Guest
Evan Williams (1867-1918) was a popular concert and oratorio tenor whose career took him to major venues on both sides of the Atlantic. Known as “The Great Welsh Tenor”, Harry Evan Williams was actually born in Mineral Ridge, Ohio. The son of Welsh immigrants, he seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of his coal miner father. At 13, he lost his mother and went to live with relatives in the Welsh community of Thomastown. Williams soon dropped out of school and began working in the mines. He was placed in the local church choir (reportedly to keep him out of trouble), where his uncommonly beautiful voice was first noticed. Taking advantage of his heritage, Williams soloed at Welsh festivals and sang with a local octet. It was after taking 1st place in the tenor division of Akron’s Eisteddfod competition in 1884 that he began to attract attention. Williams was heard by lawyer and amateur singer Frank Atterholt, who encouraged the teen to pursue a singing career. A position with a Methodist Church in Akron (at two dollars per service!) was secured for Williams, but the weekly 40 mile trip from Thomastown became too strenuous. A job was found for him at Akron’s steel mill, where he worked for the next year and a half, while still soloing at church. Celebrated soprano Louise von Feilitzsch heard Williams and offered him free voice lessons at her Cleveland studio. This necessitated the tenor giving up a steady job and leaving his expectant bride in Thomastown. Williams found work as an elevator operator and managed to send a weekly sum of six dollars to his wife, despite a salary of a dollar a day! A few singing jobs supplemented his income, including a stint with the Primrose & West travelling minstrel show. On the advice of Madame von Feilitzsch, Williams moved to New York and began studies with Welsh baritone James Sauvage. Again, he suffered dreadful financial hardships until receiving a position at Brooklyn’s Marble Collegiate Church. His finances now secure, he was finally able to send for his wife and sons. Most sources list the September 1896 Worcester (MA) Music Festival as Williams’ official debut. However, research shows that the tenor’s first appearance in a complete work was on June 5, 1894 in the Galion (OH) Choral Society’s presentation of Cowan’s cantata, The Rose Maiden. Soon, Williams was in great demand with musical societies, churches, and symphonies across the U.S. Sadly, vocal issues began to appear by the turn of the century, with things reportedly culminating in a complete vocal breakdown during a 1902 presentation of Elijah at Carnegie Hall. Chalking up the issue to improper technique, he wisely decided to retrain his voice. Reports that Williams abandoned singing entirely during this vocal crisis are false. He did limit his appearances but continued to perform carefully throughout this period. He also spent much of his time teaching from his Akron home. Teaching proved to be almost as lucrative as singing, both financially and vocally. Williams found that, by demonstrating proper technique to his students, he was regaining his voice. Extended summer tours of the British Isles kept the tenor busy between 1904 and 1906. He made his first recordings in London for G&T in 1906 and signed a long-term contract with Victor the following year. He resumed his taxing schedule, giving as many as 26 performances in a single month, and boasting of travelling 60,000 miles during the 1912-13 season. Despite the unsurprising return of vocal issues (he blamed it on a cold), Williams remained very popular throughout the U.S. and Britain. His public appearances, not to mention his record sales, brought in enormous sums. Williams was now quite wealthy and enjoyed what little free time he had shooting pool and playing golf. Williams continued his oratorio and concert work throughout the decade, his son Evan Jr. often acting as accompanist. His final appearance was a recital at Akron’s Armory on May 14, 1918. The audience had no idea that the tenor was feverish and in tremendous pain. Williams had ignored an ingrown hair on his thigh, which became abscessed. When the infection worsened, Williams was taken to Akron’s City Hospital. Blood poisoning set in and the tenor’s condition deteriorated. Despite a brave battle, Williams died on May 24th at the age of 50. Evan Williams was one of the leading oratorio tenors of his generation. His repertoire of over 30 works included St. Matthew Passion, The Creation, Mass in C, 9th Symphony, St. Paul, Elijah, Judas Maccabaeus, Samson, Messiah, The Dream of Gerontius, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Verdi’s Requiem and even a few operas such as Faust, Samson and Delilah and Les Troyens, always sung in concert. His legacy of 200 recordings for the Victor label, reveals a robust but smooth lyric tenor, used with great musicality.
