Harriett Abrams facts for kids
Harriett Abrams (born around 1762 – died March 8, 1821, in Torquay) was a talented English singer and composer. She was a soprano, which means she sang with a high voice. People especially loved her performances of music by George Frideric Handel. Harriett had a very successful career singing in concerts in London during the 1780s. A famous music historian named Charles Burney said her voice was sweet. He also admired her elegant way of performing music.
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Harriett's Early Life and Family
Harriett Abrams grew up in a big family where everyone loved music. Her family was of Jewish background. Harriett had two younger sisters who were also musicians.
- Her sister, Theodosia Abrams Fisher, was a professional contralto. This means she sang with a lower voice than Harriett.
- Her youngest sister, Eliza Abrams, was also a concert soprano and a pianist.
Other family members were also involved in music. Miss G. Abrams sang at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with Harriett. Jane Abrams sang in a concert that Harriett organized. William Abrams played the violin, and Charles Abrams played the cello.
Becoming a Performer
Harriett studied singing, music theory, and composition with a famous composer named Thomas Arne. She made her first professional appearance in an opera on October 28, 1775. This was at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. The opera was called May-Day, or The Little Gipsy. It was written just for her by David Garrick and Thomas Arne.
Even though Harriett had a beautiful voice, she wasn't very good at acting on stage. Because of this, she spent most of her career singing in concerts instead of operas.
Concert Career
After singing at Drury Lane for five years, Harriett became a main singer at popular concerts in London. She also performed at music festivals in other towns. She sang regularly from 1780 to 1790.
- She sang every year at the Handel Commemoration in Westminster Abbey in 1784.
- She also performed at the Handel festivals from 1784 to 1787.
- Harriett sang at the very first Concerts of Ancient Music in 1776. She often returned to sing there until 1790.
Harriett also performed in different concert series. These were put on by musicians like John Ashley, Venanzio Rauzzini, and Johann Peter Salomon. She often sang with her sister Theodosia. A newspaper, the Public Advertiser, said in 1783 that the sisters were especially good at singing duets (songs for two voices).
In the 1790s, Harriett didn't perform in public as much. She mostly sang in private concerts with both of her sisters. However, she did give special public concerts in 1792, 1794, and 1795. The famous composer Joseph Haydn even played the piano for these concerts!
Harriett's Compositions
Harriett Abrams also wrote many songs. Two of her songs, "The Orphan's Prayer" and "Crazy Jane," became very popular. She published several collections of her music:
- Two sets of Italian and English canzonets (a type of song).
- A collection of Scottish songs and glees (songs for several voices) arranged for two or three voices.
- More than a dozen other songs, mostly emotional ballads.
In 1803, Harriett dedicated a collection of her songs to Queen Charlotte.
See also
In Spanish: Harriett Abrams para niños
