Told by local historian Susan Wilson with photographs by Michael Gradwell
Kathleen Ferrier was born on
April 22nd 1912 in Higher Walton, Preston. She became one
of the best loved and most admired singers in the world. She was a true
contralto which was quite rare. Her mother and father were very musical.
Kathleen went to school in Blackburn but left before the completion
of her education and went to work as a telephone operator at Blackburn
Exchange. Not completing her education was something that really disappointed
Kathleen when she started her music career because if she had say become
fluent in French it would have helped.
Kathleen studied the piano
and in 1930 she broadcast for the first time as a pianist in Manchester.
Kathleen could have become a concert pianist but she chose marriage
instead. She married Albert Wilson when she was 21. However she felt
trapped by the marriage. When the war came Albert was called up and
that really ended the marriage. Had the marriage worked out music would
have just been a passion.
However Kathleen was indebted
to her husband for persuading her to enter Carlisle Festival as a singer.
Kathleen took him up on the bet and she won. Carlisle Journal said she
had one of the finest voices ever heard. From then on at the age of
25 she became a professional singer. Her first engagement was at the
Aspatria Harvest Festival and she received seven shillings. She took
singing lessons from a local singing teacher Dr Hutchinson. Kathleen
drove to the lessons in Carlisle from her home which was then in Silloth.
She drove in a second hand Morris Minor.
On Christmas Eve 1942 Kathleen
moved to London on the advice of Sir Malcolm Seargent. Her first recital
was at a lunchtime at the National Gallery. In 1943 she appeared in
Handel's Messiah at Westminster Abbey. After that she began to tour
all over the world. Her famous song was 'Blow the Wind Southerly'
Kathleen Ferrier was very entertaining
to be with. She was a great storyteller. For relaxation she painted
and signed her paintings k/k for Klever Kaff. In 1951 whilst on tour
in Italy she received a call to say that her beloved father had died.
This was the start of a very bad time for Kathleen. Soon after her father's
death she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 1953 she was awarded
the CBE in the New Year's Honours List and then later received the
Gold Medal from the Royal Philharmonic Society.
In 1953 also John Barbarolli
requested she sang Orpheus at Covent Garden. Tragically she succumbed
to the cancer again and only lived long enough to complete two performances.
She died peacefully in her sleep on October 8th 1953 aged
41 in London.
Kathleen was not spoiled by her success. When she died she was as famous as the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth. She was the greatest oratorio singer of her time. She had a wonderful haunting voice and had great dignity and conviction.
Copyright (c) Susan Wilson 2007