A duet by Miss Harriett and Miss Theodosia Abrams,
Harrison’s Concert, Hanover Square
by John Nixon
Harriett Abrams (c. 1758-1821) was a renowned English soprano and composer of Jewish descent. A student of Thomas Arne, Abrams made her stage debut as the little gypsy in Arne’s 1775 May Day at Drury Lane. Her career as a soloist at fashionable London concerts and provincial festivals flourished, including appearances at the Handel Commemoration concerts, the Concerts of Ancient Music, and numerous other concert series throughout the region. Charles Burney praised the sweetness and taste of her singing, and she collaborated in performances with Franz Joseph Haydn in the 1790s.
Abrams published several collections of vocal works, many of which she premiered herself in concerts. Her publications include sets of Italian and English canzonets, a collection of Scottish songs for two and three voices, and sentimental ballads. She dedicated a collection of her songs to Queen Charlotte in 1803, the most popular of which were “Crazy Jane” and “The Orphan’s Prayer.”
Works:
1808 12 Songs (voice, piano)
Crazy Jane
The Friend of My Heart
Little Boy Blue
The Orhpan’s Prayer
A Smile and a Tear
The Three Sighs
The White Man
Resources:
Sources:
Baldwin, Olive, and Thelma Wilson. “Abrams, Harriett.” Grove Music Online. 2001.
Works Featured on Expanding the Music Theory Canon
The Orphan’s Prayer
Excerpt
Pages: Intervals, Hemiola
A Smile and a Tear
Excerpt
Pages: Seventh Chords, Cadences, vii°6, vii°7+Inversions
The Three Sighs: Sorrow, Hope, & Bliss
Excerpt
Pages: Cadences, Period