Deller, Alfred (1912-1979), was a leading English countertenor. A countertenor is a male singer with a voice that is higher than the tenor and lower than the soprano or treble. Deller sang at many European music festivals and made a large number of recordings. He specialized in music of the 1600’s and 1700’s. He formed a vocal ensemble, The Deller Consort, in 1950.
Deller was born in Margate, England. He sang as a boy treble in the choir of his local church. When his voice matured into a natural countertenor, he could find no expert instruction. He had to teach himself.
