In this video from a 1966 D'Oyly Carte production of The Mikado, John Reed, one of the greatest G&S patter men to ever grace the stage, performs "On a tree by a river", better known as "Willow tit-willow". His voice is pleasant and highly expressive, though certainly not a stunning or magnificent operatic instrument. This voice type has been characteristic of these roles from the very outset. George Grossmith, the primary patter man for most of the Savoy Opera premieres, is quoted to have one time asked Gilbert and Sullivan whether they would rather have someone with a glorious voice sing these parts, and the response was along the lines of, "My dear sir, that is precisely what we do NOT want."
John Reed passed away a little over a year ago, and was the biggest blow to the world-wide Savoyard community in 2010; the biggest of a number of D'Oyly Carte veterans' passings.
Reed is immortalized in his recordings, being the only principal artist to have recorded all 13 extant Savoy Operas.
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