Mezzo-soprano, born in Hatfield, South Yorkshire, N England, UK. She studied music in London in 1953, making her debut in 1956 at Glyndebourne. She has enjoyed an extensive operatic career, especially in early Italian opera and the works of Benjamin Britten. As a concert performer, she is noted for her interpretations of Mahler and Elgar. She became a Companion of Honour in 1994.