repertory, he was particularly noted as a fine interpreter of Friar Lawrence in Berlioz's Roméo et Juliette, and in the solos in Bach's Passions, Handel's oratorios, Haydn's The Creation and The Seasons, Brahms's German Requiem, Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius (which he recorded with Britten conducting) and Tippett's The Vision of St Augustine (which he recorded under the composer's baton in 1971). In 1977 Shirley-Quirk created the role of Lev in Tippett's The Ice Break at Covent Garden. He also distinguished himself as an intelligent and sympathetic interpreter of lieder, mélodies and English song. Shirley-Quirk's vast discography includes many of Britten's works and Mahler's Eighth Symphony under Sir Georg Solti on Decca, and Vaughan Williams' vocal works under Sir David Willcocks and the Choir of King's College, Cambridge for EMI. He also sang in the premiere recording of Delius's Requiem in 1968, under Meredith Davies, shortly after a rare live performance (only the work's fifth performance in 62 years) at the Albert Hall with the same forces. Among his early recordings for Saga of British songs is the first complete version (including the Epilogue) of Vaughan Williams's Songs of Travel. His vocal art was noted for its "authoritative yet richly communicative" quality, while the gift for musical and verbal detail of a natural Lieder singer and the "oiled-teak smoothness" of his voice took listeners "to profound interpretive depths". Shirley-Quirk was appointed associate artistic director of the Aldeburgh Festival in 1982. From 1991 he was on the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, MD. Personal life In 1975, Shirley-Quirk was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Shirley-Quirk was married to Patricia ("Pat") Hastie, who died in 1981, then oboist Sara Watkins, who died in 1997. In 2009 he married cellist Teresa Perez. He died of cancer at the age of 82 in Bath on 7 April 2014. References External links Biography http://www.operascotland.org/person/122/John+Shirley-Quirk Interview with John Shirley-Quirk and Oboist Sara Watkins, March 24, 1988 1931 births 2014 deaths Alumni of the University of Liverpool Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Johns Hopkins University faculty Operatic bass-baritones People associated with Brunel University London Musicians from Liverpool Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music Peabody Institute faculty Benjamin Britten 20th-century British male opera singers People from Childwall