Kenneth Bennett Lane

Ken Lane was an amazing man for so many reasons. He was a truly talented helden tenor. A helden tenor is an extremely powerful tenor whose voice is perfect for Wagnerian opera. Ken was so passionate about his singing. I played the piano for his concerts from 2002 to 2018. Ken would plan his rehearsals weeks and months in advance. He would come prepared with two notebooks one for him and one for me and of course with his brother Ben. I would play for Ken but I would also give him feedback that he appreciated. His brother would give him feedback too and sometimes that wasn't as appreciated, so sometimes Ben would look at me, because we were both thinking the same thing about some musical aspect of his piece and then I would delicately give the suggestion. And then Ben and I would wait for the opportune moment to look at each other again with satisfaction because Ken was doing very well with our suggestion. I would often jokingly give a suggestion. And Ken would think carefully over everything I may have suggested and make the final decision with himself. Quite often our rehearsals and performances were filled with laughter because Ken was so funny and witty. He seemed invincible. He was 92 at the last concert he performed with me was in New York City at the New Yorker Hotel. I will miss his passion, sense of humor, determination, showmanship and of course his voice. I am sad that he has passed away but his cd's will preserve his voice. His 10 language concert at Carnegie Hall which was way before my time was incredible. I am honored to have worked with him. He considered me family and we considered them family as well. Ken and his brother Ben - such wonderful people. I am sure Ken is singing on a cloud somewhere out there. It was an honor to work with Ken.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Cece