian is not one that has been used to describe Hammond but she acknowledged Lolita as her companion. What she meant by that term was a mystery Hardy tried to unravel.

Spice isn’t quite the right word, but Joan and Lolita certainly knew how to enjoy life. There’s a lovely moment in the book where Joan and Lolita are bobbing around naked in their large swimming pool, playing with their favourite toys, she said.

Joan Hammond had many gay friends, but of course the GLBT community was a much more silent and elusive affair in her day. People were willing to talk to me about Joan and Lolita’s relationship -“ but there were differing opinions as to how they saw that relationship.

She died in 1996 and is buried in Bowral.

info: Dame Joan Hammond: Love and Music by Sara Hardy is published by Allen & Unwin and is available in all good bookstores.