Raymond Gubbay, the “impresario who has spent the past 30 years putting on opera for the people – opera with red roses for Valentine lovers, opera for kiddies with teddy bears, singalonganopera for those who like to join in” has applied for the top job running the Royal Opera House. The newspapers laughed. The mere notion of a businessman, a barrow boy, running the Opera House! “It would be like asking the Grim Reaper to run an old people’s home,” said one music critic. But when I question the experts closely they are more reluctant to dismiss Gubbay. His business skills speak for themselves, he loves opera, he understands the workings of the Opera House, and actually when it comes down to it there isn’t an obvious candidate.” – The Guardian