The tenor who, after cancer, sang bass
mainWe have been informed of the death of Clifford Hughes, a popular and adventurous artist who as once described as ‘Scotland’s foremost lyric tenor’.
After singing with the Choir of King’s College Cambridge, he worked in both opera and oratorio until a long battle with cancer forced him to consider other options. He became a teacher, and a preacher – Minister of St Mary’s Parish Church, Haddington, from 1993. After surgery to remove his larynx in 2001, he retrained his voice with a valve implant and took to singing bass.
He lived a full life, against formidable odds.
Profile here.
Same (or similar) with the great Danish tenor Aksel Schiøtz, who after throat surgery, became a (very good) baritone. There’s a CD of his singing An die ferne Geliebte – much better than I expected. Best. Rob Cowan.