Janet Monach Patey (''née'' Whytock; 1 May 1842 – 28 February 1894) was an English concert and oratorio

contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...

. She was born Janet Monach Whytock in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in 1842. She had a fine alto voice, which developed into a

, and she studied singing under John Wass,

Ciro Pinsuti Ciro Pinsuti (9 May 1829 – 10 March 1888) was an England, Anglo-Italy, Italian composer. Educated in music for a career as a pianist, he studied composition under Gioacchino Rossini, Rossini. From 1848 he made his home in England, where he be ...

and Emma Lucombe (wife of

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 ...

). Whytock's first appearance, in 1860, was made at

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

under the name Ellen Andrews. Her first regular engagement was in 1865, in the provinces. From 1866, in which year she sang at the

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

Festival, and married John Patey, a bass singer, she was recognized as one of the leading contraltos; and on the retirement of Helen Sainton-Dolby in 1870 Patey was without a rival whether in

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

or in ballad music. She toured in America in 1871, sang in Paris in 1875, Australia in 1890, and New Zealand in 1891. She died at

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

on 28 February 1894 and is buried in

Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is since 1852 the first (and only) London cemetery to be Crown Estate, Crown property, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington a ...

, London. Her daughter was Ethel Patey, the artist, who under her married name, Ethel Jackson, gave a portrait of her mother to the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

Notes

References

New York Times obituary, access 13 June 2008

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Patey, Janet Monach 1842 births 1894 deaths 19th-century English women singers Burials at Brompton Cemetery English contraltos