John Reed's Birthday

Today is John Reed's 88th birthday. I never saw him perform, but he was my first G&S hero, and his recordings introduced me to all the Grossmith roles. I've since developed a taste for a different kind of musical interpretation of the comic baritone roles, but John Reed is still very important in my G&S appreciation. It is no overstatement to say that in many ways he personifies Gilbert & Sullivan in my mind.