Author and musical historian Paul Campion believes Kathleen Ferrier was a unique talent.

“She was unlike any other contralto ever,” he said. “What she had was so natural, everything sounded so effortless. When she opened her mouth to sing this glorious sound came out.”

Paul – author of Ferrier: A Career Recorded – has produced the liner notes for two important new collections of Kathleen Ferrier recordings to mark her centenary.

Kathleen Ferrier: A Centenary Collection features 14 CDs from her career with Decca while The Complete EMI Recordings is a more manageable three CD set.

“Many of the recordings we have had haven’t been of the greatest quality but these new releases have been remastered to allow a modern audience to better hear her wonderful voice,” he said.

“The great thing was she never imposed herself on the music, it was so natural and that instantly communicated itself to her audience. “It is difficult for people today, particularly if they are not fans of classical music, to appreciate how high profile a figure Kathleen Ferrier became in such a relatively short period of time.

“She was an international star for just 10 years but in terms of personality and how many people could identify her she was like Pavarotti today, she was truly world famous.

“She was also an extraordinarily brave woman.

“She had that remarkable inner courage throughout her life, including how she dealt with the terrible illness that took her life.”