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

DEATH O ALIE CATHEIUNI3

11A I _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 ant
thing else that fell from his pen, proclaim his
genius and perpetuate his name—that her geola..
warmth of expression found its highest medium f°',
display. As a singer of this particular class 01
music she was probably unsurpassed. It was here,
far more than in the Italian vocalization of which
she had made herself an accomplished adept, that
se
Catherine Hayes possessed the secret to charm ti'
crowd. In her own country she had but to give ,
national air and hold the audience spell-bowl
And no wonder, for surely the best judges of Whfl
is perfect Irish-ballad singing are the Irish POPio
themselves. When their favoured child-of-0118'r;
their Stephens and Jenny Lind in one, came forward
with an Italian " bravura"—a specimen of what °
had learned in her transalpine experience---thec
were proud of her, as of a countrywoman who, their
estimation, could rival the most practised nil°,
tresses of foreign art ; but it was not till the ballad
came—the simple national ballad—and the ne,tet
flowed with unstudied eloquence from her lips, that
they were frankly enchanted. Of the first, indeed,
for the most part they knew nothing, while the Oa
touched the innermost chord of their being, a.n,,
made it vibrate with delight. just as a promial
lad returned from school may afford a favourable
example of his scholastic attainments by delivering
a speech from Sallust, and then, to prove his vete
satility, recite some familiar lines from one of the
" household poets"— the first awakening the Frith
of his parents, the second transporting them /Iwo
far different emotions, and making them hare
less than conceited, so was it with Catherine Hay-
andA her countless Irish adorers. We, in Englaaw
are either too apathetic, or too plain-sailing---Pe if'
haps too cosmopolitan—to be much excited by
achievements of our compatriots under a fore'gu
clime. Who cared to know, for instance, that Oar:
Novello and Sim Reeves, long before they Ncera
famous here, had gained celebrity abroad? ha,
made the walls of the " Scala" ring with applaasd:
had broken through the sanctuary of the "Gelvati
haus," and invaded even the exclusive precinet° nf
,:
the " Salle Ventadour -With us it was in e
unaffected Irish, Scotch, or English ballad Ot
Catherine Hayes won nearly all her laurels-3°a
because of its contrast with her Italian ~ eavatlhaa
by which we were never very greatly impres°e:s
and to the faults of which our connoisseurs W'.
thoroughly alive, but because we like whatever .10
genuine for its own sake; and this was genuine
her. We are almost inclined to believe that
she had never been to Italy she would have been
$
still better and a purer singer, inasmuch as t',ts
she would have confined her ambition
legitimate sphere, and have cultivated to the 144,
est measure of perfection that especial branch of
11
in which nature had destined her to excel. APahs
from such considerations, however, in recording '4O
death of Catherine Hayes, at the early age ether
years, we have not merely to condole With, her
warm-hearted compatriots, who saw no fa
in in anything she did, who applauded her foreigo.
and worshipped her national song, but 111 $
the British public generally, who have lost e$
popular favourite, and one in an eminent deg
entitled to be regarded as a true and earn ea
artist. In private life the departed lady 0/11.,0
none but enthusiastic partisans ; for we believe
professor of the musical art ever reflected more 00°10
honour on her calling. Her career extended Oft.
some 20 years and upwards, during which °co
studied in Ireland under Signor Sapio, in Frallex
under Signor Manuel Garcia, and in Italy UPu,A.
Signor Felice Ronconi. Her public performa.o7,
abroad were commenced, we believe, at Marseill;
From Marseilles she proceeded to Milan; fr.e.„
Milan to Vienna ; thence to Venice and other Itaiwc.
towns. In 1849 she came to London with a fill;
class continental reputation ; and few amateurs CP"
have forgotten the flattering reception accorded t°
her when she appeared (with Mr. Sims Reeves) /It
_Linda di Chamouni at the Royal Italian Opera'
a
After two years in Great Britain Catherine IDYL
went to the United States, visited California, t 11;
Sandwich Islands, and subsequently Australia and
India. In these distant regions the fame she be
acquired in England was turned to profitable !e, j
count, and, everywhere "triumphant," she realised
a handsome fortune. On her return to &Pot,
she sang at the concerts presided over by the 1;t
M. Jullien at her Majesty's Theatie ; and sineatili.
period she has made tours in the provinces, eal';tir.
ally in Ireland, where her way may be said, 01014
out exaggeration, to have been paved with ;CO
and strewn with flowers. She was married in
to Mr. Bushnell, who had undertaken the 011Peevt
r /i
tendence of her professional business in the of
World. Her domestic happiness was, howeVeh'e'ep
very short duration, as she had for some years
„'ii);
a widow when she was herself called away, lea a ill
behind her a name alike respected in public aliiiso
private. She died on Monday night, at SYdetislp
after a short illness, resulting, as we enders
from the breaking of a blood-vessel.

gffik
ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.-M.R.
LOIV'S PROMENADE CONCERTS'

•
Mr. Mellon's annual series of concerts 1.1,00
menced last night, having been transferred
,cors
their former locality (the Floral Hall) to the "-to,
spaciius and important area of the adjacent the6ooo
The stage, pit, and stalls being levelled, fern: tli°
vast platform for promenaders and perfornier'erp
background being enclosed with white aroPoo
relieved with floral festoons, a la Jullieo• Dot
orchestra—including as it does many of tale of
members of the Royal Italian Opera band"..„'tl3o
first-rate excellence, and gave proof thereof u•ii,a,
performance of various instrumental pieces, °e,
ing the overture to " Der Freyschutz," Mender poi
Italian Symphony, and Mr. Mellon's Relti'n''ai4
11
matic College Quadrille--the latter
piece of dance music, instrumented with a" so
of
piquancy of effect which is proper to this elfleree
composition. The instrumental pieces were :Ole'
ably contrasted by the solo performances of "hot
C
Parepa and Madame Laura Baxter, and the evol
singing of 200 members of the National

Society. f
The choristers, under the conductorship °Dave
G. W. Martin, were placed in the amphitr. its
stalls, and gave evidence of their good traioll/P
several popular pieces.
The theatre was well attended without, ro'
overcrowded—that is to say, the visitors to the 146
menade portion were not jammed together cots
herrings in a barrel, a 3 we remember to have seats
in bygone Jullien days ; and while making
remark, it is satisfactory to note the manifest e
riority of the shilling visitors of last night tciii to
class which we have heretofore been accustooleio
see. The promenade portion of the Royal
Opera last night presented the appearance of a
class concert room, and certainly afforded eve
its'
in g Progress and the
Mr. Mellon's concerts refintilf f sic
neeni
en
o o prooff
music.
us. of the
m
fill up the interregnum:between the end of tlleigicol
mer and the, commencement of the winter 111'04
season ; and we trust ho will reap the resccle
which his enterprising management certaiall
serves.

DEACONESSES IN THE CHURCH OF ENG4Ol4„,PtCti°
It is reported that arrangements are in course of beitig,:di
to establish an institution of this kind, similar to one e'ep
in operation at Kenilworth, upon the following Plexi;
proposed that the institution shall consist of a presiee:o
chaplain (who shall be a married clergyman in Pri-004
orders), a head sister, other sisters, medical offleers't
assistants. The assistants' work will be, in the gredv 0
stance, ;to visit, under the superintendrince of the °levee 'ot4
very poor district near Euston-square, in the pariell.,°,4o,
Pancras. In addition to this it is proposed to take eirooo
as soon as possible, of a few sick persons within the :0114
of the institution, those being cposen whose cases ereiso to
'r
v'
hopeless or of an urlusually distressing nature. ioo9
dertaking has., it is said, obtainei the sanction •f the
of London, who has promised to recognise those englil 0211
it as deaconesses after due probation. It is also 13.0 P
he will Accept the office of visitor to the institutiou.

3 It INS

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