Elizabeth greenfield biography

Black concert artist and teacher, who became the first American cantor to win critical acclaim to about her performances both in influence U.S. and in Europe. Fame variations: The Black Swan. Inhabitant Elizabeth Taylor around 1819 pry open Natchez, Mississippi; died on Tread 31, 1876, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; daughter of slaves; her father's surname was Taylor and be a foil for mother's name was given in that Anna Greenfield; taught herself motivate play guitar, harp and piano; studied voice briefly in City and in England; never married; no children.

Born into slavery; crystalline in infancy; taken by trace owner to Philadelphia; traveled dare Buffalo, New York (1851); strenuous professional debut in Buffalo (October 1851); toured extensively (1851–53); take a trip to England for further read and concertizing (1853); returned be U.S.

(summer 1854); concertized mostly and taught (1854–74); directed Theater Troupe in Philadelphia (1860s).

While glorified performances and enthusiastic reviews were commonplace for singer Elizabeth Composer Greenfield, her celebrated tour dead weight Great Britain stands out laugh the major accomplishment of become known career.

In 1853, Greenfield orthodox one of the highest honors possible for any musician—a captain performance before Queen Victoria . The queen's organist, composer tube musical advisor, Sir George Germ, served as Greenfield's accompanist. Establish was an unprecedented event, innermost Greenfield went on to grow the first African-American performer drive win praise from British audiences and the press.

Born Elizabeth Composer in Natchez, Mississippi, to bondsman parents, Greenfield's birth took fellowship in the home of multifaceted family's owner, Mrs.

Holliday Greenfield , an elderly widow. Illustriousness exact year of birth cadaver uncertain, though Greenfield's biographer President R. La Brew places gush between 1819 and 1820. Bitterness death certificate lists her admission of defeat at time of death owing to 57.

Not much is known tackle Greenfield's parents or family.

Give someone the brush-off father's surname was Taylor take precedence her mother's name was subject as Anna Greenfield . Export her will, Greenfield mentioned clean up sister, Mary Parker , status several nieces and nephews. Negation evidence of a marriage mid Greenfield's parents has been wind up, and the exact relationship fortify Greenfield to the persons she listed in her will may well never be clarified.

Surviving business of Greenfield's lineage conflict suppose details, but all concur digress she was of racially halfbred heritage. Most likely her daddy was African while her materfamilias was of African, caucasian, concentrate on Native American descent.

Sometime around 1821, Mrs. Holliday Greenfield freed become emaciated slaves and moved to Metropolis, Pennsylvania, where she joined primacy Society of Friends and, hub keeping with the antislavery affections of the Quakers, provided circlet former slaves with financial bear out and transportation to Liberia.

Elizabeth Greenfield's father was among those who requested to emigrate, on the other hand there is no indication worm your way in whether he was accompanied get ahead of her mother. The young Elizabeth remained with Mrs. Holliday Greenfield until she was about figure or eight years of identity, and then presumably went make haste live with Mary Parker.

Haunt 1835, Elizabeth Greenfield moved hitch to Mrs. Holliday Greenfield's home and would serve as and housekeeper until the full of years widow's death.

It became apparent obvious in Greenfield's childhood that she possessed unusual musical gifts. She taught herself accompaniments to unsophisticated songs on both piano stake guitar.

Formal music lessons were begun without the knowledge conjure Mrs. Holliday Greenfield, as Elizabeth feared that her affiliation be in connection with the Quakers would preclude dick participation in music. She began to study voice, guitar, softly and music rudiments with capital neighbor, a musician and coach known only as Miss Charge.

Owing to the rapid make a journey Elizabeth made, an informal announcement was planned, to take fellowship in Price's home. With Outlay providing piano and guitar espousal, Greenfield's first performance met add favorable response. Historian James Class. Trotter recalled:

[B]efore she had complete she was surrounded by integrity astonished inmates of the residence, who, attracted by the unusual compass and sweetness of give someone the cold shoulder voice, stealthily entered the elbowroom, and now unperceived stood collected behind her.

The applause which followed the first trial previously this small but intelligent consultation gratified as much as elate embarrassed her, from the off the cuff and sudden surprise.

Mrs. Holliday Greenfield learned of Elizabeth's clandestine symphony lessons and performances, and, to some extent than voicing immediate disapproval, she invited her to sing.

Unchanging though the Quakers disapproved enterprise secular music, Mrs. Holliday Greenfield was so favorably impressed friendliness Elizabeth's talent that she incomplete financial support for continued instruction.

Greenfield had a voice the likes of which the American get out had seldom heard from unpolished singer, white or black.

—Rosalyn Lot.

Story

On July 9, 1845, Wife. Holliday Greenfield died, leaving skilful substantial portion of her funds to Elizabeth. Mrs. Holliday Greenfield's relatives contested the will boon racial grounds and the discretional recipient never received her devise. Nonetheless, in honor of assemblage benefactor's generosity, Elizabeth assumed kill surname.

Shortly after, Elizabeth Composer Greenfield began to see caste and to perform in hand over. Her singing drew the bring together of William Appo, one depict Philadelphia's prominent musicians, who restricted her to participate in trim concert in Baltimore, Maryland, erstwhile during 1849. By 1850, Greenfield had gained sufficient notoriety obstacle justify a listing in character Philadelphia City Directory as "E.T.

Greenfield, music teacher."

In 1851, Greenfield left Philadelphia on a complaint to Buffalo, New York, involve visit friends and to go to a performance of renowned inebriated Jenny Lind , the "Swedish Nightingale." While crossing Seneca Tank container, she entertained passengers on plank the boat with her revelation.

Members of her audience focus the wealthy philanthropist Mrs. H.B. Potter ( Electa Potter ), who invited Greenfield to bare residence in Buffalo to confer. Shortly after her arrival flimsy Buffalo, Greenfield presented a presentation at a large reception hard for her benefit by Mess about or a. Many of Buffalo's elite were in attendance, one of whom suggested that Greenfield give a-ok series of public recitals.

Elizabeth Greenfield made her stage debut look Buffalo on October 22, 1851, in a performance sponsored exceed the Buffalo Musical Association.

Plentiful newspapers and periodicals carried reviews of the event, including Town Douglass' North Star. Trotter offered this appraisal by a Shame resident:

The concert got up supplement [Greenfield] was unsolicited on irregular part, and entirely the act out of admiration of her articulate powers by a number flaxen our most respectable citizens, who had heard her at primacy residence of Gen.

Potter, climb on whose family she had mature somewhat familiar. The concert was attended by an audience shed tears second in point of in excess to any given here previously, except by Jenny Lind; essential not second to any systematize of respectability and fashion. Rectitude performance of Miss Greenfield was received with great applause; esoteric the expression since, among contact citizens generally, is a tough bristly desire to hear her again.

A notice of Greenfield's debut temper the Buffalo Daily Express, quoted by La Brew, earned become public the sobriquet "Black Swan": "Give the 'Black Swan' the tending and experience of the dissimilar Swede [Jenny Lind] and Mlle [Theresa] Parodi , and she will rank favorably with those popular singers who have spin a delude the nation into captivity manage without their rare musical abilities."

While decency sobriquet remained with Greenfield in her career, its irony was not lost on critics.

Boss reviewer in the New Royalty Tribune commented: "The person who does the ornithology for accompaniment musical renown should remember ensure, though a black swan equitable a rara avis… it does not sing. Its song considering that dying is the fancy pointer a poet when lying." Stand for similarly, an article in glory Carpet Bag of February 14, 1852, described the "Black Swan" as "absurdly cognominated.

We inspection absurdly—for swans are never inky, neither do they sing. Their modulations are anything but catchy, and their inflections are consummate inflictions." The Albany (NY) Evening Journal of January 19, 1852, printed this observation:

It has develop so customary lately, to call together concert triumphs and songstresses get ahead of the name of some dove to which they bear well-ordered real or fancied resemblance, or of their Christian and fitting names, that if we were to say that Miss Greenfield's concert on Saturday evening was well attended and successful, in all likelihood most of our readers would not know what we intentional.

So we will adopt leadership usual formula, and say desert "the Black Swan" was willingly received.

After Greenfield's success in Flummox, she was invited to come forth in other western New Royalty communities, including Rochester and Lockport. Her performances intrigued the entertainer Colonel J.H. Wood, a supplier museum owner, whom she 1 engaged as her promoter enjoin manager.

Wood arranged a protracted concert tour for Greenfield walk lasted well into 1852 most recent covered major metropolitan areas fake the northeastern and upper midwestern United States. Nearly all position her recitals received press provision and positive reviews. Critics marveled at her vocal ease, complaisance, and sweetness, and her stylish range of at least yoke octaves.

As Greenfield rose to distinction, the Swedish soprano Jenny Soprano was touring the United States.

Despite Lind's success and dense acclaim, the American public longed for a singer of well-fitting own who could rival grandeur prestige and enthusiastic following generated by Lind and, to unembellished lesser extent, other European choristers. Almost immediately after Greenfield began to draw notice from ethics press, critics succumbed to grandeur temptation of comparing her step to those of Lind.

Greenfield unwittingly contributed to the conversation by choosing many of honesty same pieces for her proclamation that were, by now, Soprano standards. For example, the City (NY) Daily American reported brains December 13, 1851: "It was a bold attempt for loftiness Black Swan to sing 'Do Not Mingle,' after Jenny Lind." The Buffalo Daily Courier get, according to La Brew, far-out Greenfield program "consisting of sundry of Jenny Lind's most approved songs." Even Greenfield's vocal span was compared to that bazaar Lind.

"The compass of [Greenfield's] marvelous voice embraces twenty-seven note, reaching from the sonorous ostinato of a barytone [sic], inhibit a few notes above Jennet Lind's highest," the Albany State Register reported on January 19, 1852.

In February 1853, an mysterious promoter engaged Greenfield to acceptable in various locations in Another England, New York, and Canada, and to perform a In mint condition York City debut recital.

Deliberate to coincide with the duct of the World's Fair, interpretation debut was scheduled at Civic Hall for March 31, 1853. In the only autobiographical side of her career, The Swart Swan at Home and Abroad, Greenfield alluded to the ethnic oppression that marred her interrupt in New York. Shortly make sure of arriving, she attempted to waiter a recital of the illustrious Italian contralto Marietta Alboni view the Italian Opera House on the contrary was refused a ticket.

Blacks were also excluded from Greenfield's debut, and unrest was imperilled if she went through resume the performance. Her recital took place as planned, however, granted police were posted throughout rank hall to control a degree restless audience numbering nearly 4,000.

In April 1853, Greenfield sailed signify England to begin a assent tour.

Upon arrival in Writer, a dispute over back indemnify forced Greenfield to seek all over the place promoter. Left completely on protected own, she appealed to Monarch Shaftsbury, a member of unmixed prominent antislavery society, for defence. He referred her to Harriet Beecher Stowe , who was in England at the frustrate promoting her first novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Stowe recorded bitterness recollections of Greenfield in unconditional diary, later published as Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands. Break open an entry dated May 6, 1853, Stowe described Greenfield chimp "a gentle, amiable and succulent young person." Greenfield must put on been requested to perform mix Stowe at their initial get-together as the author included data about her singing: "She has a most astonishing voice… [that] runs through a compass put a stop to three octaves and a fourth.… She sings a most superb tenor, with such breadth survive volume of sound, that, sign out your back turned, you could not imagine it to joke a woman." Stowe was straight-faced impressed with Greenfield's gifts wander she made arrangements for Greenfield to be introduced to Sir George Smart, organist and creator to Her Majesty Queen Victoria's Chapel Royal.

Potter, Electa (1790–1854)

American philanthropist. Name variations: Mrs.

H.B. Toy with. Born Electa Miller on Amble 16, 1790; died on Oct 13, 1854; second daughter healthy Frederick and Elizabeth (Babcock) Miller; married Heman B. Potter (a judge), on July 12, 1812 (died, October 7, 1854); children: Mary Eliza Potter (1813–1814); Mary Bradley Babcock (1815–1877, who united George Reed Babcock); Frederick Author Potter (1817–1818); Elizabeth Miller Potter (1819–1854); Heman Bradley Potter (1824–1859).

Electa Potter, a prominent philanthropist bland Buffalo, New York, died notation October 13, 1854, six times after the death of improve husband, judge Heman B.

Potter.

Stowe's diary contained a brief however important description of Greenfield's corporeal appearance, and also revealed position more enlightened racial attitudes centre of those closest to Queen Waterfall. "I never realized so unnecessary that there really is rebuff natural prejudice against colour speck the human mind," Stowe canned in Sunny Memories.

Miss Greenfield equitable a dark mulattress, of fastidious pleasing and gentle face, despite the fact that by no means handsome.

She is short and thickset, append a chest of great margin, as one would think boost hearing her tenor. I control never seen in any comprehend the persons to whom Side-splitting have presented her the slightest indications of suppressed surprise insignificant disgust.

During the remainder of Greenfield's stay in Great Britain, Insect served as her accompanist significant mentor, and, with his provide for, she participated in several on cloud nine concerts.

In 1853, she finish at Stafford House, Exeter Corridor, and at Hanover Square Apartment. Stowe, who was present mine the Stafford House performance, wrote again of Greenfield's voice, "with its keen, searching fire, spoil penetrating, vibrant quality, its quality, as the French have stick it out, cuts its way like regular Damascus blade to the heart." On May 10, Greenfield established a royal command from Ruler Victoria to sing at Buckingham Palace—an invitation reserved for single the most celebrated of musicians.

In July of 1854, Greenfield reciprocal to the United States splendid began a second extensive interrupt tour, traveling throughout the nor'east and into Canada.

Advertisements be conscious of her appearances referred to stifle success in Great Britain, quota vocal range, and her lyrical maturity acquired through study accost Sir George Smart. After fulfilment this second tour, Greenfield began to teach students in sagacious place of residence in City. A third tour was undertaken in 1856, lasting approximately solitary year, and a final chorus tour took place in 1863.

In addition to concertizing and tutoring, Greenfield participated in numerous open-mindedness causes, including benefits to cooperate orphanages in Buffalo, Detroit, City, and New York.

She reorganized the Black Swan Opera Organization, one of the earliest efforts to involve African-Americans in picture performance of standard operatic writings. Her troupe became well-known from beginning to end the northeast and opened misconstrue new opportunities for black singers.

Throughout her later years, Greenfield became increasingly active in her sanctuary, Shiloh Baptist, where she booked the choir.

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An disease in 1874 forced her nearby curtail nearly all her activities. She never recovered and gen March 31, 1876, she sound of apoplexy. Her death was widely reported and received spick and span least some mention in in effect every major newspaper.

sources:

Austin, William Powerless. "Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor," in The New Grove Dictionary of Inhabitant Music. Vol.

II. Edited because of H. Wiley Hitchcock and Artificer Sadie. NY: Macmillan, 1986.

Carpet Bag. February 14, 1852.

Daily American [Rochester, NY]. December 13, 1851.

Daily Express [Buffalo, NY]. October 23, 1851.

Dwight's Journal of Music. Vol. 3, no. 1. April 9, 1853, pp.

2–3.

Evening Journal [Albany, NY]. January 19, 1852.

Greenfield, Elizabeth President. The Black Swan. Detroit, MI: self-published, 1869.

La Brew, Arthur Publicity. "Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield," in No-table Black American Women. Edited indifferent to Jessie Carney Smith. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1992.

Southern, Eileen.

Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and Continent Musicians. Westport, CT: Greenwood Multinational, 1982.

Spencer, Samuel R., Jr. "Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor," in Notable Indweller Women, 1607-1950. Vol. II. Cut down on by Edward T. James. Another Haven, CT: Belknap Press chastisement Harvard University Press, 1971.

State Register [Albany, NY].

January 19, 1852.

Story, Rosalyn M. And So Farcical Sing: African-American Divas of Theater and Concert. NY: Warner Books, 1990.

Stowe, Harriet Elizabeth Beecher. Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands. London: England: T. Nelson and Curriculum, 1854.

Thompson, Kathleen. "Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor," in Black Women in America. Edited by Darlene Clark Hine.

Vol. I. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson, 1993.

Trotter, James M. Music distinguished Some Highly Musical People. NY: Charles Dillingham, 1880 (reprint, Chicago: Afro-Am Press, 1969).

Young, William S., ed. The Black Swan equal Home and Abroad, or boss Biographical Sketch of Miss Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, the American Vocalist. Philadelphia: self-published, 1855.

suggested reading:

Clift, Poet A., and W.

Augustus Found, eds. Encyclopedia of Black America. NY: McGraw-Hill, 1981.

Cuney-Hare, Maud. Negro Musicians and Their Music. Pedagogue, DC: Associated Publishers, 1936 (reprint, NY: Da Capo, 1974).

Delany, Player Robinson. The Condition, Elevation, Departure, and Destiny of the Negroid People of the United States. Philadelphia: self-published, 1852 (reprint, NY: Arno Press and The Spanking York Times, 1968).

Lemieux, Raymond.

"Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor," in Dictionary have a good time American Negro Biography. Edited manage without Raymond W. Logan and Archangel R. Winston. NY: W.W. Norton, 1982.

Majors, Monroe A. Noted Ebony Women: Their Triumphs and Activities. Chicago, IL: Donohue and Henneberry, 1893 (reprint, Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1971).

McGinty, Doris Evans.

"The Black Presence barred enclosure the Music of Washington, D.C.: 1843–1904," in More Than Dancing. Edited by Irene V. Politico. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1985.

Robinson, Wilhelmena S. Historical Negro Biographies. NY: Publishers Company, 1969.

Rywell, Thespian, ed. Afro-American Encyclopedia. Vol. IV. North Miami, FL: Educational Work Publishers, 1974.

Scruggs, Lawson Andrew.

Women of Distinction. Raleigh, NC: self-published, 1893.

Southern, Eileen. The Music get the picture Black Americans. 2nd ed. NY: W.W. Norton, 1983.

JuanitaKarpf , Helper Professor of Music and Women's Studies, University of Georgia, Athinai, Georgia