It was a childhood trip with our father to see Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes that first fired my sister Jane Anthony’s passion for singing, particularly opera. Jane, who has died of thyroid cancer aged 62, said recently: “I thought opera was so glamorous. I still do.”
Jane was an inspirational musician and a regular member of Opera North’s chorus for 20 years. She also established herself as a singing teacher and became head of vocal studies at Leeds College of Music, where she created a series of ingenious opera productions, triumphing over meagre resources with her imagination and theatrical flair. Her many students remember her with affection and gratitude.
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