Heavens! Miss Lesley Garrett, the "Diva from Doncaster" - the first modern opera diva to do "the crossover", landing her own BBC television show in the late 80s in which she gave the audience a potted history of certain pieces of classical music, then sang them, alongside myriad special guests as diverse as Elaine Paige, Renee Fleming, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Marti Pellow, Michel Legrand, Alison Moyet, Michael Ball, Maxim Vengerov and Ian Bostridge - blows out 70 candles on her cake today!
Gifted with a natural Yorkshire "down-to-earth" manner as well as a beautiful vocal tone, Miss Garrett is rightly regarded as a "national treasure", and lauded for her place in taking opera to the masses (a trend that has continued ever since with the likes of Katherine Jenkins and Russell Watson, and of course Classic FM today).
Here are some clips of the lady herself, firstly with two very special guests...
Before she discovered grooming, here she holds her own alongside mezzo-soprano Ann Murray singing the traditional Rule Britannia at the Last Night of the Proms in 1990:
And finally, her solo version of Handel's Tornami a Vagheggiar:
Happy Birthday, pet!
Lesley Garrett (born 10th April 1955)
The Patricia Hodge Lily Savage clip!!!! What a treat with the three of them!!! I adore everything Patricia Hodge did. I am currently watching reruns of Rumpole of the Bailey where she appeared in a couple episodes.
ReplyDeleteAnd Lesley with Ann Murray?!?!? Ann Murray?!? She's one I adore! Great clips dear!
If you're thinking of Anne Murray, Canadian singer of "Snowbird" fame, that's not her - it's Ann without the "e", an Irish mezzo-soprano.
DeleteAs for Patricia Hodge, we love her! Sadly we never got to see her in the West End the year before last, playing opposite Nigel Havers in Noel Coward's Private Lives. I imagine she was perfect in the role of "Amanda". Jx
Oh god not that Anne Murray.
DeleteI was over excited by THIS Ann Murray and her voice in the clip!!!! The Canadian Anne Murray is one of those artist people would be afraid to admit liking, but you knew they listened to her in secret. LOL!!!
I never did. She was so MOR, she made The Carpenters sound like AC/DC.
DeleteThe operatic Ann Murray (who was made an Honorary Dame by HM The Queen, indeed, despite being born in Dublin) on the other hand is simply splendid! Her mezzo and Ms Garrett's soprano blend beautifully. Jx
What a voice! I always love seeing the 3 little maids clip.
ReplyDeleteMiss Garrett's been sadly underrated for many years, simply because of her popularity as a television star - her voice is sublime! And the "Three Little Maids" sketch is a classic! Jx
DeleteLove her to bits
ReplyDeletefab videos
Happy 70th
She's great, isn't she? I wonder if she and Jane McDonald have ever met? Or, better yet - duetted?! Jx
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