User:Rich Farmbrough/DNB/E/l/Elizabeth Rainforth

Elizabeth Rainforth|1814|1877| Elizabeth Rainforth (born 1814 died 1877), vocalist, daughter of S. Rainforth, a custom-house officer, was a pupil of T. Cooke, Crivelli, and George Perry, and subsequently, for dramatic action, of Mrs. Davison. She first sang in public at the vocal concerts, 29 February 1836, when she sang an aria from 'Der Freischütz' (cf. Spectator, 1836, page 223). Her success was so pronounced as to lead to an immediate engagement for the succeeding concert in March. On 27 October in the same year Miss Rainforth made her stage début as Mandane in Arne's 'Artaxerxes' at the St. James's Theatre, and for many seasons she was a popular dramatic singer at this theatre, the English Opera House, Covent Garden, and Drury Lane. At the same time her services as a concert-singer were in great demand. In 1837 she appeared in oratorio under the auspices of the Sacred Harmonic Society; on 18 March 1839 she sang at the Philharmonic concerts; and in 1840 at the Concerts of Ancient Music. In 1836 and 1842 she was a principal singer at the Norwich Festival (cf. Musical World, 1836, page 43). In 1843 and 1845 her success at the Birmingham and Worcester festivals was no less emphatic; in 1844 she was performing in Dublin. On 27 November 1843 she created the rôle of Arline in Balfe's 'Bohemian Girl'. From 1852 to 1856 she lived in Edinburgh, and she practically retired from public life in 1859. Until 1871 she taught singing at Windsor. In 1871 she withdrew to Chatterton Villa, Redland, near Bristol, where she died 22 September 1877. Miss Rainforth was an admirable singer, but lacked sufficient power to place her in the foremost rank of great sopranos.

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