Harry, How do you rate David Daniels? There are some new ones coming along who are all part of this new generation who manage a much more rounded tone than say Bowman. I have some Alfred Deller recordings, he gentles his way around the upper register whereas now, the singers need to be able to project fireworks. It was nevertheless a beautiful and affecting voice.
Mike
Daniels has a clear and soft grained voice, and his upper register sounds very good to my ears. Bowman in his early days was a joy to hear, with not one harsh sound, but today there is not much left anymore. Michael Chance had its good times too, but the latest things that I heard from him, show that his voice is going the same way as Bowman's.
I treasure many old records from the seventies and eighties.
One of the major counters at the moment is Philipp Jarousky, a voice like a bell, and the ability to sing very soft without losing the tension in his voice.
But Mera is the absolute top for me. Just listen at the first 6 or so volumes from the Bach-Suzuki cycle. That is really out of this world.
I agree with you about the voice of Deller, and for that matter the voice from Rene Jacobs, that was really dreadful, with this nasty side effect of his voice.