Roy Henderson ( baritone ) Roy Galbraith Henderson CBE ( 4 July 189916 March 2000 ) was a leading English baritone in the 1920s , 1930s and 1940s . He later became a teacher of singing , his most notable student being Kathleen Ferrier . Early life and influences . Born in Edinburgh , Scotland , Henderson moved to Nottingham , England , at an early age when his Scottish father , a prominent Congregational minister , was appointed to a church there and later became Principal of Paton College in that city . He was educated at Nottingham High School , where he became captain of cricket . He sang in his father ' s church choir ( his first solo was as First Malefactor in Stainer ' s " The Crucifixion " ) , and in school concerts , but was mainly active in sports . Henderson served in the First World War in the Artists Rifles . In the regimental concert party were other well - known baritones , including Charles James Mott , Percy Heming and Clay Thomas . Henderson was deeply impressed by Mott , who was later killed in the war . Musical studies and early career . Henderson began study at the Royal Academy of Music in 1920 , on the advice of the bass Robert Radford . He studied hard under Thomas Meux ( singing ) and John Blackwood McEwen ( composition ) . He sang in " Messiah " once , in 1923 , and vowed never to do so again . He made his first broadcast for the BBC ( the first of very many ) in 1924 . In 1925 , while he was still studying , he had the wonderful opportunity to sing in Delius ' s " A Mass of Life " at the Queen ' s Hall for the Royal Philharmonic Society , and was able to prepare the work and sing it from memory with the greatest success , within three weeks . The performance , on 2 April , was with Miriam Licette , Astra Desmond and Walter Widdop , conducted by Paul von Klenau . He was awarded the Worshipful Company of Musicians ' medal as most distinguished student of the year , and so his name as a professional singer was immediately made . He was married in 1926 . Distinction in opera and British music . He then began to obtain many engagements both in opera and in oratorio . He had seasons at Covent Garden , including Wagner roles , in 1928 and 1929 . In 1929 at the Delius Festival under Sir Thomas Beecham , Henderson distinguished himself and was acclaimed by Delius as the unequalled interpreter of Zarathustra in " A Mass of Life " . His performances of Delius ' s " Sea Drift " ( a part created by Frederic Austin ) were also considered masterly . Beecham had recorded this work with the baritone Dennis Noble in 1928 , but this was not issued owing to unsatisfactory acoustics . In 1929 the Decca record company was established by ( Sir ) Edward Lewis , and in May 1929 Henderson was recruited to record the work as one of Decca ' s first issues . There is also a recording of " Songs of Sunset " from the 1934 Leeds Festival under Beecham . He also became very distinguished in works by Ralph Vaughan Williams , including " A Sea Symphony " , " Dona Nobis Pacem " , " Sancta Civitas " and " Five Tudor Portraits " ; in those of Edward Elgar , especially " The Dream of Gerontius " , " The Kingdom " , and " The Apostles " ; in Bach ' s " St Matthew Passion " and " St John Passion " ; and in Mendelssohn ' s " Elijah " . He took part in first performances of many British works , including composers Vaughan Williams , Dyson , Cyril Scott , E . J . Moeran , Arthur Bliss and Patrick Hadley . He gave the first performance of Bliss ' " Serenade for Orchestra and Voice " , under Malcolm Sargent , at the Queen ' s Hall during the first Courtauld - Sargent series , 1929 - 1930 . He gave the premiere of Delius ' s " Idyll : Once I walked through a populous city " at the Queen ' s Hall Promenade Concerts in October 1933 with Dora Labette , under Sir Henry Wood . For the Royal Philharmonic Society he performed Moeran ' s " Nocturne " ( for baritone , chorus and orchestra ) under Adrian Boult in 1936 , and " Dona Nobis Pacem " and the " Sea Symphony " ( with Isobel Baillie ) under Ralph Vaughan Williams at the composer ' s 70th birthday concert in November 1942 . From 1930 to 1937 , he was chorus master of the Nottingham Harmonic Society under Sir Hamilton Harty , from whom he learned many lasting lessons . He also conducted the Huddersfield Glee and Madrigal Society , the Bournemouth Municipal Choir and the Nottingham Oriana Choir , one of the very few which sang only from memory . Over these years , he was also attempting to fulfil very many singing engagements at major concerts and festivals , and teaching in both London and Nottingham , and in the flush of his early success , he became over - extended in his work . He was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in around 1932 . In 1934 , he took part with Kate Winter , Linda Seymour and Parry Jones in the recording of Stravinsky ' s " Les noces " , under the composer ' s direction In 1936 he was the baritone soloist in the premiere performance ( and the first of very few in the composer ' s lifetime ) of Constant Lambert ' s " Summer ' s Last Will and Testament " , under Lambert ' s direction . Glyndebourne and Mozart . He did not return to opera until 1934 , when he participated in the first ventures at Glyndebourne . He sang on the opening night and appeared in every season until 1939 , also singing on the last night before the outbreak of war in 1939 . He sang the role of the Count in " The Marriage of Figaro " , Masetto in " Don Giovanni " , Guglielmo in " Così fan tutte " , and Papageno in " The Magic Flute " , under the direction of Fritz Busch , who commended him highly . He also took the role of Peachum in " The Beggar ' s Opera " . His Count is preserved in the Busch ( Glyndebourne 1936 ) HMV recording of " The Marriage of Figaro " . His Masetto is in the Busch ( Glyndebourne , c . 1937 - 8 ) " Don Giovanni " . For these years , Glyndebourne became his artistic home . Henderson was an outstanding Mozart singer . He recorded the first complete Purcell " Dido and Aeneas " with Nancy Evans and the Boyd Neel ensemble conducted by Clarence Raybould before 1936 . In 1938 , Henderson was one of the original 16 soloists in Vaughan Williams ' s " Serenade to Music " ( his is the solo line to the words ‘ Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds ’ ) . In March 1940 , he was involved in the Glyndebourne Company revival of " The Beggar ' s Opera " , directed by John Gielgud , at the Haymarket Theatre in London . In his later career , he specialized more in recitals , and delivered a fine collection of English songs at the first Edinburgh Festival in 1947 . Kathleen Ferrier . Henderson became a Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in 1940 . He first met Kathleen Ferrier when both sang in a performance of " Elijah " at Runcorn on 23 December 1942 . A few weeks later , she came to him at the Royal Academy asking for lessons . ( Dr Hutchinson of Newcastle upon Tyne had previously taught her . ) Their relationship as pupil and teacher lasted for seven years . He began her coaching in Bach , Handel and Brahms , and steered her away from Verdi . He prepared her for her first " The Dream of Gerontius " in Leeds in November 1944 ( insisting that she sing it from memory ) , and in that year they had also studied the " Four Serious Songs " of Brahms . He sent her to Professor Carl Ebert ( producer of the pre - war Glyndebourne Mozart ) , on his return to Glyndebourne after the war , and to Hans Oppenheim when she was preparing lieder recital s with Bruno Walter . Walter thoroughly introduced her to the work of Mahler . Henderson is the conductor of the recording of the Pergolesi " Stabat Mater " with Ferrier and Joan Taylor , the Nottingham Oriana Choir and the Boyd Neel String Orchestra ( Decca AK 1517 - 1521 ) . He wrote an account of his teaching of Kathleen Ferrier in the memoir edited by Neville Cardus . He was also the teacher of Jennifer Vyvyan , Norma Procter and Rae Woodland . Henderson retired from the stage in 1952 , and devoted nearly all of his time to teaching and writing music . In 1991 , Roy Henderson made a BBC Radio 4 broadcast in conversation with Richard Baker and Sir Keith Falkner . In July 1999 he celebrated his 100th birthday . An album was released for the occasion , entitled " Roy Henderson : A Centenary Recital " . He died eight months later , in March 2000 , in Bromley , Kent .