| Biography | Frances Amy Lillian Sherwin (23 March 1855 20 September 1935), the 'Tasmanian Nightingale', was an Australian soprano singer. She was born at Forest Home, Huonville, Tasmania on 23 March 1855. She was taught singing by her mother.
On 1 May 1878 she appeared with an Italian opera company at Hobart, Tasmania 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 the title role in Wallace's opera Maritana, 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 Hector Berlioz's work, The Damnation of 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 Opera 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 1897-1898 and in 1902-1903 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. She died on 20 September 1935 in Bromley in poverty at age 81. |