The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-13 00:00:00

DEATH OF MADAME C.ATHBRINB

BAY ES.

•
In Catherine Hayes Ireland has lost one of the
sweetest singers of its national airs. A daughter
of the sister isle, she was thoroughly imbued with
the spirit of its melody : and it was in the alter;
nately wild and tender melodies which have inspired
so many poets—and foremost among them Thomas
Moore, whose " Irish Melodies," more than all,:
thing else that fell from his pen, proclaim 11
genius and perpetuate his name—that her gen,,ittr
warmth of expression found its highest medium °,
display. As a singer of this particular class
music she was probably unsurpassed. It was here'
far more than in the Italian vocalization of whic.t
she had made herself an accomplished adept, thl'ie
Catherine Hayes possessed the secret to charmt
crowd. In her own country she had but to give i;
national air and hold the audience spell-boust
And no wonder, for surely the best judges of Whale
is perfect Irish-ballad singing are the Irish 13e°P
themselves. When their favoured child-of-1
their Stephens and Jenny Lind in one, came forniro
with an Italian " bravura"—a specimen of what,s
had learned in her transalpine experience
--tue(r
were proud of her, as of a countrywoman who, it' theis,
estimation, could rival the most practised In a
tresses of foreign art ; but it was not till the Willie
came—the simple national ballad—and the Iltt
flowed with unstudied eloquence from her lips, t'd,
they were frankly enchanted. Of the first, indee
,t
for the most part they knew nothing, while the ,
touched the innermost chord of their being, 111/a,
made it vibrate with delight. Just as a prennisin,be
lad returned from school may afford a favourable
example of his scholastic attainments by delivers
a speech from Sallust, and then, to prove his lee
,il
satility, recite some familiar lines from one of de
" household poets"—the first awakening the Priah
of his parents, the second transporting them scro,
far different emotions, and making them hapPY 11,g
less than conceited, so was it with Catherine gales
and her countless Irish adorers. We, in Englau
are either too apathetic, or too plain-sailing--Pe,;
haps too cosmopolitan—to be much excited by t'
achievements of our compatriots under a foray
:
clime. Who cared to know, for instance, that Clare
Novelle and Sim Reeves, long before they We e
famous here, had gained celebrity abroad? 11°,
made the walls of the " Scala" ring with apPlailsd,
had broken through the sanctuary of the "Gewati
haus," and invaded even the exclusive precincts nf
18
the " Salle Ventadour ?" With us it was in is
unaffected Irish, Scotch, or English ballad tilf:
Catherine Hayes won nearly all her laurels-45 t
because of its contrast with her Italian "
by which we were never very greatly impress re
and to the faults of which our connoisseurs Weio
thoroughly alive, but because we like whatever
genuine for its own sake ; and this was genuine
her. We are almost inclined to believe that 1,
she had never been to Italy she would have beta
still better and a purer singer, inasmuch as ,
she would have confined her ambition within "ir
legitimate sphere, and have cultivated to the higrt
est measure of perfection that especial branch °f at
in which nature had destined her to excel. APa
top
death such considerations, however, in recording '4O
death of Catherine Hayes, at the early age °f
Der
years, we have not merely to condole with,
li
warm-hearted compatriots, who saw no Wo
in anything she did, who applauded her forei.o
and worshipped her national song, but scl
the British public generally, who have lest eo
popular favourite, and one in an eminent deg
entitled to be regarded as a true and earnet ei
artist. In private life the departed lady o°o4
none but enthusiastic partisans ; for we believe ;1
professor of the musical art ever reflected more secie
honour on her calling. Her career extended (130
some 20 years and upwards, during which sco
studied in Ireland under Signor Sapio, in Fraeo
under Signor Manuel- Garcia, and in Italy 119aeo
Signor Felice Ronconi. Her public performane,
abroad were commenced, we believe, at Marseille'
From Marseilles she proceeded to Milan ; frcy4
Milan to Vienna ; thence to Venice and other IWO;
towns. In 1849 she came to London with a first
class continental reputation ; and few amateurs 0'
have forgotten the flattering reception accordecl,tll
her when she appeared (with Mr. Sims Reeves)',,
Linda di Chamouni at the Royal Italian °Per
After two years in Great Britain Catherine 119/1-0
went to the United States, visited California, t a
Sandwich Islands, and subsequently Australia 5110
India. In these distant regions the fame she 1/0,
acquired in England was turned to profitahieilea
count, and, everywhere " triumphant," she realispa
a handsome fortune. On her return to Engle is
she sang at the concerts presided over by the bot
M. Jullien at her Majesty's Theatre ; and since t
period she has made tours in the provinces, esP:tir
ally in Ireland, where her way may be said, 1100
out exaggeration, to have been paved with ~gB6l
and strewn with flowers. She was married in ir
to Mr. Bushnell, who had undertaken the suPerof
<
tendence of her professional business in the of
World. Her domestic happiness was, howevehree'
very short duration, as she had for some Years ;.4
a widow when she was herself called away, lea
behind her a name alike respected in public an
a 0
private. She died on Monday night, at SYde°,h:odi
after a short illness, resulting, as we unders`-
from the breaking of a blood-vessel.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.--31R.Off
LOA'S PROMENADE CONCERTS'

o
Mr. Mellon's annual series of concerts (col
menced last night, having been transferred ore
their former locality (the Floral Hall) to the Intre,
spaci )us and important area of the adjacent thesoo6
The stage, pit, and stalls being levelled, form the
vast platform for promenaders and perforniell'ery,
background being enclosed with white drsPTIO
relieved with floral festoons, a la Stacy• befit
orchestra—including as it does many of the .9 or
members of the Royal Italian Opera band'l the
first-rate excellence, and gave proof thereof b110j•
performance of various instrumental pieces, lecido
ing the overture to " Der Freyschutz," Mtncleisi °pile
Italian Symphony, and Mr. Mellon's Iterl'ol.oo
matic College Quadrille—the latter a br'-tlllO,
piece of dance music, instrumented with a"
so 0
piquancy of effect which is proper to this els ter
composition. The instrumental pieces were ffdile.
ably contrasted by the solo performances of
bo
Parepa and Madame Laura Baxter, and the c 001
singing of 200 members of the National Ch
Society.
The choristers, under the conductorship of ore
G. W. Martin, were placed in the amphithe ifl
stalls, and gave evidence of their good training
several popular pieces.
bei°s
The theatre was well attended without
overcrowded—that is to say, the visitors to the
ll~x. 0
menade portion were not jammed together ep
herrings in a barrel, as we remember to have
thio
in bygone Sullien days ; and while making e,
remark, it is satisfactory to note the manifest OP,
;
class which we have heretofore been accustotnei.o
riority of the shilling visitors of last night t° °in
see. The promenade portion of the Royal 10•1:0
Opera last night presented the appearance of a 11'01"0,
class concert room, and certainly afforded. 3 cin,
wincing proof of the
Mr. progressm e,Mellon's
n as n
concerts
nt
cheer refiningts w
ot jly,
fluenco of music.
a
fill up the interregnutnbetween the end of thesl:ol
mer and the commencement of the winter niusortl
season; and we trust he will reap the reWde
which his enterprising management certainly
serves.

•
DEACONESSES IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAI"j‘jO
It is reported that arrangements are in course of being 19)1
to establish an institution of this kind, similar to one alt is
in operation at Kenilworth, upon the following plan'
'
proposed that the institution shall consist of a presideoyo
chaplain (who shall be a married clergyman in Priet%l
orders), a head sister, other sisters, medical officers/t 1
.0.
assistants. The assistants' work will be, in the firs
stance, Ito visit, under the superintendence of the clergPst,
very poor district near Euston-square, in the
take char ell 0
Pancras. In addition to this it is proposed to take ehlso
as soon as possible, of a few sick persons wit'lin the 13'.°00€
of the institution, those being cposen whose cases are el 0,
hopeless or of an" unusually distressing nature. ;dioP
dertaking it is said, obtained the sanction of the
we-ci
of L3ndon, who has promised to recognise those all tio
it as deaconesses after due probation. It is also hoPc
he will accept the office of visitor to the iztatitutio32'

_ AO
.111 R. '-
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tutioTa.