A Gilbert & Sullivan Gala
In 1982, EMI published an album of G&S solos and duets featuring Valerie Masterson, the former D'Oyly Carte soprano, and Robert Tear, an English grand opera tenor with rather little G&S background. Most of the items were G&S staples, with a couple of items from Ruddigore being as adventurous as the disc got. In 1984, EMI published a considerably more interesting highlights disc called "Here's a How-De-Do" featuring Tear, Sheila Armstrong and Benjamin Luxon. Robert Tear is the common denominator between the two discs, and I find him unpersuasive: his interpretation is a bit too precious; he lacks the swagger I expect in a G&S tenor. The remaining performers are all excellent, and the second disc has the additional virtue of presenting a number of items not often heard on records, particularly two items from Haddon Hall. In 1987, EMI combined material from the two original LPs into a CD issue called "A Gilbert & Sullivan Gala." Some items were dropped, however, so that the entire package could fit on a single CD, which EMI is proud to offer you.
Sir Arthur Sullivan  (Composer),     Valerie Masterson  (Performer),     Robert Tear  (Performer),     Sheila Armstrong  (Performer),     Benjamin Luxon  (Performer),     Bournemouth Sinfonietta  (Orchestra),     Kenneth Alwyn  (Conductor),     Northern Sinfonia of England  (Orchestra),     Richard Hickox  (Conductor)    &                   5                  more   Format: Audio CD
{"Is Discontinued By Manufacturer": "No", "Package Dimensions": "5.5 x 4.8 x 0.1 inches; 3.2 Ounces", "Manufacturer": "EMI Classics", "Run time": "73 minutes", "Date First Available": "July 20, 2005", "Label": "EMI Classics", "Number of discs": "1"}