Philip Langridge was regarded as one of the finest tenors of his generation and his death at the age of seventy from bowel cancer is a great loss to the musical world. He was a hugely versatile performer, his repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to Birtwistle – and everything in between – but he is especially associated with the music of Britten. He was regarded at the successor to Peter Pears in the main tenor roles of Britten’s operas and, as such, recorded for Chandos the roles of Gustav von Aschenbach in Death in Venice (CHAN 10280(2)), the title role of Peter Grimes (CHAN 9447 / 8) – his favourite role, to which he brought a truly magnificent interpretation, wholly of his own and which won a Grammy Award, and Captain Vere in Billy Budd (CHAN 9826(2)), and he also performed in the famous recording of the War Requiem (CHAN 8983 / 4). All these recordings were conducted by Richard Hickox, with whom he was very close.

He was widely respected on the international circuit, including Teatro alla Scala in Milan, The Metropolitan Opera in New York, and the Salzburg Festival, and he appeared as recently as 2007 at The Royal Opera, Covent Garden in a production of Wagner’s Ring (as Loge), in which his tremendous energy on the stage was as much admired as his superb vocal delivery. He was constantly in demand, and even had engagements in 2011 at Covent Garden to create a role in a new opera by Mark-Anthony Turnage.

His fame as an interpreter in Britten’s operas came in the early 1990s, when he mesmerised audiences with his Peter Grimes at English National Opera in 1991; he then sang a compelling Aschenbach at Covent Garden the following year. But his performances of Janácek, Mozart and Tippett were hardly less persuasive. His role as Zivny in Janácek’s Osud was particularly celebrated (a performance for which he received an Olivier Award), and was recorded in 1989, in a performance sung in English, conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras (CHAN 3029).

Whilst also being a lieder singer of great distinction – and wide repertoire – Philip Langridge will perhaps be remembered best for his dedication to British music. On Chandos, he made memorable contributions to Dyson’s Quo Vadis (CHAN 10061(2)), orchestral songs of Frank Bridge (CHAN 10310), and a classic performance in Tippett’s King Priam (CHAN 9406(2)), a recording which also featured his wife, Ann Murray. With the guitarist Stephen Marchionda, he made a wonderful recording of songs by Britten, Maw, and Dowland, which beautifully displays the humane and deeply felt intensity he brought to more intimate repertoire, with hauntingly memorable shades of tone and colour (CHAN 10305). By contrast, his recording of Handel’s Messiah is a fine example of his mastery of the baroque repertoire as well as the joy he took in his art.

Philip Langridge received countless awards during his career, including Singer of the Year from the Royal Philharmonic Society, and the NFMS / Charles Groves prize in 2001 for his ‘outstanding contribution to British music’. In 1994, he was appointed CBE.