Back in the mists of antiquity I did a lot of house concerts, but we didn't call them house concerts then. I don't think there was a name for them. I was just hired to sing for a group of people in someone's private home. Sometimes I was paid a flat fee, sometimes they charged admission and I was paid a percentage. Sometimes it was a charitable fund-raiser. Once in a while, I shared the program with the host.

They're intimate and friendly, and in a sense, verge on what "chamber music" used to be—or what minstrels did for a living: entertain in someone's private home. Very traditional.

Actually, I think that's my favorite kind of performing.

I'm 75, and constantly reassessing my own voice. So far, so good. But I definitely share the viewpoint of opera singer Beverly Sills. When she decided to retire, people asked her why she was retiring when her voice was still excellent. She responded, "Well, as far as I know, my audiences haven't noticed it yet, but I can feel it myself. It's not as easy as it used to be. And I'd rather have people ask, 'Why did she retire?' rather than have them say, 'Why doesn't she retire?'"

Don Firth