Miss Hatchard is a native of Portsmouth, and was trained at the Royal Academy of Music under Madam Agnes Larkcom. She gained the Melba Prize, amongst other distinctions. She made her first appearance in Grand Opera at Covent Garden in 1907, and there and elsewhere she has sung important parts in “Hansel and Gretel,” Faust,” “Traviata,” “Tales of Hoffman,” Wagner’s ‘Ring,” and other great Operas. This season she has been engaged by Herr Ernst Denhof to sing the role of “Sophie” in Strauss’s ” Rosenkavalier,” the difficult music of “Queen of Night” in Mozart’s “Magic Flute,” and as “Eva” in “Die Meistersinger.”
Miss Hatchard has also distinguished herself at the Queen’s Hall Concerts, and at the Manchester, Leeds, and other principal concerts, in oratorio and in operatic selections, and she has received most cordial praise from the “Times,” “Manchester Guardian,” “Yorkshire Post,’ and other leading newspapers. She has been described as having “one of the sweetest and purest of soprano voices,”—” almost unique in its beauty,”—” with splendid amplitude and flexibility, and cultured and unaffected delivery”— “one of the most perfect of singers.”
(From the prospectus, 1913-1914)
Further information on Caroline Hatchard and more pictures can be found at www.musicweb.uk.net
SOME PRESS NOTICES.
Promenade Concert.— MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD has one of the sweetest and purest of soprano voices, and the softness and caressing beauty of her impeccable execution make her in music that is not of intense passion one of the most perfect of singers. . . . The music of the automaton from the “Tales of Hoffmann ” is, in England at least, associated with MISS HATCHARD’S clever execution; on the concert platform much of its point is lost, but even there her beautiful vocalisation of all that is most musical in it must make it welcome in spite of this objection. “0 thou charming Bird,” by Felicien David, was, in its execution and beautiful simulation of the alternating florid passage work for the flute, even more perfect— Manchester Guardian.
Queen’s Hall Promenade Concerts.— MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD had selected no less exacting a solo than “Non Paventar” from “The Magic Flute.” Her voice is of beautiful and sympahtetic quality, and of ample power, and in the recit. and andante the young singer gave ample proof of her high artistic capabilities. Nor did she disappoint expectations in the allegro. Mozart’s brilliant fireworks were mastered with delightful ease. In the second part (about as complete a contrast as possible) we were favoured with Sullivan’s ” Orpheus with his Lute,” and again MISS HATCHARD won the favour of all present— Musical Opinion.
MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD, who has a lovely soprano voice of soft and penetrating quality, sang the dreamy lied of Liszt, ” Bist du,” with real poetical feeling. MISS HATCHARD proved by her rendering of this song that she has great natural gifts— Morning Post.
Nottingham Sacred Harmonic.— MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD, whose voice is of extremely brilliant quality and wide compass, sang with refinement the great air, ” Softly Sighs,” from Weber’s ” Der Freischütz.” MISS HATCHARD’S second song was the Mozartian ” Non Paventar,” in the gay florid strains of which the singer evidently enjoyed herself thoroughly, singing with delightful purity of tone and marked vocal facility. Her re-appearance will be hailed with pleasure— Nottingham Daily Guardian.
Manchester. —MISS HATCHARD was far and away the most satisfactory singer we have heard at the Promenade Concerts. Her voice is almost unique in its beauty, and quite exceptional in its range and flexibility. Moreover she used it with cultured art, and her delivery is expressive and entirely free from affectation— Evening News.
Leeds .—MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD came announced as a captivating impersonator of “The Doll” in “Tales of Hoffmann,” an introduction which was certainly a left-handed compliment. The art of “The Doll ” is to come to a stop prematurely, whereas the conspicuous virtue in MISS HATCHARD’S singing is a splendid amplitude of style enforced by a singularly charming voice—an ecstacy controlled only by the limits of art— Yorkshire Observer.
Leeds.— MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD is gifted with a soprano voice of high range and of great freshness and purity, and with an attractive style. Her singing of Verdi’s characteristically florid cavatina, ” Ernani! Ernani I volami,” was very effective in the high lights of its colouring. In “Solveig’s Song,” that fine lyric by Grieg, she expressed the sentiment with captivating sincerity of feeling— Yorkshire Post.
“Elijah.” —Her voice is of beautiful quality, with the charm of youthful freshness combining ample power and almost magnetic force of emotion.— The Western Morning News.
“The Messiah.” —Well did MISS HATCHARD deserve all the applause, for her singing was replete with the evidences of highly cultured training and true artistic ability. The fine recitatives with which the soprano part opens were beautifully sung. . . . most beautifully expressive rendering of ” Come unto Him,” sung with charming sympathy and subdued religious feeling. In her final and most important solo, she rose to the occasion, the rich, full tones of her glorious voice enabling her to give that breadth and depth of expression and solemn assurance the spirit which the divine message demands. Not a point was missed, and it was a perfect performance of the grandest solo in the whole oratorio— Portsmouth Times .
Gounod’s “Faust.” —MISS HATCHARD was “Margarita.” To technical ability and facility, and a voice as beautiful and bright in quality as it is supple and extended in range, she combines temperamental versatility and natural expression of emotion. Discernment was evidenced in the rendering of the alternating moods of the spinning-wheel and in the mad scene, and the love episodes were sung with great charm— Western Morning News .
Berlioz’s “Faust.” —She sang the part with bewitching grace and fervour, and the duet with the lover was quite an operatic gem. . . . a beautifully expressive voice of useful range, and gives great promise of a brilliant future in opera— Hampshire Telegraph .
“La Traviata” (Royal Opera (Grand Season), Covent Garden). —MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD did all that was possible with the part of ” Flora Rervoix.” Her voice was fresh and clear, and she sang extremely well— Evening Standard and St. James’ Gazette .
“Hansel and Gretel” (Royal Opera). —I have never seen so ideal a “Dewman” as MISS HATCHARD.— “Lancelot” in The Referee .
“Armide” (Royal Opera) .—MISS HATCHARD sang the air of the “Naiad” with very great charm— Morning Leader .
“Tales of Hoffmann.” —MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD’S perfectly neat and pure singing of the fioriture which belong to the part of the doll, “Olympia,” could not have been bettered— The Times .
“Tales of Hoflmann.” —Chief honours, histrionically and vocally, were awarded to MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD (the doll ” Olympia “), who possesses a voice of remarkable purity and sweetness, thoroughly under control, and beautifully managed.— Manchester Weekly Times .
“Die Fledermaus” (the Bat). —MISS CAROLINE HATCHARD was the ” Rosalinde,” and her work was that of a perfect artist. Her voice has a peculiar charm in its mellowness, and is never forced or hard. She achieved a most remarkable success last night in the Hungarian song.— Dublin Mail.