The bass-baritone Hermann Schey (1895–1981) was born in Bunzlau in Silesia. His musical training was in Berlin but he was drafted into the German army in 1915. His career began in 1922 as an oratorio and concert singer and took him all over Europe, including Poland, Russia and the Balkan states, before coming to Amsterdam, where he sang Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder under Mengelberg. This resulted in Schey taking part in the annual performances of the St Matthew Passion under the Dutch conductor. Being Jewish he went into hiding during the period of the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands. Resuming his career in 1946, Schey continued to sing throughout Europe before a poignant but triumphant tour of Israel in 1968. After retiring he taught singing in Switzerland until his death. His earliest recordings were for Odéon, then Polydor, Christschall and Concert Hall.