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
At this period she received the following communication:
Buffalo, February 23, 1853.
Having learned that Miss Greenfield is about to visit Europe on a
musical tour, as well as with a view to the artistic improvement of
her vocal powers, the undersigned take this opportunity of
tendering to her a complimentary benefit prior to her departure, as
a testimonial in favour of her unprecedented natural powers of
voice, and also as an earnest of the due appreciation by our fellow
citizens, generally, of the liberal aid rendered by her on a former
occasion, to one of the most worthy objects of charity in our city;
and we trust that the announcement of a concert by Miss Greenfield,
will be responded to by a full house on the occasion.
H. E. Howard, James Hollister, Geo. Coit, M. J. Cadwallader, Henry
W. Rogers, G. B. Rich, A. J. Rich, E. S. Skudding, E. P. Beals, Ira
Osburi, Matthew Wilson, Nelson Randall, G. S. Hazard, H. B. Potter,
A. Ramsey, S. S. Gawson, Jos. G. Mastra, Samuel F. Pratt, C. F. S.
Thomas, Hiram Barton, H. J. Impsay, Geo. W. Houghton, James
Wadsworth, William Webster, Geo. C. White, Wm. Fisk, Edwin Thomas,
Wm. Carland, Geo. Davis, Cyrus P. Lee, G. W. Rounds, T. M.
Parmalee, Lewis C. Hodges, H. N. Loomis, H. C. Walker, C. E. Young,
L. R. Plimpton, Jas. L. Reynolds, Wm. A. Seaver.
The concert took place the 7th of March, 1853. The success of this
concert may be inferred from the following note:
Buffalo, March 8, 1853.
To MISS ELIZABETH T. GREENFIELD:--
I was at your concert last night, and cannot withhold my meed of
praise, or refrain from mentioning to you the immense delight it
afforded me to hear so truly a magnificent voice, as that which the
good Creator has bestowed upon you. It did indeed come "sweetly
o'er my senses stealing." If I was enchanted with your "Entreat me
not," and enraptured with the aria from "Garcia," how perfectly
amazed was I at the basso of the Rover's song! I trembled for you,
thinking every moment that you should fail; while at the same time
I knew that one of the chief charms of your voice, is the perfect
ease and freedom from effort, which you appeared to possess.
There is one thing which Miss Greenfield must allow a stranger to
suggest--and it is on the subject of her dress. The dress itself
was handsome, but why wear that _white lace bertha_? Some bright
rich colour would suit so much better--or something darkly
delicate; indeed, before a European audience, I think Miss
Greenfield might adopt the _Oriental style_ of dress with the best
effect.
Hoping, then, for Miss Greenfield the utmost success in her
projected European tour, I remain her obedient well-wisher,
G.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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