Memories of a Musician: Reminiscences of Seventy years of Musical Life

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

142-3

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At the beginning of the season his father had asked me to give him a call at his London address, when he asked me to let his son, Herbert, come out at one of my Orchestral Concerts, adding that, out of gratitude, he would sing for me at these concerts for a reduced fee, namely, fifty guineas for each concert instead of a hundred. I at once accepted this generous offer, but, unfortunately, Mr. Sims Reeves failed me at two of the concerts, sending word that he was not well. However, he sang at the third, being the last of the series, in 1880. I had announced him in the usual way in all the advertisements, when he again called off. On the SIMS REEVES 143 day before the concert, however, he sent word that he felt better and would sing. I immediately rushed off to the newspaper offices to get his name inserted in the next morning's advertisements; but it was rather a late announcement to make, and the public did not come forward in the same way as if they had had a longer notice. There was also a dreadful thunderstorm before the concert began, and I was in doubt whether Reeves would venture to come all the way from Upper Norwood in such fearful weather. However, he did turn up and sang the following items most beautifully: "If with all your Hearts" from Elijah, and "Adelaide" by Beethoven, in which I accompanied him. No one ever sang this beautiful aria which he sang in Italian better than he, or with more intense feeling.

excerpt from 'Memories of a Musician: Reminiscences of Seventy years of Musical Life' pp. 142-3 (264 words)

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