Jerome Hines last performance 2001

Sep. 22, 2001 Jerome Hines appeared in opera for the last time. At the age of 80 years old and somewhat infirm he performed his famous Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlo for the Boston Bel Canto Opera, sounding amazingly like himself, especially considering he was 80 years old. One of his students, Craig Hart, played Felippo and could not sound like a bass under the circumstances. Hines made his light-voiced pupil sound like more like a lyric baritone than a Verdi bass. The triumph in this is all Jerry’s. He worked hard to be able to get into shape to sing this. He “sparred“ with his student basses in preparation. Jerome Hines never let himself down and he never let us down. More than any other lesson, perhaps Hines taught us singers to just never stop singing. He was the man who would not stop singing. Thanks to Maestroshore for letting me have a copy of this posting.