In previous books, John Steane has written about the art of singing as heard on records and "in the flesh" in opera houses and concert halls. Here, in a collection of essays that comprise the first in a continuing series of articles published monthly in Opera Now, he turns to the singers themselves --- seeing how their art develops --- with opportunity, chance, and design playing their part. Each study is a carefully worked vignette, and the book is illustrated throughout with photographs and memorabilia, many never before published. Singers of the Century will appeal to all who possess a love of singing and a taste for music writing at its best.