Alfred Deller

Deller was born in Margate, a seaside resort in Kent. As a boy, he sang in his local church choir. When his voice broke, he continued singing in his high register, eventually settling as a countertenor.[2] Deller was initially employed as a lay clerk at Canterbury Cathedral from 1940 to 1947, before joining the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral (1947–62).

From this choral tradition, Deller emerged as a soloist, largely as a result of the admiration of the composer Michael Tippett, who heard him while at Canterbury and recognised the unique beauty of his voice. Tippett introduced him to the public as a countertenor, rather than a male alto. He also became better known with a radio broadcast of Henry Purcell's Come ye Sons of Art on the BBC's Third Programme when this station was launched in 1946. He concentrated on popularising and recording the music of English Baroque and Renaissance music by composers such as John Dowland and Purcell.[3]

Throughout the 19th century, it was only in the tradition of all-male cathedral choirs that the countertenor voice had survived.[2] Deller's voice sounded remarkably high. Misconceptions about the countertenor voice were common at the time Deller was first gaining significant notice as a singer, which was only a matter of decades after the last castrati had died; Michael Chance tells the story that once, a French woman, upon hearing Deller sing, exclaimed "Monsieur, vous êtes eunuque"—to which Deller replied, "I think you mean 'unique', Madam."[4]

In 1948, Deller formed the Deller Consort,[1] a group dedicated to historically informed performance. The group recorded music from as early as the 13th century and significantly expanded popular notions of the Baroque repertoire, producing high-quality authentic period performances of the works of Bach, Handel, Purcell, Dowland, and even folk songs.

Membership of the Deller Consort changed over the years, particularly the top line (sopranos April Cantelo, Honor Sheppard and Mary Thomas. It included various baritones (especially Maurice Bevan) and tenors (especially Philip Todd). From 1964, Alfred Deller's son Mark was a member.[5] In 1972, the Deller Consort performed for the Peabody Mason Concert series in Boston.[6]

Despite his experience directing the consort, Deller's conducting of chamber orchestras attracted some adverse comment regarding technique.[7]

In 1960, Deller sang the role of Oberon in the first production of Benjamin Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream.[1] Britten wrote this role with Deller specifically in mind, although he was dropped from staged revivals of the work against the composer's wishes, largely because of poor acting technique. The smallness of his voice was also a negative factor in the casting process at Covent Garden.[3] He did record the opera, with the composer conducting in 1967. The 1960 premiere, broadcast by the BBC, is now commercially available and finds Deller in fresher voice; Myfanwy Piper described his singing of Oberon as "unearthly".

Lutenist Desmond Dupré performed with him, initially as a guitarist; other accompanists included harpsichordist and musicologist Walter Bergmann. In later years, he worked with lutenist Robert Spencer and harpsichordists Harold Lester and William Christie. His recordings include the lute songs of Dowland, operas by Handel, Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, songs and semioperas by Purcell (such as The Fairy Queen), traditional English folk songs, works by Thomas Tallis, and the Bach alto repertoire. He recorded for HMV, Vanguard Classics, and Harmonia Mundi.

Deller also sang John Blow and Henry Purcell Odes like “Sound the trumpet” from Come Ye Sons of Art with the other great counter-tenor of the day, John Whitworth (1921–2013), who is favoured by critic Richard Lawrence for his magnificent voice.[8]

On 16 July 1979, Deller died after a heart attack suffered whilst working in Bologna in Italy. Deller and his wife are buried in the churchyard of All Saints' Church, Boughton Aluph, Kent.