The Black Swan at Home and Abroad: or, A Biographical Sketch of Miss Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, the American VocalistAnonymous
General
The Black Swan at Home and Abroad: or, A Biographical Sketch of Miss Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, the American Vocalist
Anonymous
Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor, approximately 1819-1876
The concert at Concert Hall, last evening, delighted one of the largest
and most select audiences ever assembled in Burlington. Miss Greenfield
was received with much enthusiasm. It was, altogether, the best concert
ever given in this place. We learn that to-night is positively her last
in Burlington.
Greenfield, June 21, 1852.
Altogether the most artistic performance in the sphere of music, we
recollect ever having attended in this town, was given on Thursday
evening by Miss Elizabeth Greenfield, alias the "Black Swan." Her voice
possesses wonderful compass, is very rich, and is skilfully trained. She
is a most surprising vocalist, considered in whatever respect. The
violin performance, by Mr. Schmittroth, brought out tones more
astonishing than people in general supposed pine, catgut and rosin
capable of producing.
The whole entertainment was in the highest degree respectable, and
worthy of any audience in the world.
Brattleboro, Vt., June 23, 1852.
The "Black Swan," or Miss Elizabeth Greenfield, sang in Mr. Fisk's
beautiful new Hall on Wednesday evening last, to a large and intelligent
audience.
We had seen frequent notices in our exchanges, and were already
prepossessed in favour of the abilities and life purposes of our sable
sister; but after all we must say that our expectations of her success
are greater than before we had heard her sing, and conversed with her in
her own private room. She is not pretty, but plain for a coloured woman;
still she is gifted with a beauty of soul which makes her countenance
agreeable in conversation; and in singing, especially when her social
nature is called into activity, there is a grace and beauty in her
manner which soon make those unaccustomed to her race forget all but the
melody. We learned from her that she was trained by an old lady
belonging to the society of Friends. Her mistress, being a Friend,
Elizabeth took lessons in music privately. With only her wages to aid
her, she was rapidly acquiring knowledge in music in imitation of her
mistress' young relatives, when some one maliciously informed her
mistress, with the expectation of seeing an injunction laid upon her
self-culture. The old lady sent for Elizabeth, who came trembling into
her presence, expecting to be reprimanded for her pursuit of an art
forbidden by the Friends' discipline. "Elizabeth," said the old lady,
"is it true that thee is learning music, and can play upon the guitar?"
"It is true," she replied. "Go, bring thy guitar and let me hear thee
sing." Elizabeth did so, and when she had concluded her song was
astonished to hear her mistress say, "Elizabeth, whatever thee wants,
thee shall have." From that time her mistress was the patroness of her
earnest efforts for skill and knowledge in musical science.
Nature has done more for Miss Greenfield, than any musical prodigy we
have met, and art has marred her execution less.
From New England Miss Greenfield returned to Buffalo to enjoy a season
of rest and refreshment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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