OUR PORTRAIT GALLERY.NO. LXI.

CATHERINE HAYES.

Ir is a singular fact that Ireland, so essentially the land of song, whose bardic remains have obtained a world-wide reputation, whose national melodies alternate from the touchingly simple to the thrillingly superb, being alike "beautiful exceedingly," whether they breathe the soul of pathos, or glow with the fervour of martial enthusiasm; whose "keens" express the very passion and abandonment of grief; whose war-songs stir up the heart like the sound of a trumpetit is a remarkable fact, we repeat, that our musical Island has given to the lyric stage but a single female vocalist, within our memory, capable of interpreting, with success, the highest order of dramatic music. Although in every other branch or art our country has given proof of that genius and talent which the inalienable birthright of her children, as a vocalist, Irish by birth, and Irish in heart, who has already achieved triumphs which place in the shade many of the proudest lyric victories of the Italian and German prima-donnas, Catherine Hayes stands alone.

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A few years have only passed since Miss Hayes may be remembered in this city, a fair and gentle girl, receiving musical instruction from Signor Sapio, singing with him at the Anacreontic and other societies, and exhibiting on every re-appearance increased purity of style, refinement of taste, correctness of ear, and volume of voice. The committee of this society expressed their approbation of this remarkable improvement by a proportionably rapid increase in the amount of her salary-the inexperienced vocalist herself, then unconscious of her powers, receiving with blended bewilderment and delight this proof of her onward progress in the art she loved. Yet, then, though rising so rapidly and so steadily in the estimation of these, the best judges among our musical amateurs -though greeted with public applause, and private eulogium, increasing every day in flattering warmth-though not a little bewildered at the unexpected enthusiasm of the "bravas" and "encores" with which her early public performances were greeted-not one of her admirers could have foreseen the brilliant destiny that awaited her-not one of them could have anticipated her return to her native country, in 1849, after having won in the land of song, both from fame and fortune, a golden and glorious triumph.

Catherine Hayes is a native of Limerick, having been born at No. 4, Patrickstreet, in that city, where she resided with her mother and sister up to the period of her departure for Dublin, to be placed under the tuition of Signor Antonio Sapio. The development of her musical talent was early almost without precedent. From her childhood she exhibited a precocity of vocal power that excited astonishment and admiration, and won for her the generous patronage of the late Bishop of Limerick, to whose warm and liberal encouragement she owes the eminence she has gained, and whose congratulations, when she had triumphed over every difficulty attending her arduous upward struggle, and returned from Italy matured in genius and beauty, she ever acknowledges with tearful eyes to have been her best reward.

An incident, somewhat romantic in its character, formed the first introduction of Catherine Hayes to the late Hon. and Right Rev. Edmund Knox. Near to the See House, then situated in Henry-street, is the town mansion of the Earl of Limerick, in whose family an aged female relative of Miss Hayes resided. The gardens attached to these houses stretch in parallel lines to the banks of the Shannon, and were remarkable for their picturesque beauty. A woodbinecovered arbour near the river's brink was a favourite resort of Catherine Hayes, then a young and delicate child-timid, gentle, and reserved, shrinking from the sportive companionship of her playmates; her chief apparent source of pleasure being to sit alone, half-hidden among the leaves, and warble Irish ballad after ballad, the airs and words of which she appeared to have caught up and retained with a species of intuitive facility. One evening, while thus

delightfully occupied, "herself forgetting," and never dreaming but that she was "by the world forgot," some pleasure-parties on the river were attracted by the clear silvery tones of her voice, and the correct taste she even then displayed. Boat after boat silently dropt down the stream, pausing in the shadow of the trees, whence, as from the cage of a singing-bird, came the warblings that attracted them. Not a whisper announced to the unconscious child the audience she was delighting, till, at the conclusion of the last air, "The Lass of Gowrie," the unseen vocalist finished the ballad, dwelling on the passage "And now she's Lady Gowrie" with that prolonged and thrilling shake which owes nothing to all the after-cultivation her voice received, and which, in years to come, was to cause the critical and fastidious pit occupants of the Grand Opera to "rise at her," and to forget, in the passionate fervour of their enthusiasm, the cold formalities of etiquette. Then from her unseen auditory arose a rapturous shout of applause, the first intimation the blushing and half-frightened vocalist received that her "native wood-notes wild" had attracted a numerous and admiring audience. The Right Rev. Edmund Knox was one of those unseen listeners, and his correct taste and refined discrimination at once discerned the germ of that talent, the matured growth of which has so happily proved the soundness of his judgment. That evening the open air practice terminated, and the timid girl, who knew not the glorious natural gift she possessed, found herself suddenly a musical wonder, and heard, with a kind of incredulous delight, confident anticipations of her future celebrity pronounced. She was immediately invited to the See House, where the kindest encouragement overcame her timidity, and she soon became the "star" of a series of musical reunions, given chiefly for her instruction by her kind patron. These concerts were under the direction of the Messrs. Rogers, musicians of great promise, one of whom is now organist to the Cathedral, Limerick. Singing to their accompaniment, amid a circle predisposed to receive her with favour, Catherine Hayes came out," her rapid onward progress being soon manifest to all.

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Mention has been made of the beautiful shake, clear, thrilling, and brilliant, with which Miss Hayes is gifted, as having produced the irrepressible burst of applause that indicated the presence of her first audience-applause, the memory of which, we dare aver, like that of a first victory, has been more dearly cherished than any, the proudest of her after triumphs. A brief history of the first discovery of this rare natural gift, which arduous and persevering study and constant practice may succeed in imitating, if not partially acquiring, but which, to be perfect, must be natural, may not be uninteresting. Shortly before the period of Miss Hayes's introduction to Bishop Knox, and when quite a child, a lady in Limerick-a highly-accomplished amateurtook great interest in the gentle and thoughtful girl, and invited Catherine frequently to visit her. With this lady as her first instructress, she essayed to improve her style of singing some simple ballads, and displaying in them considerable flexibility of voice and facility of execution, her patroness proposed that she should essay a shake. Surprised, yet flattered, and never dreaming that she really possessed such a gift, she refused with blushes and smiles; but on her return to the solitude of her garden-practice bower by the river's brink, she at once endeavoured to imitate the shake her patroness had played for her instruction. She then ascertained, to her extreme delight, the existence of that beautiful and perfect ornament, which is one of the greatest charms of her singing. Timid by nature, retiring by habit, and scarcely believing in the possession of the precious gift, so newly discovered, she kept the secret to herself. At length, one day, having taken her wonted position at the pianoforte, and being lost, as it were, in the pleasure of singing, she for a moment forgot alike her timidity and caution, and at the termination of the concluding verse of the ballad, finished with a shake so brilliant, so thrilling, so perfect, that it extracted a literal scream of delight from her astonished and gratified patroness, who, though pleased with, and proud of her young pupil, knew not till then the musical treasure she had discovered.

It was from this lady Miss Hayes acquired all the first elementary knowledge of music, which gave her, while still a child, those facilities of brilliant execution, fully developed by after-instruction, and amid all the triumphs of her splendid professional career she has never ceased to cherish the remembrance of the sur

prise, "affectionate and glad," with which her shake on this occasion was greeted.

Bishop Knox, gratified beyond measure by the astonishing progress of his protegè, consulted a number of his and her friends in Limerick as to the best means of fully developing the qualities of her voice, and of making the great natural gifts she possessed subsidiary to her future maintenance. It was then determined that she should be placed under the care of some musical professor of eminence; and to obtain the funds necessary for this purpose, a subscription list was opened among her friends, a large sum being very speedily collected. After much consultation, and a careful consideration of the merits of the various professors then in this metropolis, Signor Sapio was unanimously selected, a just compliment to the well-known abilities of this professor, and the painstaking care he devoted to his pupils. These arrangements having all been com. pleted, and Signor Sapio having notified his willingness to undertake the charge, received the following communication :

"MY DEAR SIR,-I have succeeded in obtaining the requisite sum for Miss Hayes's board and tuition for one year, and shall be very much obliged if you will have the kindness to write to me to say when you and Mrs. Sapio can receive her. All her friends here, and she has many, are delighted to think she will be placed under your protection. She is a very amiable girl, and I have no doubt will do you great credit. "Believe me, my dear Sir, most truly yours,

"Palace, Limerick, 8th March, 1839."

"EDMOND LIMERICK.

Signor Sapio immediately replied, expressing his intention of at once making the necessary preparations for Miss Hayes's reception, and requesting to be informed when her arrival in the metropolis might be expected. His residence was then in Percy-place, where commenced what may fairly be termed her first professional studies, and where that young ambition to excel was awakened, which never, through all the toils of arduous practice, lost faith in the encouraging belief, that success should ultimately crown perseverance. The rejoinder of Bishop Knox was as follows:

"MY DEAR SIR,-Miss Hayes will be prepared to leave this in a week or ten days, at farthest, and I shall feel greatly obliged if you will let me know, by return of post, if you and Mrs. Sapio can receive her at that time. Mrs. Edmond Knox is quite enchanted at the success she has had in raising subscriptions, and, indeed, so are all her friends, and they are anxious to have her with you as soon as possible. She is a most modest, gentle, unassuming girl; and so anxious is she for improvement (knowing, indeed, that her livelihood depends upon it), that I am convinced she will give her very soul to it.

"Believe me, my dear Sir, most sincerely, your obliged

"EDMOND LIMERICK.

"I have sent Mr. Pigott the amount of her account for the overtures. I hope to be in Dublin in about three weeks, and shall be happy to see you on my way to London. I can, if you wish it, let you have £30 in hand.

"Palace, Limerick, 12th March, 1839."

Catherine Hayes arrived in Dublin on the 1st of April, 1839, and took up her residence with Signor Sapio in Percy-place, it being a great additional recommendation to her mother, and her anxious relatives and friends, that the home thus provided for her was eligible in every respect, combining the greatest comfort with the utmost respectability. Her voice then possessed the beautiful clearness and silvery mellowness which are its characteristics; her natural taste was pure and refined; but, in what may be called the mechanical portion of her art, in which it requires carefully and judiciously directed study to acquire a mastery, she was still extremely deficient. In a few weeks, however, her improvement was astonishing, and her eagerness to learn, the assiduity of her study, and the persevering, pains-taking constancy of her practice, amply fulfilled the Bishop's anticipation, that when once placed in a position where her abilities might have room for development and display, she would "give her very soul"

to her art.

Her first appearance in public took place on the 3rd of May, 1839, just one month after her arrival in the metropolis. The scene of this then great event