Opera Singer. A mezzo soprano, she is remembered chiefly for performing the works of Benjamin Britten. Born Florence Annie Evans to a musical family, she was raised in Liverpool, educated in local schools, and studied voice with John Tobin and Dame Maggie Teyte prior to her 1933 professional recital debut. After gaining experience in concerts and on the BBC, she made her 1935 operatic bow in Sir Arthur Sullivan's flop "The Rose of Persia". Nancy sang in the chorus at Glyndebourne and in 1940 joined the Royal Opera Covent Garden where she bowed as the Shepherd Boy from Puccini's "Tosca" and performed numerous other comprimario roles. During World War II she joined ENSA, the entertainment branch of the British Army, toured throughout England, Europe, and the Middle East, and toward the end of her enlistment made the first of her record 13 consecutive appearances at the BBC Proms. Having sung with Sir Peter Pears at Glyndebourne, she became associated with him and with Benjamin Britten after the war, helping to found their English Opera Group in 1947 and the Aldeburgh Festival in 1948. In 1946 Nancy shared the title lead with Kathleen Ferrier in the opening run of Britten's "The Rape of Lucretia"; in 1947 Britten composed two works for her, the song cycle "A Charm of Lullabies" and the role of Nancy in the comedic "Albert Herring" which received its Glyndebourne world premiere on June 20th of that year. Having divorced record producer Walter Legge, a genius but an unpleasant man, in 1948 she married librettist Eric Crozier (1914-1994), another Britten associate, in 1949. A key member of the Aldeburgh circle, Nancy was selected for leads in two of Britten's re-workings of older pieces, singing Polly Peachum in John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera" and the title Dido of Henry Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas". In the late 1950s she appeared in acclaimed productions of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier", singing the role of Annina in the latter; a respected recital and oratorio artist, her repertoire included Brahms' "Four Serious Songs", Verdi's "Manzoni Requiem", Bach's "St. Matthew Passion", and Handel's "Messiah", though she continued to be best known for her Britten work. A teacher at the Britten-Pears School in Snape Maltings from its founding, her involvement increased following Britten's 1976 death, then as Sir Peter's health declined (he died in 1986) she and Crozier took an ever increasing role in the running of Aldeburgh. Nancy and her husband both retired in 1990 and at that time were both appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Nancy remained active, continuing her involvement with Aldeburgh as long as she was able, and spent her final days in a nursing facility. Today a portion of her recorded legacy remains available on CD.