Sarah Bates (née Harrop, October 1758 – 11 December 1811) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

singer born in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

. She was married to the conductor

Joah Bates Joah Bates ( – 8 June 1799) was an English musician. Life Joah Bates was baptized at the parish church in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Halifax on 8 March 1740 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. (8 March 1741 Old Style and New Style dates, N.S.). ...

Early life and education

Sarah Harrop was born at Woodbrook, Saddleworth on the western edge of Yorkshire, to Robert and Elizabeth Harrop. Her father was a clothier and her brother, Robert, was the organist for the nearby Hey Chapel. She was educated in

Halifax, West Yorkshire Halifax () is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It is the commercial, cultural and administrative centre of the borough, and the headquarters of Calderdale Council. In the 15th cen ...

, the birthplace of her husband, and worked for some time in a factory in that town.

Singing career

On one occasion she sang in public in Halifax where she was heard by Dr. Howard, of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, who prophesied that she would one day throw all the English, nay even the Italian female singers far behind her. While she resumed her ordinary occupations, Dr. Howard sounded her praises 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 ...

, until at last the Sandwich Catch Club deputed him to bring her to

, where she met with very great success. In London she studied

Italian music The term ''Italian music'' is ambiguous and may refer to several topics: *The music of Italy *The folk, popular, classical (especially opera) musics of Italy and the Italian people , flag = , flag_caption = The national ...

under

Sacchini Antonio Maria Gasparo Gioacchino Sacchini (14 June 1730 – 6 October 1786) was an Italian composer, best known for his operas. Sacchini was born in Florence, but raised in Naples, where he received his musical education. He made a name for him ...

, and the compositions of

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

and the older masters under her future husband. She was a successful concert singer, both before and after her marriage with Joah Bates, which took place in 1780. Her chief success was made in

sacred music Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...

, which she delivered with much impressiveness. Among her secular songs the most famous was

Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest En ...

's "Mad Bess".

Angelica Kauffman Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann ( ; 30 October 1741 – 5 November 1807), usually known in English as Angelica Kauffman, was a Swiss Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Remembered primarily as a history painter, K ...

painted a portrait depicting her as

Erato In Greek mythology, Erato (; grc, Ἐρατώ) is one of the Greek Muses, which were inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius o ...

, the muse of lyric poetry, which was exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

in 1781 and is now in the possession of the

Princeton University Art Museum The Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) is the Princeton University gallery of art, located in Princeton, New Jersey. With a collecting history that began in 1755, the museum was formally established in 1882, and now houses over 113,000 works o ...

Death

She died at Foley Place on 11 December 1811.

References

1758 births 1811 deaths People from Saddleworth 18th-century English singers 19th-century English singers 18th-century British women singers 19th-century British women singers English women singers 19th-century English women 18th-century English women {{England-singer-stub