This is a terrific presentation of one of the greatest British operas. The recording has captured the spirit of the drama brilliantly. I saw the performance sat on the shingle at the beach and loved every minute of it. One thing I miss on the recording is the ever present sound of the sea that we had on the beach—it added something and whilst you can't having it running through the whole thing—some a touch of it might have been nice. In case it's not clear, this recording was not done on the beach but at Snape Maltings. There will be a DVD at some point in which you should get a better sense of the outdoor setting. (Including the sound of feet moving off stage on the shingle – also an evocative sound.) Alan Oke as Grimes was the perfect singer for the role and a credible successor to Pears. He exuded the grim greyness of the North Sea in the way that an Italian tenor could never muster (imagine a Pavarotti trying this out!). And Giselle Allen as Ellen Orford was performed in a convincing and sensitive manner. It's hard to recommend this highly enough. Buy it—enjoy it and see the DVD