Alfred Deller

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Alfred Deller (born May 31, 1912, died July 16, 1979) was an English singer, one of the main figures in popularising the use of the countertenor voice in renaissance and baroque music.

Deller was born in Margate, and as a boy studied singing with his father. When his voice broke, he continued singing as a countertenor. He concentrated on English baroque and renaissance music by composers such as John Dowland and Henry Purcell. He formed the Deller Consort in 1948, a group dedicated to historically accurate performances of that kind of music.

In 1960, Deller sang the role of Oberon in Benjamin Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream. This was the first role for a countertenor he sang that was neither Renaissance nor Baroque, and Britten wrote it with Deller specifically in mind.

The noted lutenist Desmond Dupré recorded and performed with him; in later years he also worked with the harpsichordist Harold Lester.

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