In praise of... English tenors

Philip Langridge, who has died aged 70, was heir to a distinctive native traditionGreat tenor voices are stereotypically Italian, Spanish, sometimes German, even Welsh. But the untimely death of Philip Langridge at 70 at the weekend should remind us that England too is a land of tenors. What is more, their variety extends far beyond the ability to carry off arias like Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes and Comfort Ye. Anyone who has heard the early-20th-century recordings of Gervase Elwes or John Coa...

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