In Their Voices

Opera singer Peter Brathwaite shares his passion for five very different singers whose voices, artistry and lives inspire and move him, and whose stories he needs to tell.

Soprano Leontyne Price was the first African American opera singer who attained true superstar status, becoming one of the most celebrated voices of all time. Peter relives his discovery of her peerless spinto soprano voice through a pile of old library vinyls, and digs deep into what made her voice so exquisite and her artistry so compelling.

Peter Brathwaite shares his love of the voice of Leontyne Price and why it is so special.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Opera singer Peter Brathwaite shares his passion for five very different singers whose voices, artistry and lives inspire and move him, and whose stories he needs to tell.

Soprano Leontyne Price was the first African American opera singer who attained true superstar status, becoming one of the most celebrated voices of all time. Peter relives his discovery of her peerless spinto soprano voice through a pile of old library vinyls, and digs deep into what made her voice so exquisite and her artistry so compelling.

Peter Brathwaite shares his love of the voice of Leontyne Price and why it is so special.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Opera singer Peter Brathwaite shares his passion for five very different singers whose voices, artistry and lives inspire and move him, and whose stories he needs to tell.

Tonight we take an unexpected turn, moving away from the world of opera and world-renowned singers into more modest, but no less impactful, territory. Eric Bentley was a renowned theatre critic and writer, but he also performed cabaret songs, especially those of his friends Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler. Peter explains why Bentley's untrained but completely committed voice has always captivated him, a fellow Lancastrian, and uncovers the profound effect Bentley's work has had on his own career.

Peter Brathwaite shares his love of the voice of Eric Bentley, and why it is so special.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Opera singer Peter Brathwaite shares his passion for five very different singers whose voices, artistry and lives inspire and move him, and whose stories he needs to tell.

Tonight we take an unexpected turn, moving away from the world of opera and world-renowned singers into more modest, but no less impactful, territory. Eric Bentley was a renowned theatre critic and writer, but he also performed cabaret songs, especially those of his friends Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler. Peter explains why Bentley's untrained but completely committed voice has always captivated him, a fellow Lancastrian, and uncovers the profound effect Bentley's work has had on his own career.

Peter Brathwaite shares his love of the voice of Eric Bentley, and why it is so special.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Opera singer Peter Brathwaite shares his passion for five very different singers whose voices, artistry and lives inspire and move him, and whose stories he needs to tell.

If you've listened to much pop music this century, you've almost certainly heard the voice of Alabama folk singer Vera Hall - though you might not know it. Brilliantly sampled by Moby in his single Natural Blues, Hall's extraordinary voice was recorded several times by renowned American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax in the 1930s. To conclude his series, Peter explores what it is that makes this pretty much unknown woman's voice so particularly powerful, and reflects on why the singing human voice has the capacity to transcend time, space and situation and speak to us so deeply.

Peter Brathwaite shares his love of the voice of Vera Hall and why it is so special.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Opera singer Peter Brathwaite shares his passion for five very different singers whose voices, artistry and lives inspire and move him, and whose stories he needs to tell.

If you've listened to much pop music this century, you've almost certainly heard the voice of Alabama folk singer Vera Hall - though you might not know it. Brilliantly sampled by Moby in his single Natural Blues, Hall's extraordinary voice was recorded several times by renowned American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax in the 1930s. To conclude his series, Peter explores what it is that makes this pretty much unknown woman's voice so particularly powerful, and reflects on why the singing human voice has the capacity to transcend time, space and situation and speak to us so deeply.

Peter Brathwaite shares his love of the voice of Vera Hall and why it is so special.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

‘A voice like yours is heard only once in a hundred years': so said conductor Arturo Toscanini to Marian Anderson, the African American contralto whose concert on Easter Sunday concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 became a defining moment in America's civil rights movement.

Peter invites us to dive with him into Anderson's extraordinary voice, exploring its sonic qualities as well as its cultural and historical importance, and why for him, a black opera singer in 2021, Marian Anderson's voice still resonates so deeply.

Peter Brathwaite shares his love of the voice of Marian Anderson and why it is so special.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

If you're asked to think of a groundbreaking singer called McFerrin, it's likely that Bobby springs to mind. But this undisputed vocal genius is in fact following in the footsteps of his father, Robert McFerrin Snr: the first ever African American man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

For Peter, Robert McFerrin's beautiful baritone voice, and his experiences singing on the global opera stage, resonate down generations of black men singing in opera. He both acts as a role model and offers insight into the cyclical nature of conversations about race and representation in classical music.

Peter Brathwaite shares his love of the voice of Robert McFerrin and why it is so special.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Opera singer Peter Brathwaite shares his passion for five very different singers whose voices, artistry and lives inspire and move him, and whose stories he needs to tell.

If you're asked to think of a groundbreaking singer called McFerrin, it's likely that Bobby springs to mind. But this undisputed vocal genius is in fact following in the footsteps of his father, Robert McFerrin Snr: the first ever African American man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

For Peter, Robert McFerrin's beautiful baritone voice, and his experiences singing on the global opera stage, resonate down generations of black men singing in opera. He both acts as a role model and offers insight into the cyclical nature of conversations about race and representation in classical music.

Peter Brathwaite shares his love of the voice of Robert McFerrin and why it is so special.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.