He had a huge international reputation, regularly singing in all the world's major opera houses, from the New York Metropolitan to La Scala in Milan, where he remains the only Englishman to have sung most of the greatest Verdi baritone roles.

His La Scala debut in 1965 as Rigoletto was opposite another house debut-maker, Luciano Pavarotti, in the role of the Duke of Mantua. The role also served for his New York Met debut in 1968.

He was one of a handful of British opera singers in the late 1960s who opened up an international trail which many have since followed.

Glossop was a perfectionist, brusque and hard-headed. He had a powerful voice which could be rough-edged but such was his commitment and intensity on stage it rarely mattered.

He was born on July 6, 1928, lived on Milden Street, Wadsley, and was educated at High Storrs Grammar School.

When he was five, his father, Cyril, a cutlery factory manager, died of tuberculosis as did an elder brother, Harry, at the age of 16. A sister, Doreen, later contracted the illness.

Following the death of Cyril, Peter's mother Violet (who later to committed suicide) trained as a secretary and found employment at the Lyceum Theatre. By the age of 13 he was being smuggled in to see shows, including Verdi's Rigoletto, he later recalled.

After the war and army national service in Dusseldorf, he began working at the National Provincial Bank (now NatWest) in George Street and spent his lunchtimes soaking up opera in the listening booths of Wilson Peck on Leopold Street.

By now the red-haired bank clerk, as well as playing trumpet with the local Tin Roof Jazz Band, was taking singing lessons with Eva Rich and joined the Sheffield Singers Grand Opera Society whose music director was Alicia Scaife.

He made his debut with them as Coppelius in Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann in 1949.

He also had singing lessons with tenor Joseph Hislop, whose London connections eventually got him into the Sadlers Wells Opera (now English National Opera) chorus in 1952.

He became a company principal in 1955 and, in 1961, was promptly engaged by the Royal Opera House after winning the Sofia opera competition. In 1970 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Sheffield.

The first of two marriages was to Rotherham mezzo Joyce Blackham who also had a notable singing career and, in the mid-1980s, he retired to Devon where eventually he had to battle with throat cancer.

He died last Sunday, leaving two daughters.




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