Chapter VI: For Charity

The tribute to the memory of Mendelssohn, with its careful preparation, its busy work, and its triumphant result, might well have exhausted the powers, both mental and physical, of an artist of no ordinary strength; but Mdlle. Lind had no time for rest. Four days later she was due at Manchester; and, within little more than six weeks, she had engaged to give five more concerts, entirely for charitable purposes, besides a benefit for Mr. Balfe.

The campaign began with two concerts, given on the 19th and 21st of December, for the “Manchester Royal Infirmary and Dispensary,” which, like the “Brompton Hospital for Consumption,” sorely needed additional accommodation. These two concerts produced a sum exceeding £2,500, which was made to serve as the nucleus of a fund for the erection of an additional “North Wing.”

The next performance took place on the 28th of December, for the benefit of the “Queen’s College Hospital” at Birmingham, for which it produced £1,100, and in acknowledgment of which, the Governors of the Institution presented her with a work-box, ornamented with the following inscription:—

To MADEMOISELLE JENNY LIND

FROM THE LORD PRINCIPAL AND COUNCIL OF THE
QUEEN’S COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL, BIRMINGHAM,
AS A SMALL TESTIMONY OF THEIR SENSE OF OBLIGATION
FOR HER VERY NOBLE AND GRATUITOUS SERVICES
AT A CONCERT
HELD IN THE TOWN HALL
ON BEHALF OF THE FUNDS OF THE
QUEEN’S HOSPITAL
DECEMBER 28TH, 1848.

And now came a few days of well-earned recreation—a Christmas and New Year’s gathering at Crumpsall, near Manchester, the country-house of Mr. and Mrs. Salis Schwabe, for which Mdlle. Lind had accepted the invitation, more than a month in advance.

All too soon, however, the pleasant little holiday came to an end. It had been the delight of all who were fortunate enough to be present at it; and, though she to whose labours it had given so cheerful a respite at that busy time is now no more, it is still remembered by many as a bright spot in the past.

The next appointment was for a concert, to be given on the 6th of January, 1849, for the benefit of the “Southern Hospital” at Liverpool, for which, with the never-failing success which was now looked for as a matter of course, the sum of £1,400 was raised, in a single evening.

And now it was time to prepare for a second visit to Norwich, in which, to this day, the memory of Mdlle. Lind is regarded with greater veneration than in any other Cathedral-town in England.

Two concerts, arranged to take place on the 22nd and 23rd of January, for the benefit of the poor of Norwich, realised the net sum of £1,253.

No specific plan was decided upon, at the moment, for the application of this sum of money, which was placed, provisionally, in the hands of trustees, in order that the matter might receive due consideration, before any irrevocable step was taken with regard to its ultimate disposal. It was proposed, at one time, to devote the proceeds of the concerts to the building of baths and wash-houses for the poor. This plan, however, was not put into execution; and the question remained open for four years, during which period the money was placed out at interest. A final decision was, however, arrived at, in 1853, when Madame Goldschmidt, in consultation with the Stanley family and other friends, resolved to devote the fund to the foundation of a hospital for the sick children of the poor. Under the name of “The Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick Children,” this institution still exists, in a very flourishing condition. The original nucleus was by no means the last donation that the foundress contributed to its endowment. She continued to take deep interest in it, until the day of her death; and so largely has its sphere of usefulness increased, that, in the year 1890, it relieved no less than 1230 “out-patients,” in addition to the 257 little sufferers who were admitted as “in-patients” into its wards.[122]

The next concert at which Mdlle. Lind sang, after taking leave of her friends at Norwich, was one given in London, on the 29th of January, for the benefit of Mr. Balfe, whose warm artistic devotion as conductor at the Opera she spoke of, to the end of her life, with grateful recognition.

This was followed, four days later, by a performance of great importance in aid of the “Royal Infirmary,” at Worcester.

The Bishop of Worcester had written to Mdlle. Lind, in November, 1847, requesting her to sing at the Worcester Festival—the triennial performance in connection with the “Three Choirs”—in August, 1848; and she had consented to do so, if she found it possible to make the necessary arrangements. But, when the time for the fulfilment of her conditional promise drew near, Mr. Lumley, whose engagement with her did not expire until the end of the year, not only refused his consent, but announced her for a concert at Birmingham, on the very day on which the Worcester Festival began. In order to atone, as far as she could, for this disappointment—a very grievous one indeed for the Worcester Committee—she sent the sum of £50, from her own private purse, for the charity in aid of which the Festival was given—the “Society for the Relief of the Widows and Orphans of the Clergy”; and, as soon as she had completed her engagement with the theatrical manager, offered to give a concert for any other charity in the diocese that might stand in need of her help. While gratefully accepting the generous offer, the Committee decided in favour of the “Worcester Royal Infirmary,” as the recipient of its benefits; and, on the 2nd of February, 1849, Mdlle. Lind gave a concert, in the College Hall, at which the sum of £840 was raised for this purpose, and devoted to the erection of a chapel for the Institution. The Committee was very anxious to record its appreciation of the gift by offering to the donor a present of Worcester china; but this she firmly but courteously declined to accept; for, as we have already seen, she had always been most unwilling to receive any sort of acknowledgment in return for her charitable performances.

And thus, between the 4th of December, 1848, and the 2nd of February, 1849—a period of less than nine weeks—Mdlle. Lind had, at nine concerts, (not including that for the benefit of Mr. Balfe,) succeeded in raising the noble sum of £8,740, in aid of five hospitals, one artistic memorial, and the orchestra which accompanied her on her tour; and, if we add to this the receipts of the concert given for the Brompton Hospital, in the previous July, the sum amounts to £10,500.

£ _s._ _d._ For the Brompton Hospital (July 31, 1848) 1,766 15 0 For the Orchestra (Dec. 4, 1848) 640 0 0 For the Mendelssohn Scholarships (Dec. 15, 1848) 1,000 0 0 For the Manchester Hospital (Dec. 19 and 21, 1848) 2,500 0 0 For the Queen’s College Hospital, at Birmingham (Dec. 28, 1848) 1,100 0 0 For the Southern (Toxteth) Hospital, at Liverpool (Jan. 6, 1849) 1,400 0 0 For the Norwich Charities[123] (Jan. 22 and 23, 1849) 1,253 0 0 For the Worcester Infirmary (Feb. 2, 1849) 840 0 0 —————— —— — Total 10,499 15 0 —————— —— —

On the 3rd of April, 1849, a performance of _The Creation_ was announced, at Exeter Hall, for the aid of five important charities, four of which were intimately connected with Art:

“A grand performance of sacred music was given last night,” says the
critic of _The Times_, “consisting of Handel’s _Coronation Anthem_,
_Zadok the Priest_, and Haydn’s _Creation_.

“The principal attraction, which drew together one of the most crowded
audiences that ever congregated within the precincts of Exeter Hall,
was Mdlle. Jenny Lind, who sang the soprano part in _The Creation_.

“The main object of the performance was a charitable one. Mdlle. Jenny
Lind accorded her services gratuitously; and, after the band, chorus,
and principal singers are paid, the surplus will be divided between
the ‘Royal Society of Musicians,’ the ‘Society of Female Musicians,’
the ‘Choral Fund,’ the ‘Royal Academy of Music,’ and the ‘Governesses’
Benevolent Institution.’ The receipts averaged, we understand, between
£1,400 and £1,500, which will guarantee at least £850 for the benefit
of those institutions.

“The performance was honoured by the presence of Her Majesty and
Prince Albert, who attended with a numerous suite. In the stalls,
among other illustrious persons, was observed the Duke of Wellington.

“In the Oratorio of _The Creation_, the most arduous as well as the
most interesting portion of the music falls to the lot of the soprano;
Mdlle. Jenny Lind, however, is never at a loss, where true sentiment
and musical cleverness are demanded. Her first effort was the Air,
with Chorus, _The marvellous work_, which she gave with a dignity of
style suited to the subject. In _With verdure clad_, and the
Recitative that precedes it, we had already heard her at Balfe’s
concert, and our favourable opinion was recorded at the time. She sang
it perhaps still better last night; there was more fervour, with equal
correctness. But the Solo which most taxes the powers of the vocalist,
and from which most was expected by the public, was the opening
Recitative and Air of the Second Part, _On mighty pens the eagle
wings_. On this Air, which is more dramatic than sacred in character,
Mdlle. Lind lavished all the treasures of her art; and her entire
rendering of the melody was as original as it was striking. In the
line—

“‘And, cooing, calls the tender dove his mate,’

she produced quite a novel effect, by sustaining the note that occurs
on the first syllable of the word ‘cooing,’ for a lengthened period.

“One of the most general topics of conversation and marked approval
was the exceeding clearness with which Mdlle. Lind pronounced the
words of all her Songs, Duets, and Trios. In this particular, she
evinced a facility, not merely noticeable on account of her being a
foreigner, but worthy of attention as an example even for many singers
to whom the English language is native and familiar.”[124]

From a paragraph which appeared in _The Times_ on the 17th of April, we find that the profits of the concert fell rather short of the anticipated amount.

“But,” says the editor, quoting from _The Standard_ of the previous
day, “to her great honour and benevolent disposition be it recorded,
she has signified her intention to make up the net profit of £700 odd
to £800; so that the four charities will each receive £200.”[125]

We refrain from adding anything to this critique, which expresses all that need be said on the subject. Nor does it fall within the limits of our design to dilate upon the later triumphs achieved by Mdlle. Lind in the new path she had chosen for the development of her powers. She gave only one more Oratorio performance in England, before her departure for America—that of Handel’s _Messiah_, at Liverpool, on the 19th of August, 1850; but she had not yet taken leave of her audience at Her Majesty’s Theatre, and thither we must now follow her, to be present at the performance which closed the splendours of her _Operatic_ career.