My friend Michael Cunningham, who has died aged 78, was a well-known boy soprano in the 1950s. He could have become a professional singer, or possibly a cricketer, as he had a trial for Hampshire.
However, he went to New College, Oxford, to study modern languages. After a brief period working in schools he taught English at language colleges in Brighton and London.
Conditions were pretty poor and Michael established a union for the staff. That led him to become a union official, first for what is now the GMB union, and later for the National Union of Public Employees (Nupe, now Unison).
When his Nupe colleague Jeremy Corbyn was selected as Labour party candidate for Islington North in 1983 Michael became his driver and “minder”. His language skills also proved helpful during doorstep canvassing.
Michael was born in Dorchester, Dorset, the son of Mary (nee Quinlivan) and John Cunningham. His father was serving with the Royal Navy during the second world war at the time of Michael’s birth, and later became a merchant navy captain. Michael grew up in Dumfries and then in Southsea, Hampshire, where he was head boy and head of cricket at St John’s college.
He became famous as a boy soprano in the early days of television, appearing frequently on the BBC and recording for Decca. He is featured on the still available 1954 recording of Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Josef Krips conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
After early retirement from Nupe in the 90s, Michael became a freelance translator, from Spanish, French and Italian into English. He translated a wide range of materials, specialising in union and industrial relations reports and publications.
He was an active member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists and an examiner for translation exams. He used his knowledge of translating in work for the British Standards Institute and International Standards Organisation in their quest to set up worldwide standards for interpreting.
He also taught at Cambridge University and the University of Westminster. He worked for the European commission on a number of language projects, enjoying the travel that this involved. Italy was probably his favourite country and at one time he had a house there.
Michael’s love of singing and cricket continued throughout his life. He attended many opera performances in the UK and abroad and played cricket for a string of mainly London clubs.
From the mid-90s he jointly ran a team called Amnesia, which toured Sussex villages. Michael approached the games with characteristic seriousness, though his fellow players saw it more as an opportunity for serious drinking.
Michael was married and divorced three times. He is survived by his partner, Angela, his brother, John, and two nieces.
