Part 19 (1/2)
The Misses Hyers, although fully recognizing all this, were not to be daunted by it; and they therefore chose an ambitious, but what proved to be a wise course: they at first appeared at Tremont Temple before a select circle of musical connoisseurs. At this test performance, Mr.
Eben Tourjee, Mr. P.S. Gilmore, and others of the highest musical ability in Boston, were, by invitation, present. Before the Misses Hyers began to sing, Mr. Tourjee said that they would be judged by the same standards as would be Nilsson or Kellogg. Mr. Hyers, speaking for his daughters, readily a.s.sented to this: and the sequel proved that his confidence was well founded; for all became satisfied, after hearing them sing, that these young ladies had not been too highly praised by the press of other cities. Said Mr. Gilmore, ”These ladies promise much that is great.”
But the following, taken from one of the Boston papers appearing the day after the performance just referred to, best describes the effect of the same on those present:--
”We were invited with some fifty other persons this forenoon to hear the singing of two colored young ladies, named Anna and Emma Hyers, of San Francisco, at the Meionaon. They are aged respectively sixteen and fourteen years, and, after a casual inspection, may be called musical prodigies. They are, without doubt, destined to occupy a high position in the musical world.
”Anna sings not only alto, but tenor, and both with great excellence. They sang 'Ah forsetui' [Transcriber's Note: 'Ah, fors'e lui'] from 'Traviata,' 'M'appari' from 'Martha,' and the 'Miserere' from 'Trovatore,' each with remarkable clearness and accuracy, and surprised all with the general skill they displayed. Anna has also the faculty of reaching E flat above the staff. Judging from present data, they are on a par vocally with our better concert-singers; and a further hearing may place them in rank with more pretentious vocalists.”
Having at this _musicale_ satisfied the critics, they were spoken of in words of warmest praise by the public press; and their subsequent performances in Boston created, after all, the same enthusiasm as that awakened in the West and in New York. I copy from ”The Boston Journal”
the following:--
”The young California singers, Miss Anna and Emma Hyers, gave their last concert at Tremont Temple last evening. The audience was both large and enthusiastic; and a duet from 'I Masnadieri,' 'Home, Sweet Home,' by Miss Anna, a duet from 'La Traviata,' a cavatina from 'Lucia di Lammermoor,' and 'The Last Rose of Summer,' also by Miss Anna, appeared to give great satisfaction. The young ladies have made a very marked impression in their concerts here.... Mr. Wallace King has a pure, sweet tenor voice of remarkable compa.s.s, and sings with excellent taste.”
In Boston they made many warm personal friends, receiving from many of its most cultured people very flattering attentions; and here, too, were pointed out to them, in a candid and friendly spirit, such slight defects in their voices, or manner of singing, as only those skilled in the highest _technique_ of the musical art could detect. All such suggestions were readily received by the young ladies, who, acting upon the same, made much advancement in the technical requirements of the lyrical art. They lingered long in Boston, being loath to leave its congenial art-circles, and to leave behind its many facilities for improvement in their profession.
Finally deciding to start again on their travels, they visited many of the towns and cities of Ma.s.sachusetts, and sang also in the princ.i.p.al cities of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Their singing everywhere gave the utmost satisfaction; and cultivated New England confirmed, in words of highest praise, the verdict of the West and of New York.
A writer in ”The Springfield (Ma.s.s.) Republican” thus spoke of the troupe:--
”One of the largest, and certainly one of the best pleased audiences of the whole season, attended the concert of the Hyers sisters at the Opera House last evening. The voice of the soprano, Miss Anna Hyers, is beautifully pure and liquid in its higher range; and she sings notes far above the staff with the utmost ease, where most sopranos gasp and shriek.
So easily, indeed, does she sing them, that few persons are aware of the dizzy vocal heights which she scales. Mr. King possesses that great rarity, a _real_ tenor voice, pure and sweet, and of great compa.s.s. But the charm of the concert consisted not so much in individual excellence as in the combination of the voices in some wonderfully fine four-part singing. Nothing in this line so exquisite as the 'Greeting to Spring' (Strauss' 'Beautiful Blue Danube' waltz vocalized) has been heard in Springfield for many a year.
The voices were as one; the shading was perfect; the modulations were absolutely pure and true; melody and harmony were alike beautiful.”
At Worcester, Ma.s.s., the performances of the company created a decided excitement in musical circles and among the people generally. ”The Daily Press” of that city referred to the performance of the troupe in the following complimentary manner:--
”A larger audience than that of last Sat.u.r.day evening greeted the Hyers sisters at Mechanics' Hall last evening.
The programme was a new one, with the exception of the 'Greeting to Spring,' which was repeated by request, and was enthusiastically received. The 'Excelsior' of Messrs. King and Luca, the 'Cavatina Linda' of Miss Anna Hyers, the 'Sleep Well' of Mr. King, and the 'Non e'ver' [Transcriber's Note: 'Non e ver'] of Miss Emma Hyers, were encored, as well as nearly all the quartets. The quartet-singing was unaccompanied, and was the finest that has been heard in this city for years. The voices blended beautifully, and were full of expression. Nor can too high praise be bestowed upon the soprano and tenor. They showed great cultivation, and a quality of voice rarely equalled.”
While they were in Connecticut, ”The Daily Union” of New Haven remarked,--
”New Haven has but rarely heard such extraordinary artists, or reaped so much benefit as from their concerts.”
And ”The Providence (R.I.) Journal” said,--
”Seldom in the history of our pleasure-seeking has it been our good fortune to enjoy an hour of such exquisite pleasure as we were blessed with on the occasion of our attending a concert given here, a short time since, by the Hyers sisters.”
Our talented artists had now acquired throughout New England a fame so fair, that Mr. P.S. Gilmore felt warranted in inviting them to appear at the great Peace Jubilee concerts; and here, before an audience of fifty thousand people, and in the company of several of the great solo-vocalists of the world, surrounded by a chorus of twenty thousand voices and an orchestra of one thousand performers, these gifted girls occupied a proud position, reflecting upon themselves and all with whom they were identified additional honors.
During the winter of 1875, the Hyers troupe several times appeared (on Sunday evenings) on the Boston-Theatre stage in sacred concerts, supported by a select orchestra of forty performers, all under the management and conductors.h.i.+p of that fine musician and prince of gentlemen, Mr. Napier Lothian, leader of the Boston-Theatre orchestra. At these concerts the music rendered was mostly cla.s.sical; although the programmes contained also numbers of a popular character,--such as were suited to the tastes of the large, miscellaneous audiences in attendance,--which showed to the highest advantage the versatility of talent and extensive musical resources of the troupe. The writer recalls with much pleasure the delightful emotions which, on one of the evenings alluded to, were awakened in his breast by the very graceful stage appearance and the divine harmony produced by these accomplished musicians; for when not thrilled alone by their music, so faultlessly, so sweetly rendered, he could not repress the thoughts that came forcibly into his mind, of not only how much these n.o.ble artists were doing for the cause of pure music, but for that other righteous one,--the breaking-down of a terribly cruel prejudice, founded on the accident, so to speak, of the color of the face.
The concerts just alluded to, it is needless to say, brought out the warmest praises of the Boston journals. It is unnecessary, after the numerous comments, so highly eulogistic, already given, to quote what would only be a repet.i.tion of the same.
The Misses Hyers have, since the events heretofore mentioned, visited most of the cities and towns of the State of Maine. In that State they are great favorites, and sing always to large and delighted audiences.
”In Lewiston,” says ”The Folio,” ”they received at a concert thirteen encores; and at Auburn a full house was gotten out on a half-day's notice.”
It would be pleasant to follow the Misses Hyers into that other walk of art, the drama, which they have of late been pursuing so successfully, were such a course within the province of this book; but, as it is not, we will only briefly state, in concluding this sketch, that they have lately, with an enlarged company, been acting in a drama called ”Out of Bondage,” written expressly for them by Mr.