Benjamin Luxon, the esteemed Cornish baritone who died at the age of 87 last July, had one of the most wide-ranging repertoires of any singer of the past century, from the classical repertoire (including opera, oratorio, art song over the course of at least four centuries and in a host of languages, including work written expressly for him) through Victorian parlor song, to traditional folk. Additionally, in the early 1980s he recorded a trilogy of crossover albums for British RCA, all three of which are sampled on this episode. The first, Some Enchanted Evening, features show tunes; the second, As Time Goes By, a broad spectrum of movie-related songs; and the third, Something Else Again, highlights folk rock arrangements as well as original compositions by singer-songwriters of the period. In addition, I read from a particularly perceptive 2009 interview with Luxon in which he candidly discusses his hearing loss and how that impacted his singing career and his life as a performer.

Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody’s Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.