A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Salmon, Eliza
SALMON, Eliza, whose maiden name was Munday, was born at Oxford in 1787. Her mother's family had produced several good musicians; her uncle, William Mahon (born 1753, died at Salisbury, May 2, 1816), was the best clarinetist of his day; her aunts, Mrs. Warton, Mrs. Ambrose, and Mrs. Second, were excellent singers of the second rank. She was a pupil of John Ashley, and made her first appearance at Covent Garden in the Lenten concerts given by him under the name of 'oratorios,' March 4, 1803. About 1805 she married James Salmon, and went to reside at Liverpool, where she became distinguished as a concert singer, occasionally appearing in London, and rapidly attaining the highest popularity. In 1812 she sang at Gloucester Festival, and in 1815 at the Concert of Ancient Music. From that time to the close of her career her services were in constant request at nearly all the concerts, oratorios, and festivals in town and country. Her voice was a pure soprano of the most beautiful quality, of extensive compass, very brilliant tone, and extraordinary flexibility. She excelled in songs of agility, and was unsurpassed for the rapidity, neatness, and certainty of her execution, and the purity of her taste in the choice of ornament. In the higher and more intellectual qualities of singing, expression and feeling, she was wanting. But she extorted admiration, even from those most sensible of her deficiencies, by the exquisite loveliness of her voice and the ease with which she executed the most difficult passages. She unfortunately acquired the habit of intemperance, which eventually occasioned derangement of the nervous system, and in 1825 she suddenly lost her voice. She visited the continent, hoping by change and rest to recover it, but in vain; the jewel was gone never to be regained. She endeavoured to gain a livelihood by teaching singing, but, although she was well qualified for it, the ignorant public concluded that, as she herself had lost the power of singing, she was incapable of instructing others. She re-married a Rev. Mr. Hinde, who died leaving her totally destitute. A concert was given for her relief, June 24, 1840, which proved a complete failure. She gradually sank into a state of the greatest poverty, and was dependent upon the bounty of those who had known her in prosperity for subsistence. In 1845 an effort was made to raise a fund to purchase an annuity for her. but it was only partially successful. She died at No. 33 King's Road East, Chelsea, June 5, 1849. Her death was registered in the names of Eliza Salmon Hinde.
Her husband, James Salmon, son of James Salmon (gentleman of the Chapel Royal, Nov. 30, 1789, vicar choral of St. Paul's, and lay clerk of St. George's Chapel, Windsor, died 1827), received his early musical education as a chorister of St. George's, Windsor. In 1805 he was appointed organist of St. Peter's, Liverpool, and was in much esteem as a performer. In 1813, having fallen into embarrassed circumstances (by some attributed to his wife's extravagance, and by others to his own irregularities), he enlisted as a soldier and went with his regiment to the West Indies, where he died.
William, another son of James Salmon, sen., born 1789, was also a chorister of St. George's. He was admitted a gentleman of the Chapel Royal, May 28, 1817, and was also lay vicar of Westminster Abbey and lay clerk of St. George's, Windsor. With an ungrateful voice he sang with much taste and expression, and was an excellent singing master. He died at Windsor, Jan. 26, 1858.