Aafje Heynes statred her musical life early, singing at her father's harmonium from the age of four. She auditioned for teacher Jo Immink with an arrangement of the "Pilgrims' Chorus" from Wagner's "Tannhauser", and also had dealings with Kathleen Ferrier's teacher, Roy Henderson. She performed mainly on the concert and oratorio stages, becoming an admired interpreter of Handel, Bach, Mendelsson, but it was the works of Mahler which caught her imagination, and for which she is most remembered.