Samuel Harrison (singer)
Samuel Harrison (8 September 1760 – 25 June 1812) was an English singer. A tenor, he sang in notable concerts of the day, including the Concerts of Antient Music and the Three Choirs Festival.
Early life
Harrison was born in
Early career, and marriage
He made his first appearance at the
Harrison married, on 6 December 1790, Miss Cantelo. Before the marriage her musical career ran in parallel lines with his; she was a favourite at the Concerts of Antient Music and at the Three Choirs Festivals, and earned praise for her performance at the Handel Commemoration of 1784.[1]
The Vocal Concerts, and later
Harrison was principal tenor at the Concerts of Antient Music from 1785 until 1791, when he withdrew, and with
Harrison repeated some of his most popular performances at his benefit concert on 8 May 1812, which was his last appearance in public. He died on the following 25 June at his home in Percy Street in London, and was buried at St Pancras Old Church. His widow died in 1831.[1][2]
His voice
Harrison's voice was described in The Harmonicon in 1830: "In tone it was at once the weakest and the most pure and equal that has, perhaps, ever been heard in England – its very existence was a proof of how far determination and perseverance can triumph over natural deficiencies.... Voice (we speak of the natural organ) he had really little; it was the high polish, the minute and exquisite finish of his style, that made the charm...."[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e Middleton, Louisa M. (1891). . In Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney (eds.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 25. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 39.
- ^ A Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan and Company.
- ^ "Memoirs of Harrison and Bartleman" The Harmonicon, Volume 8. 1830. Page 181.
Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Middleton, Louisa M. (1891). "Harrison, Samuel". In Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney (eds.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 25. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 39.
