[3] He began work as an accounts clerk for Anglo-Iranian Oil, where a colleague who was a part-time student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama suggested that he enrol there for vocal training.
[3] In 1959 he joined Sadler's Wells Opera for an operetta season where he appeared as Colonel Frank in Die Fledermaus alternating with Frederick Sharp, with Vilém Tauský conducting; on tour he also played Frosch.
[3] He sang many comic and dramatic roles, from Jupiter in Orpheus in the Underworld (notching up 150 performances in two years, with 121 more in Australia in 1962),[3]) to Rostov in the British stage premiere of War and Peace in 1972.
[3] After taking part in the SWO Iolanthe when Gilbert and Sullivan works came out of copyright he sang all that repertoire (apart from Princess Ida): on stage (including guest appearances in Dallas), on the radio, and on television (the Learned Judge in Trial by Jury).
[2] He was the castaway on Desert Island Discs in 1981 where his choices ranged from Billy Williams, through Verdi and Strauss to Bach's St Matthew Passion and Schubert's String Quintet, with the favourite 'Deh vieni non tardar' from The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart.
Appearances on BBC television included The Telephone (Ben) by Menotti in 1951, Three's Company (Mr Three) and Christmas Story (Tiger Tim) both by Antony Hopkins in 1954, The Barber of Seville (Figaro) by Rossini for Children's Television in 1956, The Two Shy People (Victor) by Rota in 1961, Iolanthe (Lord Chancellor) by Sullivan in 1964, Die Fledermaus (Colonel Frank) by Strauss in 1966 and 1971, The Count of Luxembourg (Grand Duke Basil) by Lehar in 1967, an Omnibus programme about a Victorian musical evening at home (1970), The Visitation (Held) by Schuller in 1971, and The Merry Widow (Baron Zeta) in 1980.