My wife Hilary, who is the niece of the late, great English contralto, Kathleen Ferrier, will, on October 30th, be presenting an evening about her aunt.

Let Hilary explain in her own words.

Imagine if you will, a small, very shy, nine year old girl setting off from her rural Lancashire village to walk the two miles to the nearest railway station to make the journey to Blackburn for her first school term in the Junior School of the town’s Girls High School.

On arrival at school this little girl, my mother Florence, was placed in a class with two very friendly, though rather boisterous, girls who immediately took her under their wings – cousins named Margaret and Kathleen Ferrier. Florence felt immediately at home, and thus began a life-long friendship.

Memories of my Auntie Kath, who sometime later became my mother’s sister-in-law as well as a dear friend, will be told at Holy Trinity Church at 7.30pm on Saturday October 30. A series of cameos using music, song, drama, readings and visual images to bring a unique insight into the Kathleen my mother and her family knew and loved. The memories are largely based on notes made by my mother for the many talks she gave on ‘Kathleen Ferrier as I knew her’ around the north of England to raise money for cancer research following Kathleen’s untimely death. A selection of personal memorabilia will also be displayed, including photographs of Kathleen as a very beautiful bride.

As Kathleen started her musical career as a pianist, the event will benefit The Friends of the Music at Holy Trinity, who have purchased the magnificent grand piano we will hear during the evening. A donation will also be made to the Shakespeare Hospice.

It was a chance wager with her husband in 1937 that was to transform Kathleen’s life. She had entered [the Carlisle Festival] as a pianist but he bet her a shilling that she would not also enter as a singer. She took up the challenge and won both categories. The Carlisle Journal reported that she had “… one of the finest voices…” they had ever heard.

Sadly the marriage did not survive, but on that day an incredible career was born.

Hilary Newman