A singer of considerable warmth, musicality and sincerity, Watson was also greatly admired as Ariadne, the Countess in Capriccio, and especially as Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes, of which she left a memorable recording, conducted by Benjamin Britten himself.
On June 7, 1945 she portrayed Auntie in the world premiere of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes at the Sadler's Wells Theatre.
He notably portrayed the role of Bob Boles in the Canadian premiere of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes for the opening of the CBC Opera Company's second season with William Morton in the title role, Edmund Hockridge as Captain Balstrode, Frances James as Ellen Orford, and Eric Tredwell as Swallow.
She is noted for her performance of Elsa in Wagner's Lohengrin, the title role in Strauss's Arabella, Ellen Orford in Britten's Peter Grimes, and the Governess in Britten's The Turn of the Screw.
She made other appearances with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle, in Verdi's Requiem, and Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle; and with the RAI Orchestra in Peter Grimes and Britten's War Requiem, and Schönberg's Gurre-Lieder.
It is a tribute to Benjamin Britten and is pierced with the words "I hear those voices that will not be drowned" from his opera Peter Grimes.
He recorded many of his famous roles, including Peter Grimes and the Prologue / Quint in The Turn of the Screw, as well as all the orchestral song cycles for tenor voice.
Peter Pan | Peter Gabriel | Peter Jackson | Peter | Saint Peter | Peter Paul Rubens | Peter Sellers | Peter the Great | Blue Peter | Peter Frampton | Peter Greenaway | Peter Brook | Peter Lorre | Peter Ustinov | St. Peter's Basilica | Peter Kropotkin | St. Peter | Peter Fonda | Peter Kay | Peter David | Peter Mandelson | Peter O'Toole | Peter Allen | Lord Peter Wimsey | Peter Sellars | Peter Schreier | Peter, Paul and Mary | Peter Davison | Peter Singer | Peter Maxwell Davies |
This theme is common to almost all of Britten's dramatic works: Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, The Turn of the Screw and Owen Wingrave all focus on an outsider protagonist.
George Crabbe, The Borough in 24 epistles, including one on "Peter Grimes", a poem based on Aldeburgh
Opera productions include productions of Gloriana and Peter Grimes directed by Phyllida Lloyd for Opera North, and Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria directed by Adrian Noble for the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.
Among the productions he has directed are: Macbeth, Falstaff, Intermezzo, Volpone, Don Pasquale, Don Carlos, Resurrection, Aida, Don Giovanni, Roméo et Juliette, La traviata, L'elisir d'amore, Carmen (on Boston Common) Eugene Onegin, The Aspern Papers, Cosi fan tutte, Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Peter Grimes.