Music and Some Highly Musical PeopleTrotter, James M.
History
Music and Some Highly Musical People
Trotter, James M.
African American musicians -- Biography; African Americans -- Music
A few years ago, while attending a private school in Dover, Miss
Caroline Bracket, a teacher in the same, noticing that Miss Brown
possessed a naturally superior voice, earnestly advised its fullest
cultivation. This lady became her first music-teacher. Diligently
pursuing her studies, she made rapid progress. Being induced to take
part in occasional school and other concerts, our subject soon became
quite prominent in Dover as a vocalist, and was engaged in 1865 to
sing in the choir of the Free-will Baptist church of that city. Here
she remained until November, 1872; at which time, having learned of
Miss Brown's fine vocal powers, the members of Grace Church,
Haverhill, Mass, earnestly invited her to become the leading soprano
in their choir, offering her a liberal salary, besides the payment of
her travelling-expenses twice each week between Dover and Haverhill.
This very complimentary invitation she accepted; and for four years
her fine singing and engaging manners rendered her deservedly popular
with the members and attendants of the church mentioned,--people of
fine Christian and general culture,--as well as of the citizens of
Haverhill generally, before whom, in the public halls, she sang on
several occasions.
She remained in Haverhill until November, 1876; when, on the
completion of the new Methodist-Episcopal church at Dover,--the
largest and finest church in the city,--she was induced to become a
member of its choir. Not, however, until after a severe struggle did
the Grace-church people relinquish their claims to the accomplished
vocalist. They say that they will yet have her back with them. At
present, Miss Brown is directress of the choir in Dover which I have
just mentioned.
I have thus given a rapid sketch of our subject's career as a
choir-singer; a career which, it is seen, has been a most gratifying
one. But her musical achievements have not been made alone in the
positions and places mentioned: in others, near and far, she has
displayed such abilities as a songstress as to have won golden
opinions of those composing her many large and cultivated audiences,
while the press have awarded her the highest praise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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