An aria like this elevates G and S to another level!

Thanks very much for sharing this. Shame it's not available on the podcast.

One of those great names from the history of Gilbert & Sullivan. A welcome guest on this famous programme.

Thank you very much for this rarity! Do you have the complete recording?

The realm of G&S should consider itself extraordinary lucky have had this brilliant and exceptional voice singing Sullivan's songs at all. An amazing stella star, and mega talent in every conceivable way. . PW

1:03 when dressed well, he was actually quite a handsome Robin Oakapple.

What a wonderful person !

I have never seen anyone so totally enchant an audience. He was superb.

How lovely to hear his voice again, my lifelong love of g&s is entirely attributable to this amazing man, saw him many times loved his Jack Point

Perfection!

A shamefully under-rated English soprano. Her Violetta was stunning - just listen to her 'Sempre Libera' (also available on RU-vid, in English).

Valerie never got the recognition she deserved as one of the best ever English operatic sopranos - just listen to her 'Sempre Libera' (La Traviata) - as good a performance as you'll ever hear (sung in English). Her 'Poor Wand'ring One' (Decca, 1960's) is also a gem.

Thank you for posting!

As great an aria as any in all of opera

Wonderful

This is sung like it is light operetta. Almost like G&S.

Wonderful performance! Such enunciation! Thank you for posting! Short of the Holy Trinity, no other Triumvitate can challenge Gilbert & Sullivan & Doyly Carte. How many Bach or Beethoven or Mozart or Shakespeare Societies ring the globe compared to G&S ... even in Jerusalem and Barcelona

Unmistakably Valerie. Exquisite and so young! Thanks for the post.

A beautifully clear, authentic English voice.

There is no-one to match Valerie Masterson - purity of tone, diction, range, interpretation, accuracy - she has the lot. A great jewel in Birkenhead's crown who ornamented D'Oyly Carte and then English National Opera. Sir Malcolm Sargent knew quality when he heard it.

Many for this memory of the immortal John Reed

Valerie Masterson is in exceptional voice here. I heard her in the opera house at this time as Countess Adele in Le Comte Ory, Cleopatra in Julius Caesar and so many roles. This is just wonderful.

A treat for those of us who remember Valerie's performances well. She was adored at ENO and far beyond. The audience would be excited and expectant even before she sang her first note - voice , presence , style - Valerie had it all.

As a student I heard her sing this 3 times at the Coliseum. She was wonderful. The audience went crazy. Happy Birthday Valerie!

Temperamentally Butterfly would have suited VM beautifully, and her Mimi was truly exquisite, so maybe it could have been ....?

I saw them in these roles at ENO perhaps a few years later- it must have been a revival. A lovely cast included Niall Murray and Anne Collins too.

Gorgeous - thank you so much for posting this!

Thanks so much for sharing this!

Outstanding singing from Valerie Masterson as usual.

One of my favourite operettas John Brecknock was a Long Eaton man whom I met a few times.Retired to Spain sadly now passed away. Valerie accompanied him to a LEOS Concert she was lovely too.

Shame on you saying that 'Viennese Night from Scarborough' is an unlikely title. Scarborough has always been and remains the UK home of Viennese music. The Spa Orchestra is still playing this music on a regular basis - the BBC continued record light music concerts from the Spa Grand Hall until about 2005. Check out the Spa Orchestra on Brian Kay's Light Programme. I wont even start to go on about Max Jaffa!!!

Stupendous!!!

Too beautiful......

Refreshing to hear Eisenstein sing by a tenor, as Strauss intended!

Valerie gives a million singing lessons here. Fabulous resonation, use of consonants to make the song more appealing and a performance to charm the birds from the trees.