Cecilia Davies (c. 1756 – 3 July 1836) was an English classical soprano who had an active international career in concerts and

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

s during the second half of the 18th century. In Italy she was known as "l'Inglesina". She was the sister of

Marianne Davies Marianne Davies (1743 or 1744 – c. 1818) was an English musician, and the sister of the classical soprano Cecilia Davies. She was a singer who also played flute and harpsichord. In 1762 she became the first person to publicly perform on the ...

who was the first professional

glass harmonica The glass harmonica, also known as the glass armonica, glass harmonium, bowl organ, hydrocrystalophone, or simply the armonica or harmonica (derived from , ''harmonia'', the Greek word for harmony), is a type of musical instrument that uses a ...

musician. She sang in several world premieres during her career, including

Thomas Arne Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song " Rule, Britannia!" and the song "A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of '' The Beggar's Opera'', wh ...

's '' Love in a Village'' (1762, Margery) and

Josef Mysliveček Josef Mysliveček (9 March 1737 – 4 February 1781) was a Czech composer who contributed to the formation of late eighteenth-century classicism in music. Mysliveček provided his younger friend Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with significant com ...

's '' La Circe'' (1779, title role).

References

* 1750s births 1836 deaths English operatic sopranos 18th-century British women opera singers {{UK-opera-singer-stub