What was James Bowman famous for?

James Bowman was known for being an English countertenor. His career spanned opera, oratorio, contemporary music, and solo recitals. He began his musical life as a boy chorister at Ely Cathedral and later went on to sing countertenor at Oxford’s New College and Christ Church Choirs.

Bowman was at the forefront of the explosion of interest in Early Music and Baroque period practice in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

Soprano and Classic FM presenter, Catherine Bott paid tribute after his death.

“His singing was full-bodied, open-hearted and virile, exquisitely sensitive to both words and music and supported by an unobtrusive technique that made anything seem natural and easy, from an end run of notes in a Bach aria to the cheeky wordplay in a Purcell duet. James was a joy to sing with because along with the artistry and professionalism, there was always fun. His occasional mischievous onstage whispers between numbers could cause dangerous amounts of ill-suppressed laughter. He was also a loyal and thoughtful friend: he loved model railways, Coronation Street, gossiping on the phone,” she wrote.