Every now and then….we get a video to post here at ImaSportsphile wherein we can identify the performer of the event by name….but we cannot find any supporting information as to exactly who the performer was…..as evidenced in this video herewith…..where we know that Roger Binnett is the man who sings The Star Spangled Banner at the start of Game 1 of the MLB American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels….but we could not find out any more about Mr. Binnett.
Based on Mr. Binnett’s voice, we can safely say that he has an operatic voice….so, we presume that he performed in the Opera Company of Boston….since Game 1 of the 1986 ALCS was played at Fenway Park in Boston.
The Opera Company of Boston was an American opera company located in Boston, Massachusetts….which was active from the late 1950’s through the 1980’s…..as te company was founded by American conductor Sarah Caldwell in 1958 under the name Boston Opera Group.
At one time, the touring arm of the company was called Opera New England. Caldwell served as both director and conductor for most of the company’s productions throughout its more than three decade-long history. Under her leadership, the company presented a repertoire of more than 75 operas that came from a wide array of musical periods and styles, including a large number of works previously unheard in the United States, and a significant number of contemporary operas.
This focus on distinctive repertoire, along with Caldwell’s innovative stage direction, garnered the group wide acclaim and earned it a place among the leading opera companies in the U.S. In 1990, after 32 seasons, the company was forced to close due to financial difficulties.