Kenneth McKellar - "Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart ... Behold and See" MESSIAH (Handel) 1961

The wonderful Scottish tenor, Kenneth McKellar, enjoyed a career lasting almost five decades and had a large adoring public. Though his first few years as a singer saw him contracted to the Carl Rosa Opera as a Principal tenor, his career quickly moved to mainly concert and recording. From the early 1950s his voice was captured in the recording studio but he came to prominence with classical audiences by his 1959 record of Handel arias. This led to his appearance as the tenor soloist on the 1961 DECCA recording of Handel's MESSIAH alongside Grace Bumbry, David Ward and Joan Sutherland (with whom he'd performed as both students at the London Opera Studio in Il tabarro and Magic Flute) This 'alternate' take of "Behold and See" (the other version of the Soprano aria) was not included in the original LP release. The London Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Sir Adrian Boult.