Amy Sherwin
Encyclopedia
Amy Sherwin the 'Tasmanian Nightingale', was an Australian soprano
singer.
Frances Amy Lillian Sherwin was born at Forest Home, Huonville, Tasmania
, in 1855 and was taught singing by her mother.
On 1 May 1878 she appeared with an Italian opera company at Hobart, Tasmania as Norina in Don Pasquale
and made an immediate success. Proceeding to Melbourne
with the company she sang Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor
on 3 June 1878, and was received with great enthusiasm, though it was realized that her voice needed further training. During the next few weeks she appeared as the title role in Wallace's opera Maritana
, Leonora in Il Trovatore
, and in other leading parts.
Proceeding to America
in 1879 she created the part of Marguerite in the first performance in America of Hector Berlioz's
work, The Damnation of Faust
, in 1880. She studied under several masters both in America and in Europe, and appeared at the promenade concerts in London in 1883. In 1885 she sang at Covent Garden
and afterwards with the Carl Rosa Opera Company
.
In 1887-9 she toured Australia
, New Zealand
, Japan
, America and Germany
with much success, in 1896 had a tour in South Africa
, was in Australia again in 1897-8 and in 1902-3 toured with Kubelik. She subsequently revisited Australia, and in her later years taught singing at London where she died on 20 September 1935.
She married and was survived by a daughter. Madame Sherwin had an excellent light soprano voice and for a time had a successful career. She was optimistic and without any sense of business, and her last years were clouded by a struggle with sickness and poverty. In May 1934 about £200 was raised for her benefit at Hobart.
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
singer.
Frances Amy Lillian Sherwin was born at Forest Home, Huonville, Tasmania
Huonville, Tasmania
Huonville is a town on the Huon River, in the south-east of Tasmania, Australia. The town lies within the Huon Valley Council area. It lies 38 km south of Hobart on the Huon Highway. At the 2006 census, Huonville had a population of 1,806....
, in 1855 and was taught singing by her mother.
On 1 May 1878 she appeared with an Italian opera company at Hobart, Tasmania as Norina in Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The librettist Giovanni Ruffini wrote the Italian language libretto after Angelo Anelli's libretto for Stefano Pavesi's Ser Marcantonio ....
and made an immediate success. Proceeding to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
with the company she sang Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor....
on 3 June 1878, and was received with great enthusiasm, though it was realized that her voice needed further training. During the next few weeks she appeared as the title role in Wallace's opera Maritana
Maritana
Maritana is a grand opera in three acts composed by William Vincent Wallace, with a libretto by Edward Fitzball . The opera is based on the play Don César de Bazan by Adolphe d'Ennery and Philippe François Pinel Dumanoir , which was also the source material for Jules Massenet's opéra comique Don...
, Leonora in Il Trovatore
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
, and in other leading parts.
Proceeding to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1879 she created the part of Marguerite in the first performance in America of Hector Berlioz's
Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
work, The Damnation of Faust
The Damnation of Faust
La damnation de Faust , Op. 24 is a work for four solo voices, full seven-part chorus, large children's chorus and orchestra by the French composer Hector Berlioz. He called it a "légende dramatique"...
, in 1880. She studied under several masters both in America and in Europe, and appeared at the promenade concerts in London in 1883. In 1885 she sang at Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
and afterwards with the Carl Rosa Opera Company
Carl Rosa Opera Company
The Carl Rosa Opera Company was founded in 1873 by Carl August Nicholas Rosa, a German-born musical impresario, to present opera in English in London and the British provinces. The company survived Rosa's death in 1889, and continued to present opera in English on tour until 1960, when it was...
.
In 1887-9 she toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, America and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with much success, in 1896 had a tour in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, was in Australia again in 1897-8 and in 1902-3 toured with Kubelik. She subsequently revisited Australia, and in her later years taught singing at London where she died on 20 September 1935.
She married and was survived by a daughter. Madame Sherwin had an excellent light soprano voice and for a time had a successful career. She was optimistic and without any sense of business, and her last years were clouded by a struggle with sickness and poverty. In May 1934 about £200 was raised for her benefit at Hobart.
External references
- Deirdre Morris, 'Sherwin, Frances Amy Lillian (1855 - 1935)', Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
, Volume 6, Melbourne University Press, 1976, pp 120-121. - Amy Sherwin at the Significant Tasmanian Women site.
- Amy Sherwin at the D'Oyly Carte Opera CompanyD'Oyly Carte Opera CompanyThe D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
site. - Theatre in Melbourne 1888 and Theatre in Auckland 1888 provide details of Amy Sherwin's performances for 1888.