Listen to a track from the Australian tenor who sang with Sutherland and Callas, dazzling Europe in the 1960s

Australian tenor Albert Lance, born Lance Ingram in 1925, was one of the few tenors who sang with both Dame Joan Sutherland and Maria Callas during the 1950s and 1960s, yet his success on the world stage – particularly in Paris and at Covent Garden – belies his humble upbringing with scant music education during the Depression. The South Australian larrikin travelled the country singing in La Bohème and Madama Butterfly, performing for Queen Elizabeth II on her Melbourne tour in 1954. With the cash prize from a radio competition, Lance made his way to France, where he settled after his international career took off. In recognition of his achievements, the 85-year-old has been invited to preside over the Paris Opera’s annual gathering of retired French opera and ballet stars in May as President of the Paris Opera Jubilee.

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000149 EndHTML:0000002667 StartFragment:0000000199 EndFragment:0000002633 StartSelection:0000000199 EndSelection:0000002633 Albert Lance, the Australian tenor, has been almost lost to our musical history except perhaps to the aficionados of opera.
But in recent times there has...