However elegant the high male voice has sounded during its modern renaissance, it has often been heard in counterpoint with a quiet but discordant ground bass. The elements of this insidious lower part may vary – notes of homosexuality, effeminacy and castration can all be heard on occasion – but the repeated theme of sexual prejudice is always recognisable. In short, the accompaniment of grumbling voices avers that the male falsettist is not a true man.

In the early days of the falsetto revival the hostile undercurrent was at its strongest, and there is no doubt that Deller himself had more to contend with than his successors. As luck would have it, he was ideally placed to defy the contentious voices. Not only did Deller have a beard, and a speaking voice like any other man, but he was also happily married with children. Deller, then, had easy answers to the prejudice he met. But what of his successors? Although today there are no castrated counter-tenors there are, of course, openly gay ones, and some who might even be termed effeminate.