Bass-baritone John Shirley-Quirk, a recording studio stalwart of music by Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Frederick Delius, among others, died on Monday. He performed most of his repertoire on stage in England, naturally; Americans are very lucky to have so much of it preserved on recordings. Stateside, he has been on the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory of Music since 1991.

My favorite Shirley-Quirk recording is his “Five Mystical Songs” of Vaughan Williams, on texts of the metaphysical poet George Herbert, which I try to get on the air every Easter. Here he is in Vaughan Williams’ “Linden Lea.”

Thanks for the beautiful music, John.

PHOTO: Shirley-Quirk (left) with Sir William Walton