SHE rose from humble Blackburn telephone operator to become arguably the finest voice of a generation.

Today, 50 years after the death of England's greatest lyric contralto Kathleen Ferrier, the hunt is on for what is believed to be her first ever recording.

She died on October 8, 1953, after a two-year battle against cancer. But despite the 41-year-old's short-lived career of just 10 years her name is still revered by music lovers throughout the world.

A recently-discovered 'lost recording' of Kathleen Ferrier, made shortly before her death, was to be broadcast on Radio 3 today in celebration of her life.

But Sylvia Alexander, joint chairman of the Kathleen Ferrier Society, says the organisation is now trying to locate an earlier recording made in the late 1930s in Newcastle.

She said: "It was made by an unemployed male voice choir which did a programme of Hark Forrard. If this exists it would be the first ever recording of Kathleen Ferrier and would be of great archival interest. It is very exciting when anything new comes to light." Ferrier's parents moved to Blackburn when she was a baby and she received a basic education there before taking her first job at the telephone exchange in 1926.

She had no early formal singing training but made her mark as a pianist before the voice that led her to international fame was discovered.

Sylvia Alexander says Ferrier's timeless appeal is due to her beautiful voice and sense of humour.

She said: "It is so amazing that she has lasted as so popular a singer for such a length of time.

"Her voice is so beautiful and has a definite spiritual quality, yet at the same time it is obvious that she could communicate with all people.

"In 10 years she managed to come from hardly having done any singing at all to being world famous and establishing a reputation that would last for 50 years.

"That is a miracle and it happened to someone from Blackburn."