Before Whom I Stand

John Dethick, bass baritone, 1915-2000, to be was considered by many to be the oustanding interpreter of the title role in Mendelssohn's Elijah of his time. Born in Henley on Thames to Derbyshire parents, apart from two seasons in London at Sadler's Wells and two on the Spa in Scarborough, he lived in Derbyshire, his family's roots in the county dating back to the early Middle Ages. The first part of the book is a transcription of a recording he made of his life story in 1995. The second and third give documentary evidence of his career, including concert reviews, whilst the fourth refers to his two most successful pupils, the late Patricia Leonard of D'Oyly Carte Opera and internationally renowned bass John Tranter. There is also a contribution from his daughter, Janet Kinrade Dethick.