Helena Walker
Helena Walker (1839-1910) was a well-regarded soprano from Leeds. Walker was very talented and between 1857-1877 she performed across England, Scotland and Ireland.
Early life and education[edit]
Walker was born in Bramley near Leeds on 10 September 1839 and baptised on 10 November as Sarah Helena Walker. Her father, Joshua Walker, was a farmer.[1][2]
She was taught music by Henry Smart and Dr William Spark[3] and also studied in Germany.[4]
Career[edit]
She was a principal vocalist in the performance of Handel's 'Messiah' at the first Leeds Musical Festival at Leeds Town Hall in 1858.[5]
Throughout her singing career she received glowing reviews for her 'clear, ringing, sweet-toned soprano voice, and really excellent style'.[6] When she performed in Sheffield in 1861 the Sheffield Daily Telegraph noted the 'animated brilliancy' of her rendition of 'Rejoice Greatly' from the Messiah.[7] In May 1868 she sang part of Haydn's 'Creation' at Leeds Town Hall in front of the Prince of Wales during his visit to open Roundhay Park.[8]
Walker relocated from Leeds to Liverpool in October 1868. She married Alfred Thomas Haddock at St George's Church, Leeds on 5 September 1868. Her husband worked as a coal merchant and steamship agent and was son of Thomas Haddock, a professor of music.[9][10] Around this time she seems to have knocked two years off her age, as in the 1871 census her birth year is recorded as 1841.[11] She continued to perform across the country under her maiden name until 1877,[12] after which time there seems to be no mention of her in the public sphere.
Later life[edit]
Following the death of her husband, Walker moved to Harrogate to live with her older sister, Mary.[4][1] She died on 27 January 1910 and was interred at Anfield, Liverpool.[9]
A portrait of Walker by Fred Casano is in the collection of Leeds Museums and Galleries.[13]
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b 1901 Census
- ^ "Ancestry - Sign In". www.ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ "Local and Other News". Leeds Mercury. 11 April 1857.
- ^ a b "Obituary". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 1 February 1910.
- ^ "1858 Review" (PDF). www.leedsfestivalchorus.co.uk.
- ^ "Mr Spark's Lecture Concert". Leeds Intelligencer. 1 May 1858.
- ^ The Musical World: A Weekly Record of Musical Science, Literature, and Intelligence. J. Alfredo Novello. 1861.
- ^ The Prince of Wales in Leeds. Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited. 30 May 1868.
- ^ a b "Deaths". Leeds Mercury. 31 January 1910.
- ^ "Ancestry - Sign In". www.ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ "Ancestry - Sign In (1871 Census)". www.ancestry.co.uk. 1871. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ "Leeds Musical Festival". Leeds Mercury. 20 September 1877.
- ^ "Art UK | Discover Artworks". artuk.org. Retrieved 13 March 2020.