ONE of the borough's most musical talents has died, just a few months before her 80th birthday.

Edna Graham, an international opera star, took part in more than 250 performances at the Kenneth More Theatre in Ilford and, later in her career, devoted her life to developing flourishing young talent as a singing teacher.

Edna's long career saw her perform at many theatres and in Covent Garden. She also travelled to Oslo and Munich during her illustrious career, before becoming a singing teacher closely linked with Redbridge Music School.

And feeling for talented youngsters who found it difficult to make it on the live stage, Edna even founded her own charity New Decade aimed at encouraging and developing young musicians.

Edna was born in New Zealand in 1925 and was something of a child prodigy. Her mother, also a talented musician, organised and conducted a popular children's choir in which Edna and her sister, Diana, showed great promise.

In 1947 Edna travelled to London, and in 1952 her opera career took off when she joined the Carl Rosa Opera Company.

At Covent Garden she was acclaimed as best Queen of the Night of her generation in performances of Mozart's Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute).

But, as with most opera singers of her generation, finances caused Edna to tour the UK and Ireland.

She supplemented her income with the occasional radio broadcast and recording.

After ten years spent touring, Edna settled down as a singing teacher in Romford and later became a singing adviser to Redbridge Music School.

Vivyan Ellacott, manager of the Kenneth More Theatre, said: "It's so difficult to imagine music in Redbridge without Edna. In the very first year the theatre opened Edna was directing a children's opera on behalf of the Music School. When Kenneth More himself made his performance debut in the theatre named after him, Edna was singing in that performance. She has been around forever. She has been our musical inspiration, the driving force behind our operas and classical music."

Mr Ellacott said Edna had inspired generations of schoolchildren' and had helped launch the careers of many professional performers. "She was really a woman who made a difference," he added. Edna Graham died last Thurs-day at St Joseph's Hos-pice in Hack-ney. She had fought a three-month battle against cancer.

cstong@london.newsquest.co.uk