| Biography | James Sauvage (born James Savage), (9 May 1849 27 November 1922) was a Welsh baritone singer.
Sauvage grew up in the mining community of Penrhos, Rhosllannerchrugog, Wales, the son of Thomas and Mary Savage of The Square. Before he was nine years old, he began working in one of the local collieries, the Brandie Pit No. 6 at Ruabon, working twelve hour days. His musical talents appeared at an early age and as a child his voice was highly appreciated in local concerts and eisteddfodau, and he sang alto in the choir at the Calvinistic Methodist Capel Mawr (literally "Big Chapel") in Rhos.
At the age of eighteen, he left to seek work in the coalfields of Ohio in the United States with several other young men from Rhos. A few years later, in the town of Jackson, Ohio, he met Lewis William Lewis (known by his bardic name of Llew Llwyfo) of Penysarn, Llanwenllwyfo, Anglesey, Wales. Lewis was touring the Welsh communities of the USA with a concert party he had brought over from Wales. Llew Llwyfo managed to persuade James Savage to give up his job in the mines and join the concert party, a decision which changed the course of his life.
On returning to Wales, Sauvage began to make a name for himself in the musical world, and was frequently called upon to perform at the National Eisteddfod. He later gained a place at the Royal Academy of Music, London, England and in two years, the shortest time in record there for a student, won the bronze, silver, and gold medals. He was later elected associate of the institution and soon after became a Fellow of the Royal Academy.
Although he started his singing career as a tenor he later developed as a world-famous baritone. He was widely known as an operatic singer, and for a number of years was a member of the Carl Rosa Opera Company, and his repertoire included the standard English, French and Italian works.
Sauvage continued to make regular visits to the United States and eventually the family settled there in Lincoln Park, Newark, New Jersey. James took up the position of Director of Music at the Peddie Memorial Church in Newark and later was appointed Professor of Singing at Vassar College in New York. James Sauvage eventually became a naturalised United States citizen.
Every summer James made an annual pilgrimage back to Rhosllannerchrugog, travelling in some style between New York and Liverpool on the best of the Cunard Line liners. He made his last visit to Rhos in the summer of 1922. |