, 1885-01-02
HO HE IL.
Brief Biographical sketch of a Noted
singer.

EluEtT.
l There have been many inquiries COT
corning Handon Tilla, whose concert con
pany sing popular English ballads in tn
Opera House next Monday evening, 5
= that the following sketch from Frend'
> Weekly will prove of interest:
Hayden Tila was born of English par
ents, on the borders of Shropshire, Eng
land in 1910. From the age of ten t.
fourteen years he sang in n village choi
as principal boy soprano, during whisl
time he was taught the simple rudimentI
Of music. His voice changing at four
teen, the organist advised him not to sins
for four years. At eighteen his voice as
sumed a tenor quality, whcrcupon he
left home for Birmingham, where he had
the advantage of receiving lessons in sing
ing from the celebrated baritone, Henry
Phillip Whites. there he was engaged
for a series of concerts at the Town Hall,
runder the direction of Simpson, the or
ganist, who procured him an engagement
as singing walking gentleman at the
Theatre Royal. Stage manager Benson
took charge Of him, and taught him thor
oughly the stage business from the begin
ing. During his stay of three years in
this theatre he sang the musical parts in
all the Shakcspercan plays, with the fol-
lowing renowned artists of that day: Mr.,
and Mrs. Charles kuaa, Edmund Phelps.
G. V. Brooke, James Anderson, James
Bennett, Charles Dillon, Nandcnhoi1, the
elder Cathcart, I. c. King, Miss Glyn,
Fanny kemble and Others. Miss Glyn
showed great interest in young Tilla, and
gave him lessons in one of the greatest
beauties of singing, namely, clear and dis
tinct enumeration. From Birmingham
he made a tour through the provinces
with the famous comedian, +. Robson,
Of Olympic Theatre Qondon) fame, sing
ing the part of Hcrbct Corrol to his
well-known character, .Jcn Boggs. Dur
ing this tour, while playing at Leaning
ton, the musical play of Guy Manner
ing was performed, Tilla playing Henry
Bertrdm and Robson Dominic .Sdmpson.
One evening, during Tilla's singing of
Bishops beautiful balled. BE mine, dear
maid among the audience was the cele-
brated Doctor of Music, DIR. West, the
writer of ecclesiastical music. lie was so
delighted with the young tenor's voice
that he offered to give him instruction,
which tuition proved invaluable. After
the close of this engagement he Joined
CORR and Manelcy's opera companies,
singing with marvellous success, achieving
fame in every city. He than visited Lon
don, to hear Mario, Tambcrlik, Graziani,
Grisi, Patti, Cotogni, Clamp, Clara No
vello, Jenny Lind, Titiens, etc, while
there. lie was the successful competitor
out of nine for the position of choir-ma
ter at the principal church ofSt Andrews,
Newscastle-upon-Tyn which position
he filed successfully for two years, at the
end of which time he was enabled to leave
England for Italy, where placed himself
under the Maestro di Canto Sig. San
Giovanni, of the Conservative in Milan,
and under Maestro del Lorenizi, for the
Italian language. Here it was that he
acquired the method he now teaches.
After three years study he returned to
London and sang with success in concerts,
etc. in St. James Hall, Hanover Square
Rooms, st. Georges Hall, with all the
great artists of the day-Louisa Pyne,
Sainton Dolby, Lewis Thomas, Edith
Whynne, ETC., with CAM and Jules
Benedict as conductors. 1t was during
this period that he made the acquaint-
ance of Sig. Giglim, the famous tenor,
from whom he learned many valuable
points and ideas concerning the science
of producing the human voice, After
this he made the tour of Great Britain
for three years as the principal tenor in
English opera. with G. II. Cooper, the
v~iolinist and conductor. During this en-
gagement he was the original PoLuto in
the English production of Donizetti's
opera, ~ Martiri, or Christian
Martyrs" and also the original Carlo in
Auber's lie Part du Diablc.' He than
left England for America, sang SUCCESS
fully with lima di Murska who compli-
mented him on his splendid acting and
singing Of Elgaido in ''Lucli di Lam
mcrmoor," Faust and Trovatore."
He also sang with Maris Roze, Miss Kel-
logg, etc, throughout the United States
aud Canada, lauded everywhere by press
and public, who were unanimous in
praise of his singing and acting. Hayden
Tilla has sung the principal tenor roles of
over forty-seven operas in the English
language, besides the lighter operettas,
etc.
The voice which has served HIM faith
fully for twcnty-seven years still retains all
its freshness and vigor, and as a hint to
beginners in the beautiful art of singing,
so that they may take courage from his
experience, he has accomplished all this
without assistance from any one. Two
things have carried him successfully
through his arduOus artistic life, namely,
being gifted by Nature with a fine voice
and natural abilities, combined with a
pure love Of the art and an indomitable
will.
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