Letters and diaries of Kathleen Ferrier

"Fifty years ago, Kathleen Ferrier, the greatest lyric contralto Britain has ever produced, lost her courageous battle with breast cancer. Her name endures to this day for she struck a chord with a wide-ranging public, in concerts, on records and on the radio, despite a career which lasted barely ten years. Within a decade this former telephone exchange operator was singing on stage at Covent Garden or before royalty at private parties. She must have been fun to know, and from this collection of letters, just over three hundred of them gathered from sources in Britain, America, Canada and Holland, as well as twelve years of her personal diaries, what emerges provides a sunny picture in the gloomy landscape of post-Second World War days." "Until now Kathleen Ferrier has been a voice, but through the pages of these fascinating letters and diaries we get to the person. Her correspondents include composer Benjamin Britten, conductors John Barbirolli and Bruno Walter, her accompanist John Newmark, her agents John and Emmie Tillett, as well as family, friends and fans. Her letters not only illuminate the musical life of Britain, Europe and America but also the detailed organisation involved in programming, touring, and performing in the very different arenas of concerts, recitals, opera, broadcasting and recording."--Jacket.