Pavarotti had sung in the UK before, though not as an operatic soloist. Eight years previously, aged just 19, he had travelled to Wales with the Corale Rossini, a male voice choir from his hometown of Modena, to compete at the Eisteddfod in Llangollen. The choir won first prize in its category, and their success fired Luciano with a desire to launch his own career in music.

Eight years of patient training in his native Italy followed, with Pavarotti working as a teacher and insurance salesman to pay the bills. Then bookings started coming – Puccini’s La bohème in Reggio Emilia, Verdi’s La traviata in Belgrade, a Vienna State Opera debut – and the stage was set for Pavarotti to begin looking beyond continental Europe for further opportunities and experiences.