Musical Times Publications Ltd.

Review Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 45, No. 732 (Feb. 1, 1904), p. 114 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/902861 Accessed: 18-10-2015 19:04 UTC

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This content downloaded from 159.178.22.27 on Sun, 18 Oct 2015 19:04:24 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 114 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-FEBRUARY 1, 1904. while by no means difficultof execution, are calculated to keep a choir alert. Dr. Eaton Faning always writes with keen perception Obttuarp. of what is effective,and this fact will doubtless encourage choirs to the absolute demanded acquire precision in the MADAME ANTOINETTE STERLING. contrapuntal portions of his anthem 'Except the Lord build With we the house.' The design includes passages for semi-chorus and regret record the death of Madame Antoinette for basses in unison, while towards the close the soprano Sterling,which took place at 70, Belsize Park Gardens, voices are divided into two parts whereby effective vocal , on the ioth ult. She was born at Sterlingville, contrast is obtained. in the State of New York, and she could trace her descent The two anthems by Greene and Walmisley, it need fromthe familyof JohnBradford, the martyrburnt at scarcely be said, are not new; that by Dr. Greene has Smithfieldin 1555, throughWilliam Bradford,one of the been edited and furnished with an organ accompaniment first company of the Pilgrim Fathers who crossed the Atlantic in at the experienced hands of Mr. John E. West, and that by 'The Mayflower' and who became the second Thomas Attwood Walmisley is a revised octavo edition of one Governor of Plymouth Colony, New . of the finestof this esteemed composer's anthems. Dr. Greene's As a child AntoinetteSterling possessed a remarkable ' 0 God of my righteousness' opens with a duet for soprano voice, which subsequentlysettled into a contraltoof great and tenor, the parts for which are written in imitation and richness and volume. She studied under Signor Abella at New York in the possess much musical interest. This is followed by solos for year 1867. In the following year she tenor and soprano, the latter requiring careful singing. The crossed the Atlantic, and some special research we have made conclusion is a spirited chorus in free counterpoint. These in regard to this her firstvisit to Europe may clear up some anthems-by two eminent masters of English church music mis-statements.She arrivedin England in i868, and took -imperatively demand a well-trained and intelligent choir some lessons, given gratuitously, from Mr. (now Dr.) W. to do them justice; but the care and attention necessary to H. Cummings. He foresaw that she would make a their study will be well repaid by those whose privilege greatersinger of ballads than exponentof oratorio,and the it is to sing them. For the benefit of any who are not told her so ; at same time he urged her, as she had some acquainted with Walmisley's fine compositions, it may be knowledgeof the language,to take up thesinging of German said that this Thanksgiving anthem, 'If the Lord himself,' Lieder. Furthermore, he invited some of the critics to contains a fine bass solo, and concludes with an imposing his house in order that they might hear her sing, but Hallelujah chorus in fugal form. she received no engagements. Whether this was before or after she studied (in that same year, I868) in at and Pauline PART-SONGS. Germany-under Madame Marchesi, Cologne, Viardot, at Baden-Baden-we are unable to ; but we I love a Lass. Words Wither and Love and say by George ; have traced some public appearances of the American Beauty. Words by Robert Greene. Composed by W. 11. contralto in the her in London Bell. provinces. During sojourn she stayed with Miss Elizabeth Philp, the song com- Woodman, Shepherds, come away. Words by James Shirley; whom she on a concert tour in the and Love. Edmund poser, accompanied Lacking my Words by Spenser. West of in the autumn of At Falmouth, E. West. England I868. Composed by John Miss two concerts were given on me Words and Let me the Philp's birthplace, Charm asleep. by Herrick; and 24. In a notice of the former of these the clink. Words from 'Othello.' August I12 canakin Shakespeare's Falmouth Packet stated :-' " The Irish ride," a ballad B. McEwen. King's Composed by John also by Miss Philp (which we have heard is a great favourite [Novello and Company, Limited.] in London) was magnificentlysung by Miss Sterling, who Mr. W. H. Bell has writtena distinctive setting forS. A.T. B. fairly electrified the audience with the rich, 'full, contralto of George Wither's quaint little poem on a faithless fair one. tones that floated fromher lips. This giftedyoung artist was The part-writingis interesting,having the modern tendency applauded in everything she sang, and twice encored.' The to let the harmonic scheme grow out of the independent advertisement of the second concert announced her as ' course of each voice, while change of sentiment or thought is Miss Sterling, the eminent contralto from New York, and suggested by juxtaposition of distantly-relatedkeys. Those who has created such a fiurore throughout Germany.' so contrasted in this piece are the major keys of A, C, and E, Therefore, it seems that she had previously appeared in with a Coda in the initial key consisting of four bars, public in the Fatherland and with success. She sang at a a repetition of the close of the first verse, which has a concert at Truro, at Bury St. Edmund's (on September 17), humorous effect. The composition is decidedly clever. and probably elsewhere. The same method is pursued in 'Love and Beauty,' a In 1873 Dr. Cummings, who heard her sing in Ward notably effective harmonic transition from G minor to Beecher's Tabernacle, at New York, urged her to visit A major being made at the words 'until he die,' followed England again, and promised to do all he could on her by a quick return to the initial key of F. The subsequent behalf. She soon came to London, and made it her home. passage will require a nice balance of tone, the alto and The firstformal appearance of Madame Sterling took place tenor parts being embroideries of melodic themes which at the Promenade Concerts, Theatre, under should be given out more prominently by the sopranos Rivibre's auspices, on Guy Fawke's Day, 1873. Although a and basses. 'Classical night' (conducted by Benedict), the American Mr. John E. West has adopted the old style of writing singer showed some pluck in singing Bach's 'Cradle Song' in setting music to James Shirley's and Edmund Spenser's (from the 'Christmas Oratorio') at a Promenade Concert in a poems, and not without good reason, for they date respec- those unregenerate days; but she immediately scored a due to her weird in- tively from the I6th and 17th centuries. 'Woodman, tremendous success, not little Shepherds, come away' is a vivacious part-song abounding terpretation of Hullah's 'The Three Fishers.' Curiously in ingenious contrapuntal devices and effective entrances enough, however, the newspapers of the day are silent for the voices, but it will need careful practice and as to her appearance! Engagements rapidly poured in great crispness of attack to do it justice. 'Lacking my upon her-the Crystal Palace, Sacred Iarmonic, Phil- Love' makes less demands on its executants, but it is not harmonic, the ' Pops.,' and other leading concert institutions less interestingon that account, and it has the merit of being being eager to secure her services. She also sang at the flowingand expressive. concerts given nightlyby Messrs. Novello in the Royal Albert Mr. John B. McEwen's part-songs are excellent specimens Hall during the autumn of 1874, and at the Gloucester ' of their kind. Charm me asleep' is a beautiful setting of Festival of the same year. She wisely relinquished oratorio Herrick's lines, the music is pleasing and graceful,and richly singing, and devoted her energies to ballads, in the rendering harmonized. It might fulfilthe poet's request and make one of which she made a great reputation. She introduced such weep, but certainly not sleep. 'Let me the canakin clink' favourite songs-most of which were specially composed for is a direct contrast to the foregoing. Bright, breezy and her-as Sullivan's 'Lost Chord' (first sung at the Ballad bold, the music is as full of reckless jollity as are the lines, Concert of Messrs. Boosey, St. James's Hall, January 31, and the roulades which finish each verse put the finishing 1877), Cowen's 'The Better Land,' Molloy's 'Darby and touch to an exhilarating and attractive composition. Joan,' and Barnby's ' When the tide comes in,' &c.

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