Music and Some Highly Musical People Part 21

In order that the opinions heretofore given in regard to Miss Brown's vocal abilities and artistic accomplishments may be shown not to be exaggerated, I now desire to append some of the notices which her performances have elicited from the press of New England and other sections of the country. And here I am confronted by the first real difficulty that has appeared since I began this sketch; for I have before me nearly one hundred comments, all highly complimentary, only a very small number of which may here be reprinted. To properly arrange and give them _all_ would be an easy and most pleasing task, since the collection forms an unbroken, a delightful series of musical descriptions, interspersed with high but always discreet praise of the artist whose performances, in the main, called them forth; but to be compelled, from want of s.p.a.ce, to endeavor to select, from among these many encomiums, only those which, while they do justice to our subject, are yet brief and together varied and interesting, is a duty attended with some embarra.s.sment. Before attempting to do this, I deem it proper to say, that, if printed together, the comments referred to would make a volume of considerable size; which, containing, as it undoubtedly would, the truthful, spontaneous tributes of lovers of art to one of its most faithful and accomplished devotees, might well be considered by herself and many admiring friends as of most inestimable value.

The following have reference to Miss Brown's appearances in Boston during the musical season of 1874:--

Said "The Boston Traveller," April 16,--

"Miss Nellie E. Brown has for some months been the leading soprano at Grace Church, Haverhill, Ma.s.s.; which position she has filled with eminent acceptance, and with marked exhibition of artistic powers."

And the same paper at another time said,--

"Miss Brown possesses a very fine voice under excellent culture, and gave with much taste several solos. Noticeably good was her rendering of Torrey's 'La Prima Vera.' In all her selections she exhibited excellent style and finish."

"The Globe," March 31, said,--

"Miss Nellie Brown showed a particularly well-modulated voice, trained study, and appreciative method, which served her well in the pleasant rendering given by her so gracefully and unaffectedly."

The same paper, after alluding to her rendition of "Del Criel Regina,"

[Transcriber's Note: 'Del Ciel Regina'] said,--

"This lady is fortunate in her exceedingly sweet and well-trained voice, which, in conjunction with her fine personal appearance and stage manners, rendered her reception unusually enthusiastic."

Speaking of an entertainment given at Parker Memorial Hall, a musical writer said,--

"Miss Brown has a charming voice, and sings with intelligent expression and good taste. Two of her songs, 'Beautiful Erin' and 'Bonnie Dundee,' were rendered with great sweetness."

"The Boston Advertiser," March 31, said,--

"She has an exceptionally pure voice, which has been carefully trained."

"The Transcript," April 16, said,--

"A soprano of good voice and cultivation."

"The Journal," June 13, 1874, said,--

"A talented vocalist, with a well-cultivated voice of a remarkably fine quality. She pleased very greatly in several selections."

Said "The Post," Nov. 13,--

"An artist of exceptional merit, possessing a voice of rare compa.s.s, flexibility, and sweetness. In the solo, 'Land of my Birth,' by Operti, she received enthusiastic applause."

The public journals of her own city and state very early in her career chronicled Miss Brown's musical achievements, and even then felt warranted in awarding her strong but judicious praise. Latterly they have many times spoken in most enthusiastic terms of her added accomplishments. I shall quote only a few of the briefest of these.

"The Dover (N.H.) Daily Democrat," Dec. 19, 1873, said,--

"The concert given in the City Hall last evening by Miss Nellie Brown, a.s.sisted by Misses Gray and Bracket and the Amphion Glee Club of Haverhill, Ma.s.s., was a success....

Miss Brown was very warmly greeted, and surprised all with the ease and grace of her appearance, the richness of her voice, and the fine rendering of her music. She was enthusiastically encored."

"The Dover Enquirer," Sept. 7, 1876, said,--

"The organ and vocal concert at the new Methodist-Episcopal church on Tuesday evening was one of the finest ever given in Dover.... Dover's favorite, Miss Nellie E. Brown, was as warmly greeted as ever, sang most charmingly, and was loudly encored."

"The Dover Democrat," Sept. 6, 1876, said,--

"It [the concert] was a grand and complete success.... One little incident, or intended incident, was omitted at the concert. An elegant basket of flowers was sent by the friends of Miss Nellie Brown at Haverhill, for presentation to her at the close of her singing; but the express folks failed to deliver it in season. It was too bad; but Miss Brown and her numerous friends appreciate the good-will of the Haverhill people all the same. It was intended as a pretty tribute to one of the best singers in New England; and, so far as the act itself was concerned, it stands just as well as though the presentation had taken place."

Miss Brown has sung in quite a number of the larger towns and cities of Ma.s.sachusetts, in which State she is scarcely less a favorite than in New Hampshire. She has appeared at concerts in company with some of the most eminent artists of the country (such as, for instance, Professor Eugene Thayer, J.F. Rudolphsen, Myron W. Whitney, Mrs. Julia Houston West, Mrs. H.M. Smith, and others), and always with fine success. In her own city and state she enjoys a popularity unequalled by any other cantatrice, her beautiful voice and many excellent traits of character winning her the warmest esteem of all. The people of Dover are very proud of her, and greatly delighted that one of their number is received with such marks of enthusiastic favor in other States. The Dover papers always readily record these triumphs, and proudly speak of her as "our prima donna."

In November, 1874, our subject sang in Steinway Hall, New York, and was highly complimented by several of the papers of that city.

"The Gazette," Nov. 4, 1874, said,--

"Miss Nellie Brown, born and bred among the lulls of New Hampshire, possesses a voice of rare power and beauty, which she has diligently labored to cultivate and improve by close and unremitting study. She has also a rare charm of manner, which, united with her exquisite singing, won for her an enthusiastic reception."

Another paper thus referred to her:--

"Miss Brown is not a New-Yorker, but resides at Dover, N.H., where she is the leading soprano in the princ.i.p.al church.

Her stage presence is quite prepossessing. She sang 'Salve Maria,' and 'Robert toi que j'aime,' with very good effect, besides a.s.sisting in several duets and quartets. She possesses a very good voice; and, although of light calibre, it is even now able to fill a hall like Steinway."

She has appeared at concerts in Washington, D.C., Portland, Me., Baltimore, Md., and St. John, N.B. In December, 1874, Miss Brown visited the national capital, where she sang in a series of concerts given in Lincoln Hall under the auspices of the Abt Society. Of the part taken by her in one of these "The National Republican" said,--

"'La Prima Vera,' by Miss Nellie E. Brown, was beautifully and artistically rendered, the lady possessing a beautiful, full, round voice, which blended harmoniously with the perfect ease and faultless execution which graced her performance. It being her first appearance before a Washington audience, the expectation formed of her excellence in an artistic sense was more than realized.

'n.o.body at Home but Me,' sung by the same lady in reply to an encore, more fully, if it were necessary, stamped her as an artist of the first cla.s.s."

I believe I have already intimated that the very high esteem in which Miss Brown is held arises not alone from her possession of charming lyric qualities, but also from her obliging disposition and engaging manners. She has ever been the true artist; earnestly devoted to the fullest development of her own musical powers, but not envying those of others; loving music intensely, as something sacred, and always anxious to aid in extending its benign influence. The people of Dover, of Haverhill, of Boston, and other places, hold her in grateful remembrance for a frequent exercise of those generous impulses that have caused her to often sing without charge at concerts given for the benefit of many good objects.

As one among her many acts to benefit the young, to inspire them with a love of the beautiful in music, I may refer to the "Centennial Musical Festival" originated by her, and given under her direction in Boston on the evenings of May 16 and 17, 1876. For these occasions she had carefully instructed fifty young girls to perform the beautiful cantata of "Laila, the Fairy Queen," a juvenile operetta. This charming composition is admirably adapted to inspire a love of the beautiful in art, and to nurture sentiments of Christian kindness. The following is in brief the plot:--

"A band of mountain children are collected to spend the summer day in singing, gathering flowers, and feasting around their table spread beneath the shadowy branches of the trees. They are interrupted by the approach of a beggar-woman and her children. A part of the children at first repulse her, offended at having their joyous festival thus interrupted: but one of them, Laila, steps forth with a mild rebuke to her playmates for their unkindness: she welcomes the poor mother and children, and bids them make known their wants. The other children soon join with Laila in speaking kindly to the poor wanderers; and, after they have told them their tale of sorrow, they are invited to the feast which the children have prepared, and all together go out with a merry song to where the table is spread. But Laila, the favorite of all, wandering off alone to cull some wild flowers, in the ardor of her search loses her way, and wanders about until night approaches; and then, as weary and frightened she finds herself in a dark forest, she kneels to ask aid from her good angel, when suddenly a little band of fairies with their queen glide into her presence, glittering in their robes of beauty; and, after her surprise is over, at her entreaty they conduct her to her playmates.

"The mountain children soon miss Laila, and all the afternoon they spend in fruitless search for her; and, as night approaches, they collect in the grove where they first a.s.sembled, and are expressing their grief and terror at the loss of Laila, when she is led in by the fairies and their queen, who steps forth, and announces to the children that they are the same ones, who, disguised as wretched beggars, came in the morning to prove the generosity of their hearts; and tells them never in future to hesitate to give the needy, for virtue is sure to be rewarded. All unite in a joyous song, and Laila is crowned their queen."

The many persons who were so fortunate as to witness the performance of those charming misses will not soon forget the delights that were thus afforded them, nor will they fail to remember most gratefully the lady to whose painstaking and n.o.ble efforts they are so much indebted for what was a rare treat.

I would fain attempt a description of the scene of dazzling beauty upon which our eyes feasted, and the music of the fresh young voices that fell delightfully upon our ears, and touched with gladdening effect each heart; but I forbear, and give place to the musical critic of "The Boston Journal," who, on May 17, said,--

... "The occasion was the presentation of the cantata of 'Laila' by fifty young ladies, under the direction of Miss Nellie E. Brown. The misses, ranging from five to fifteen years, possess very sweet voices; and the music was given with much taste, and a degree of artistic excellence reflecting great credit on Miss Brown's efforts.... The audience were greatly pleased with the rendering of the music.... While the singing was good, there was exhibited considerable dramatic art by some of the young ladies. The dresses worn are neat and pretty, the fairy costumes being very striking and appropriate. The stage, too, was neatly set; and there was quite a good spectacular effort in the representation of the fairy grotto."

At Haverhill, Ma.s.s., Dec. 13, 1876, Miss Brown again gave this operetta, when the fifty young ladies appearing were chosen from the high school of that city.

"The Haverhill Bulletin," Dec. 14, 1876, said,--

"The presentation of the operetta of 'Laila' at City Hall, on Wednesday evening, was a very gratifying success.... The whole affair was under the direction of Miss Nellie E.

Brown, the popular soprano of Grace Methodist-Episcopal Church. She was a.s.sisted by some fifty young ladies of this city; and the promptness and harmony with which all the arrangements of the affair were carried out, as well as the musical and dramatic talent displayed by them, are certainly very creditable both to her superintendence and their co-operation."

In the month of July, 1876, Miss Brown was engaged to sing at the "Great Sunday-school Parliament" held on Wellesley, one of the famous Thousand Islands, in the River St. Lawrence. The now much-lamented Professor P.P. Bliss (who had become so eminent as a composer of popular sacred songs), his talented wife, and Miss Brown, were the leading singers and soloists on the occasion mentioned. The two former failing to arrive in time, the musical exercises, which were of a very fine order, were arranged, and for a while conducted, by Miss Brown.

Mr. and Mrs. Bliss, however, arrived some time after the sessions had begun, and then partic.i.p.ated in the singing. At this memorable gathering of Christian people from all parts of the United States and Canada, Miss Brown, in the display of fine musical powers, won new laurels; and her charming singing was made the subject of frequent and very complimentary allusion by newspaper correspondents writing from the island. In a handsome volume since published by the director of the "Parliament," and which is a record of its proceedings, she is several times creditably mentioned.

The following is one of many like notices which the musical exercises mentioned elicited:--