A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Stephens, Catherine

STEPHENS, Catherine, born in London Sept. 18, 1794, having given early indications of aptitude for music, was in 1807 placed under the instruction of Gesualdo Lanza, whose pupil she remained for some years. Early in 1812 she appeared in subordinate parts at the Pantheon as a member of an Italian Opera Company. Soon afterwards her father, dissatisfied with the apparently small progress she made under Lanza, placed her under the tuition of Thomas Welsh. On Sept. 23, 1813, she appeared anonymously at Covent Garden as Mandane in 'Artaxerxes' with decided success. She repeated the part on Sept. 28, as 'Miss Stevens,' and on Sept. 30, under her proper name. She soon afterwards performed Polly in 'The Beggar's Opera,' Rosetta in 'Love in a Village,' and Clara in 'The Duenna,' in each gaining ground in public favour. Her success occasioned an animated controversy between her two instructors as to which of them could claim the credit of having really developed her abilities. In March 1814 she was engaged at the Concert of Ancient Music, where she was at once allotted all the principal soprano songs, and later in the year she sang at the festivals at Norwich and Birmingham. She continued at Covent Garden until 1822, when she broke with the managers on a question of terms and transferred her services to Drury Lane. She occupied the principal position on the English operatic stage, at the first concerts, and the festivals, until 1835, when she retired into private life. Her voice was a pure soprano, rich, full, and powerful, and of extensive compass, and her execution neat, although not very remarkable for brilliancy. She somewhat lacked dramatic instinct and power, and her enunciation was very bad, but she excelled in the expression of quiet devotional feeling and simple pathos. In such songs as Handel's 'Angels, ever bright and fair,' and 'If guiltless blood,' and in ballads like 'Auld Robin Gray,' and 'Savourneen Deelish,' she captivated every hearer. On March 14, 1838, she was married to the widowed octogenarian Earl of Essex in his house No. 9 Belgrave Square,^[1] and on April 23, 1839, became his widow. She survived him for nearly 43 years, dying in the house in which she was married, Feb. 22, 1882.

[ W. H. H. ]

1. In the Parish Register of St. George, Hanover Square, the marriage was originally entered as having been celebrated in 'the Parish Church.' Those last three words were, however, subsequently erased (in two places) with a sharp instrument, and '9 Belgrave Square' written upon the erasures, but without any note, or authentication, of the alteration being made in the Register. The original entry is proved by the words 'the Parish Church' remaining unaltered in the certified copy of the register at Somerset House, until March 1882, when the discrepancy was pointed out by the present writer, and measures taken for its correction. It is to be hoped that this is a solitary instance of so flagrant a violation of the directions of the Act of Parliament as to the mode in which erroneous entries in Registers are to be rectified.