Best British oratorio bass/baritone

Of the ones I have attended concerts by, I reckon that Micheal george is the one that still resonates in my ear, years later.

I would love to have had the chance of hearing John Tomlinson in concert. In Pinnock's recording of the Messiah he is priceless! Mainly he was a Wagnerian I think [though his Handelian style is beautiful], and so not really part of the Oratorio set who travel the country and are not too hard to find in grand performances!

If you are stuck in the 'seventies, I go further back and on records of great English Basses and Baritones the choice then seems to have been wider, though Mr George would have stood well among them!

ATB from Fredrik

Funny you mention going further back. I'm also happy listening to the likes of Oscar Natzke, George London, Peter Dawson etc, although I don't have much in the oratorio/church repertoire by them. Owen Brannigan, however, was on the first recording I ever heard of Stainer's Crucifixion.

Tomlinson has one of the biggest voices I know, although from the same vintage I prefer Ramey and would rate him as one of the best Verdian basses of the last thirty years. Put it like this - if I can't have a recording with Gobbi and Christoff lurking somewhere, then I look next for Ramey.

What do we think of that Chinese Chap (Shen Yang?)who took the recent Cardiff Singer of the World Title? One to watch, I think.

KRs,
Chaliapin

Chaliapin and Gobbi were superb singers and gifted actors, which added to their accomplishmants. Owen Brannigan and Walter Berry made some excellent records. More recently, John Tomlinson and Gerald Finley both stir the blood.

I echo Fredrik's opinion of Tomlinson in Messiah. "The people who dwell in darkness" is perhaps the finest piece of bass singing I have ever heard. He's good too as Boris Godunov.

Ken

Tomlinson is also rather fab singing "When a maiden takes your fancy", managing almost to sing a leer if that makes sense.

I suspect my fondness for John Shirley-Quirk stems in part from the fact that he once took the time to write to me. I sing bass or baritone solo roles (strictly amateur oratorio stuff) and when learning a new piece will often listen J S-Q doing his stuff. Anyway, I emailed him at some university or other in the States just to express my admiration etc and to let him know that he provided a rather unfair source of comparison for my wife, as he's the only person other than me that she's heard singing this repertoire. He replied with a very nice email, bless him, and ever since then I've taken the view that he's a sterling fellow as well as a superb voice.

Moving from British to Slavic voices, I'd have to have Ghiaurov on my desert island as the heir to Chaliapin and Christoff; shame he's now beyond the reach of fan mail.

KRs,