James Pease

A law graduate of Indiana University in 1939, Pease won a scholarship at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and studied there rather than begin practice as a lawyer.

He also pursued concert, oratorio and radio work on the East Coast of the United States [2] He was praised by Serge Koussevitzky as having "An exceptionally beautiful, powerful, expansive voice".

[2] On his discharge in 1945, he appeared at the Montreal Festivals and in a series of operas at the New York City Center Theatre, making his debut there as Sparafucile on 9 May 1946 (continuing to sing at that venue until 1953).

[4] Pease later sang in the US premiere of another Britten opera, Albert Herring, this time as the Vicar, Mr Gedge, in a production staged at Tanglewood on 8 August 1949, conducted by Boris Goldovsky.

[9] In London's Royal Opera House he sang in various productions conducted by Rafael Kubelík, including as Hans Sachs in Wagner's Die Meistersinger with Geraint Evans and Joan Sutherland in 1957, as King Mark in Tristan und Isolde with Birgit Nilsson in 1958, and in the same year as Balstrode in Peter Grimes,[10] later recording the role under the composer's direction for Decca.