Amy Sherwin - Infinite Women

Born: 23 March 1855, Australia
Died: 20 September 1935
Country most active: International
Also known as: Frances Amy Lillian Sherwin

The following is excerpted from The Dictionary of Australian Biography by Percival Searle, published in 1949 by Angus and Robertson and republished by Project Gutenberg.

SHERWIN, AMY (c. 1855-1935), soprano singer, was born at Forest Home, Huonville, Tasmania, in about 1855 and was taught singing by her mother. On 1 May 1878 she appeared with an Italian opera company at Hobart as Norina in Don Pasquale and made an immediate success. Proceeding to Melbourne with the company she sang Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor on 3 June 1878, and was received with great enthusiasm, though it was realized that her voice needed further training. During the next few weeks she appeared as Maritana in Wallace’s opera, Leonora in Il Trovatore, and in other leading parts. Proceeding to America in 1879 she created the part of Marguerite in the first performance in America of Berlioz’s opera, Faust, in 1880. She studied under several masters both in America and in Europe, and appeared at the promenade concerts in London in 1883. In 1885 she sang at Covent Garden and afterwards with the Carl Rosa Company. In 1887-9 she toured Australia, New Zealand, Japan, America and Germany with much success, in 1896 had a tour in South Africa, was in Australia again in 1897-8 and in 1902-3 toured with Kubelik. She subsequently revisited Australia, and in her later years taught singing at London where she died on 20 September 1935. She married and was survived by a daughter. Madame Sherwin had an excellent light soprano voice and for a time had a successful career. She was optimistic and without any sense of business, and her last years were clouded by a struggle with sickness and poverty. In May 1934 about £200 Was raised for her benefit at Hobart.

This biography is republished from The Dictionary of Australasian Biography: Comprising notices of eminent colonists from the inauguration of responsible government down to the present time. [1855-1892] by Phillip Mennell, F.R.G.S., published by Hutchinson & Co., 25 Paternoster Square and 1892. The text was reproduced via Project Gutenberg.

Sherwin, Amy, the well-known operatic singer, was born in Tasmania. She had but limited means to advance her musical education in her early days, her only teacher being her mother. There chanced, however, to come to Tasmania a troupe of Italian artistes, and Miss Sherwin joined them. Her début was made in Melbourne, Vict., in Lucia. In 1879 she went to America, and was engaged to sing in Berlioz’s Faust at its initial performance. She took part in the Cincinnati Festival under Theodore Thomas in 1880-1. Then, having studied with Dr. Damrosch, Errani, and Madame Keppiani, Miss Sherwin came to Europe and placed herself under Stockhausen, Hustache, Vannuccini, and Ronconi, and made her appearance in London in 1883, winning her first success at the Promenade Concerts. Next, she connected herself with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, and sang at the Richter and Crystal Palace Concerts. In 1887 she visited Australia, and was received with great enthusiasm. She appeared in both concert and opera, and alter a year of prosperous achievement went to India, China, and Japan on a concert tour in 1888, reaching Europe in 1889; here she sang in the principal towns of Germany and Austria, and settled again in London in 1890, becoming the prima donna at Sims Reeves’s farewell concerts in his provincial tour. Miss Sherwin afterwards accepted an engagement with the Carl Rosa Opera Company.