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
While a leading member of the choirs before alluded to, and while
winning encomiums that perhaps would, have turned the heads, so to
say, of many, and caused them to have relaxed that assiduous and
scientific study so necessary to the attainment of complete success,
Miss Brown continued a zealous student of her much-loved art, being
ever resolved to cultivate her voice to the highest point of
excellence. _Apropos_ of this, I may mention that she once wrote a
friend as follows: "My motto is 'Excelsior.' I am resolved to give
myself up wholly to the study of music, and endeavor, in spite of
obstacles, to become an accomplished artist." It may be observed, that
none but those who are actuated by the most noble motives, and who
give utterance to them in words of such inspiring earnestness as
these, _do_ become "accomplished artists."
Deciding, then, to secure the fullest development of her voice, and to
gain those acquirements that belong to a technical education, living
within a few hours' ride of Boston, she here became first a pupil of
Mrs. J. Rametti, and afterwards entered one of the great
conservatories, where she was placed under the guidance of Professor
O'Neill, a gentleman highly esteemed as a teacher of voice-culture.
She had not long been connected with the New-England Conservatory of
Music, when its director requested her to appear at the quarterly
concerts of that institution that were held in Music Hall. Here on two
occasions, before large and highly-cultivated audiences, with
beautiful voice, correct method of expression, and ease and grace of
stage deportment,--singing, in Italian, music of a high order,--Miss
Brown won the most enthusiastic applause. Predictions of her complete
success as a brilliant lyric artist were freely made by many
connoisseurs. But these have not been her only appearances in Boston.
She has many times sung at concerts in the finest music-halls of the
city, before many critical audiences; her charming rendition of the
numerous English, Italian, French, Scotch, and Irish songs in her rich
_repertoire_ making her one of Boston's favorite cantatrices.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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