THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.
421
Despite all discouragement, woman as a composer is getting to be a known quantity. Mme. Marie Bird de Marion is a publisher of music in Chicago, and among her own meritorious compositions is a lullaby recently issued, which is meeting much praise.
All nationalities have had their singers. Nilsson and Jenny Lind were the pride of the Swedish people. Of the latter an eminent divine of New York said recently in a sermon: “ I once paid six dollars to hear Jenny Lind warble. I have never paid a cent to hear anyone groan.” As lyric artists women have commanded the largest pay ever accorded the sex for anything. Thousands of dollars for a single evening’s performance has been given Nilsson, Patti, and others. * * *
Even the African race has had its “Black Swans;” and of our own American songsters the names of Emma Abbott, Clara Louise Kellogg, Emma Thursby, Minnie Hauk, Jessie Bartlett Davis, our own Illinois contralto, but begin the list of those who have attained distinction. Among those who have already shown what women can do in composition are: Liza Schumann, of London, who writes for the piano and voice, and sings beautifully herself; Miss Ellicott, daughter of the bishop of Gloucester, in England, who has written some fine cantatas; Miss Smith, the protege of the Empress Eugenie; Maud Valeri Whilt, who composes religious works; Augusta Holmes, an Irish girl living in Paris, who composes ballads and symphonic poems with great success; the Countess Tolstoi, of Russia, who has written some excellent songs; Mrs. H. H. A. Beach, of Boston, who writes great dramatic arias for the voice and orchestra; Mme. Bandman, of Vienna, whose church music is very popular; Miss Helen Hood, of Boston, who wrote those beautiful songs, “ Disappointment” and “The Violet;” Miss Margaret Ruthven Lang, of Boston, whose compositions are quite pretentious; Miss Clara Kathleen Rogers, of Boston, who wrote “The Clover Blossom,” besides many other songs and sonatas for piano and violin; Mile. Chaminade, Miss Gertrude Griswold, Helen Hopekirk, and Eleanor Smith.” To these let us add the names of Caroline Richings Bernard, the celebrated singer and composer of many gems, prominent among which is “Oh Word of God Incarnate;” Isadore De Laro, who is the author of “The Garden of Sleep”—a rare bit of melody; Mrs. E. R. Johnson, Mrs. Le Moncrieff and Edith Cooke. As regards the lyric songsters, their voices live after them in memory only. They instinctively feel the incentive to work now; to be heard and known now. The future is not theirs.
Composers and poets are content to wait. They are not in such haste for recognition. Their works do follow them. Their tuneful children will speak for them, if worthy of perpetuation, long after they are gone from earth.
We have omitted to mention the name of Lady Carew, wife of Sir Henry Carew, whose setting to music of “ The Bridge,” by Longfellow, is regarded as the most fitting melody of the eight or ten by other composers. She also wrote much sacred verse, in addition to her musical compositions, “Revenge of Injuries” being one of the best known.
Miss Anna Sneed (now Mrs. Cairn), of St. Louis, has the honor of being regarded the most successful person in placing appropriate music to Tennyson’s “Break, Break O Sea!” The very sobbing of the winds and beating of the waves upon the beach can be heard. Mrs. Julia B. Metcalf, of Nebraska City, evinces decided musical taste and talent as a composer, her melody and accompaniment to Poe’s “Annabel Lee” being especially fine and original.
Missionaries in heathen lands sent sweet, tender hymns, written by converts to Christ. What can be dearer to the Christian heart than “In the secret of His presence, how my soul delights to hide;” “Who will go for us?” and “Harken! hear an Indian sister’s plea,” when it is known they are by Ellen L. Goreh, a Brahman of the highest caste, whose people were not accessible to missionary teaching until woman crossed the blue main as a teacher and messenger? This heathen convert is the adopted daughter of Rev. W. T. Strers.
Mrs. Voke has written more hymns bearing upon foreign missionary work than