Isabella Young facts for kids

Isabella Young (also known as Isabella Scott) was a talented English singer and organ player. She was a mezzo-soprano, which is a type of female singing voice. Isabella had a very successful career in the 1700s, performing in concerts and operas. She was especially known for singing the music of George Frideric Handel, who was a famous composer. Handel really liked her singing during the last years of his life. Isabella was also part of a well-known family of musicians in England. Many of her relatives were professional singers and organists.

Biography

Isabella's Early Life and Musical Family

Isabella Young was born in London, probably in the 1720s or early 1730s. We don't know the exact year because there are no records of her birth. Her father, Charles Young, worked at the Treasury.

Isabella was the oldest of three daughters. Her younger sister Elizabeth was a successful contralto singer. Her youngest sister Polly was a famous soprano, a composer, and played keyboard instruments.

Isabella came from a very musical family. Her grandfather, Charles Young, and her great uncle, Anthony Young, were both well-known organists and composers. She also had three famous aunts who were all great singers. Her Aunt Cecilia was one of the best English sopranos of her time. She was married to the composer Thomas Arne. Her Aunt Isabella was also a successful soprano. She was married to the composer John Frederick Lampe. Her Aunt Esther was a well-known contralto. She was married to Charles Jones, a successful music publisher.

Isabella's Career as a Concert and Opera Singer

Isabella Young studied singing with a bass singer named Gustavus Waltz. She performed with him for the first time in a concert on March 18, 1751. After that, she had a very successful career. She sang in many concerts and oratorios in London and at music festivals.

She became a favorite singer of George Frideric Handel during the last years of his life. She sang in several of his works. This included the very first performance of The Triumph of Time and Truth in March 1757. She also sang as a soloist in Messiah many times at the Foundling Hospital.

Isabella was also a skilled organist. She often played the organ in recitals and concerts, in addition to singing. She became especially known for her organ performances of Handel's music.

Even though she was more famous as a concert soloist, Isabella also performed successfully on stage. In 1754, she sang in three operas by her uncle, Thomas Arne. These were Alfred and Rosamond at the Covent Garden Theatre, and Eliza at the Little Theatre in the Haymarket.

In February 1755, she performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She played Titania in J.C. Smith’s opera The Fairies. She continued to perform at that theatre regularly until 1777. She would sing between the acts, in musical interludes, and in short plays called afterpieces. She also created roles in English operas by George Rush, such as The Royal Shepherd and The Capricious Lovers.

After she married the Hon. John Scott in December 1757, Isabella usually sang in concerts and oratorios as Mrs. Scott. However, when she performed on stage, she continued to use the name Miss Young until 1769.