Sunday, March 6, 2022
Alas, the road to Hell must truly be strewn with good intentions unfulfilled! When my wife, Valerie, and I moved to the Tampa Bay Area in 2008, we had hoped to find and meet up with the Jeffreys. In fact, I had an old ‘Land O’ Lakes’ address from god-only-knows-where taped to the side of our refrigerator for several years, but when recently I re-checked, we discovered that it was no longer valid. Barbara’s late husband, Jim, was my senior by about 19 years and my primary New York City singing teacher, c. 1980-1981. Barbara was often my accompanist for various auditions, including one at the Metropolitan Opera Young Artists Program and one for Columbia Artists Management during which I obtained a professional agent. As an accompanist, she was always well prepared, and, with a husband who already had sung — or could sing — many of the same roles, she was thoroughly familiar with the operatic tenor repertoire. Both Barbara and Jim will remain in my memory as two of the most decent, generous, kind, and supportive persons It was my improbable good fortune to have met in the New York opera scene. The Earth was a better place when they walked among us!
— Craig Breighner, Dramatic Tenor, Wesley Chapel, Florida
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