VARIOUS - GREAT BRITISH TENORS

Commercial recording arrived at the ideal time to capture a golden age of British tenor singing. A range of distinctive qualities had developed in the 19th century - firm yet elegant tone, emphasis on text and on clarity of diction - that characterised the British tenor voice. The worlds of opera, operetta, oratorio and popular song nourished the tradition and benefited from the succession of fine voices the country produced. The recordings presented here capture some of the most important voices of the early 20th century, and demonstrate the range of musical styles in which the British tenor sound could flourish.