power came from her slight frame. And yet she also had an impish sense of humour ... as Tessa, as Melissa in Ida (the best I have ever seen). What humour she extracted from this part and also from Phoebe ... this sense of humour was something which to me made her stand out above the others. Briercliffe died in Portsmouth in 1966, aged 77. Recordings Briercliffe participated in all seven D'Oyly Carte recordings made for HMV between 1929 and 1932, as Phoebe, Edith, Iolanthe, Hebe, Angela, Margaret and Melissa. Notes References External links Photos of Briercliffe in Iolanthe Discussion of Briercliffe's Yeomen recording, showing the label of one of her test pressings Photo of Briercliffe as Lady Angela Cigarette Card photo of Briercliffe from the NYPL 1889 births 1966 deaths English actresses English opera singers Operatic mezzo-sopranos People from Bolton 20th-century English women singers 20th-century English singers