Alice, while I didn't say I don't like opera (my comments were on the voices), I will reply. I have only been to one opera (The Barber Of Seville as a child) which I thoroughly enjoyed and while I wouldn't pay to hear one (I'm like that with most things) if somebody offered me a free ticket, I would go and expect to enjoy it but there is more to opera than the voices of the singers and I would be enjoying the spectacle rather than the singing. My father loves opera and regularly used to play his record collection at home and I can assure you that I found many of the voices, particulary sopranos, very hard on my ears...

Up until 2 years ago, I used to chat in a pub practically every night with a classically trained singer and although I rarely try to sing these days, he did give me a couple of tips that I found useful at the time. He is retired but I he did actually bring me a recording of him at the time when he was working professionally and one that I particulary enjoyed (much to my surprise - I thought he would murder it) was "I Dream Of Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair".

I like what I like and dislike what I dislike and I don't consider the fact that I don't like most of the "operatic" voices that I have heard to be a form of reverse snobbery.

Jon