James Ernest Perring (1 March 1822 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

– 12 January 1889 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

) was a British opera singer, voice trainer, and composer.

Life

As a boy, Perring led the soprano chorus at

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...

before entering the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

, studying under Sir Julius Benedict. He later studied in Italy and became a good friend of singer

Sims Reeves John Sims Reeves (21 October 1821 – 25 October 1900) was an English operatic, oratorio and ballad tenor vocalist during the mid-Victorian era. Reeves began his singing career in 1838 but continued his vocal studies until 1847. He soon establ ...

. On his return to England, Perring commenced a successful career as a leading tenor, singing with

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria "Jenny" Lind (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and a ...

and

Maria Piccolomini Marietta Piccolomini (; 5 March 1834 – 11 December 1899)The birthdate given in this article is stated by the Register of baptisms — year 1834 — number 215 — of the former Parish of Saints Quiricus and Julitta in Sienna, while the death dat ...

, among others. He was noted for singing oratorio. He toured both Europe and the United States to great acclaim, with the great performers of the day. He later became a vocal teacher, assisting singers such as

Emma Abbott Emma Abbott (December 9, 1850 – January 5, 1891) was an American operatic soprano and impresario known for her pure, clear voice of great flexibility and volume. Early life Emma Abbott was born in 1850 in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of t ...

and

Max Alvary Max Alvary (3 May 1856 – 7 November 1898), born as Maximilian Achenbach, was a German operatic tenor. Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, he was the son of the painter Andreas Achenbach, over whose initial objections he pursued his singing career. H ...

. In 1850 he suffered financial hardship and spent time in a debtors' prison; he was described then as a "Professor of Music and Singing, composer and organist, occasionally dealing in musical instruments". By 1859, he had moved to the United States, where he continued to perform until at least 1865, and teach and publish music until his death in 1889. From 1874 to 1876, he was the choirmaster and organist at Calvary Episcopal Church in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. In 1878 he was hired by the new Cincinnati Musical College (a predecessor to the

Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

) to teach singing.The Musical Record, Volume I, number 15, 11 January 1879, p. 227 He composed many ballads, parlor songs, and nocturnes, although few if any modern recordings of his work exist.

Published pieces

*"The Fairy Ring", words

Joseph Edwards Carpenter Joseph Edwards Carpenter (2 November 1813, London – 6 May 1885, BayswaterBoase, F., ''Modern English biography'', 6 vols, 1892-1921) was an English playwright, composer, and songwriter. In 1851, Carpenter moved from Leamington to London. He wr ...

, 1840 *"I'd be a Fairy", words Carpenter, 1840 *"The Maids of Merry England", words R. Wynne, 1844 *"My Lowly Cottage Home", words Carpenter, 1845 *"May I Love Thee, Hebrew Maiden", words Carpenter, 1846 *"Away We Speed to our Native Shore"/"Flow on Ripling Stream"/"My Lowly Cottage Home"/"Sail on, Sail on, my Bark", words Carpenter, music by

Strauss Strauss, Strauß or Straus is a common Germanic surname. Outside Germany and Austria ''Strauß'' is always spelled ''Strauss'' (the letter " ß" is not used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland). In classical music, "Strauss" usually ref ...

and Labitzky, arranged by Perring, 1847 *"I'd Be a Gypsy", words Carpenter, 1847 *"'Tis the Way of the World", words Carpenter, 1847 *"Come to the South", words Carpenter, 1848 *"The Fair Green Fields of England", words Carpenter, 1850 *"Have Faith in One Another", words Carpenter, 1850 *"I'd Be a Bloomer", words Ernest Reed, 1851 *"The Moss Rose", words Lt. Col. Addison, 1852 *"I'll Keep Thee in Remembrance", words Carpenter, 1854 *"Eva (song from ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'')", words Carpenter, 1855 *"The Mountains of Malvern", words A. Park, 1856 *"Ye Sons of Merry England", words Col. Addison, 1857 *''Six Songs'' (When Soft Upon the Grassy, My Youth's Early Dream, Young Kate, Darling Little Minnie, Lightly & Gaily, My Love He Is a Warrior Bold), words Charles J. Sprague, 1859 *"The Ladye That I Love", words J. Simmonds, 1860 *"Why Did She Leave Me", words Carpenter, 1860 *"The Child and the Stars", words Carpenter, 1861 *''Admired Songs and Ballads'', 1864 *"Beware!" (words by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

), 1864 *"Life's Rosy Morning", words Simmonds, 1864 *"The Spirit Bell", 1865 *"Come to Me Angel of Sleep", words Mrs. Frances Baker, 1866 *"Slowly Now the Day is Dying", words James T. Dudley, 1866 *"Sweet Nellie", 1867 *"The Wishing Gate", 1867 *"The Belle of the Ball Room", 1870 *"The Happiest Land", words translated by Longfellow, 1870 *"The Home of my Youth", words A. Morland, 1870 *"Break O' Day Galop", 1871 *"Rippling Rivulet", 1871 *"Blessed Home!", words Ellen C. Howarth, 1872 *"Grand Exhibition March", 1872 *"I'm Wand'ring Alone in the Twilight", words C. O. Clayton, 1872 *"Marguerite", 1872 *"Nocturno", 1876 *"As Pants the Hart" (a setting of

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

42), 1879 *"The Hope That Breathes of Spring", words Caroline Howe, 1879 *"There'll Be a Good Time at the Mowing", 1879 *"My Childhood's Home", 1880 *"The Danish Peasant Girl", 1880 *"Courtship", words F. Langbridge, 1881 *"The Bride and Her Sailor", words Dean Delmont, 1882 *"Come Live With Me and Be My Love", words

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon the ...

, 1882 *"Fairies of Dreamland", words Frank W. Green, 1882 *"Heaven Watches O'er You", 1882 *"The Love Once Ours", 1882 *"Oh! Do Not Doubt Me", words George Cooper, 1882 *"Under the Almond Tree", 1882 *"Flirting in the Square", 1884 *"The Shades of Night", 1887 *"Fascination", 1888 *"The Maids of Dear Columbia", words R. Wynne, ?

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perring, James Ernest 19th-century British male opera singers English composers Voice teachers Singers from London 1889 deaths 1822 births 19th-century British composers Boy sopranos University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music faculty English emigrants to the United States 19th-century musicologists