"Hope is a better companion than fear;
Providence, ever benignant and kind,
Gives with a smile what you take with a tear;
All will be right,
Look to the light.
Morning was ever the daughter of night;
All that was black will be all that is bright.
Cheerily, cheerily, then cheer up."
Miss Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, or the "Black Swan," to adopt her
musical agnomen, was born at Natchez, Mississippi. She was born in
bondage. Her father was a full African; white and Indian blood flowed in
her mother's veins.
When but one year old her mistress, Mrs. Elizabeth Greenfield, removed
to Philadelphia, and joined the Society of Friends, manumitting the few
slaves whom she had not previously accompanied and comfortably settled
in Liberia. Several of these would not be separated from their beloved
and venerated mistress, and among them her especial favourite, the
gifted subject of these pages.
In 1844 her mistress died, at the advanced age of nearly one hundred
years, and in her will Elizabeth was remembered by a substantial legacy,
sufficient to make her comfortable for life; but the will was contested,
and yet remains the subject of judicial investigation.
Previous to the death of her mistress, Elizabeth had become
distinguished in the limited circle in which she was known for her
remarkable power of voice. Its tender and thrilling tones often
lightened the weight of age in one who was to her beloved as a mother.
How deeply she grieved that she could receive no culture from art.
Neither the remarkable compass of her voice, nor the wonder of her high
and low notes, nor the proffer of thirty dollars per quarter, when the
standard price was ten, could induce a Professor to include her among
his pupils. The admission of a coloured pupil would have jeopardized his
success.
By indomitable perseverance she surmounted difficulties almost
invincible. At first she taught herself crude accompaniments to her
songs, and intuitively perceiving the agreement or disagreement of them,
improvvisared and repeated, until there was heard floating upon the air
a very "lovely song of one that had a pleasant voice, and could play
well upon a"--guitar.
There dwelt in the neighbourhood of Mrs. Greenfield a physician, humane
and courteous; capable, too, of distinguishing and appreciating merit
and genius, under whatever prejudices and disadvantages they were
presented. His daughter, herself an amateur in the science of harmonious
sounds, heard of Elizabeth's peculiar structure of mind. Miss Price
invited her to her house. She listened with delighted surprise to her
songs. She offered to accompany her upon the guitar. This was a
concurrence of circumstances which formed the era of her life. Her
pulses quickened as she stood and watched the fair Anglo-Saxon fingers
of her young patroness run over the key board of a full-toned
piano-forte, eliciting sweet, sad, sacred, solemn sounds. Emotion well
nigh overcame her; but the gentle encouragement of her fair young friend
dissipated her fears and increased her confidence. She sung; and before
she had finished she was surrounded by the astonished inmates of the
house, who, attracted by the remarkable compass and sweetness of her
voice, stealthily entered the room, and now, unperceived, stood gathered
behind her. The applause which followed the first trial before this
small, but intelligent audience, gratified as much as it embarrassed
her, from the unexpected and sudden surprise. She not only received an
invitation to repeat her visit, but Miss P., for a reasonable
compensation, undertook her instruction in the first rudiments of music.
The progress of genius is not like that of common minds. It is needless
to say that her improvement was very rapid.
Her kind mistress lived to see her become an object of musical interest
to the widening circle of her acquaintance.
She began to receive invitations to entertain private parties, by the
exhibition of the gift which the God of nature had bestowed upon her.
She proffered its aid to advance the cause of various charities, and on
benefit occasions.
Upon the death of her mistress, in consequence of the contested will,
she found herself thrown upon her own resources for a maintenance.
Remembering some friends in the western part of New York, she resolved
to visit them; while crossing Lake Seneca, en route to Buffalo, there
came sweetly stealing upon the senses of the passengers of the
steamer--her rich, full, round, clear voice, unmarred by any flaw. The
lady passengers, especially the noble Mrs. Gen. P., feeling that the
power and sweetness of her voice deserved attention, urged her to sing
again, and were not satisfied until five or six more songs were given to
them. Before reaching their destined port she had made many friends. The
philanthropic Mrs. Gen. P., became her friend and patroness. She at once
invited Elizabeth to her splendid mansion in Buffalo, and learning her
simple story, promptly advised her to devote herself entirely to the
science of music. During her visit a private party was given by this
lady, to which all the élite of the city were invited. Elizabeth
acquitted herself so admirably, that two days after a card of invitation
came to her through the public press, signed by the prominent gentlemen
of Buffalo, requesting her to give a series of concerts.
She sang before the Buffalo Musical Association, and her performances
were received with marks of approbation from the best musical talent in
the city, that established her reputation as a songstress. Give the
"Black Swan," said they, the cultivation and experience of the fair
Swede, or Md'lle Parodi, and she will rank favourably with those popular
singers, who have carried the nation into captivity by their rare
musical abilities. Her voice has a full round sound, and is of immense
compass and depth. She strikes every note in a clear and well defined
manner, and reaches the highest capacity of the human voice with
wonderful ease, and apparently an entire want of exertion. Beginning
with G in the _bass clef_ she runs up the scale to E in the _treble
clef_, and gives each note its full power and tone. She commences at the
highest note and runs down the scale with the same ease that she strikes
any other lower note. The fact that she accomplishes this with no
apparent exertion is surprising, and fixes at once the marvellous
strength of her vocal organs. Her voice is wholly natural, and, as might
be expected, lacks the training and exquisite cultivation that belongs
to the skilful Italian singer. But the _voice_ is there; and as a famous
mæstro once said, "It takes a hundred things to make a complete singer,
of which a good voice is ninety-nine." If this be so, Miss Greenfield
is on the verge of excellence, and it remains for the public to decide
whether she shall have the means to pursue her studies.
To several gentlemen in Buffalo belongs the credit of having first
brought out Miss Greenfield in the concert-room. The Buffalo papers took
the matter in hand, and assured the public they had much to expect from
a concert from this vocalist. The deep interest her first public efforts
elicited from them, gave occasion to the following certificate:--
Buffalo, Oct. 30th, 1851.