The British Musical Biography

[E] Sherrington, Hellen, Madame Lemmens
Sherrington, soprano vocalist, born at Pres-
ton, Lancashire, October 4, 1834. The family
migrated to Rotterdam in 1838. There the
daughter studied under Verhulst; in 1852
entered the Brussels Conservatoire, taking
first prize for singing and declamation. Made
her first appearance in London, April 7, 1856,
at the Amateur Musical Society's Concert,
Hanover Square Rooms. She soon obtained
a leading position, and was heard at tiie
Birmingham Festivals from 1861 ; the Three
Choirs, Worcester, 1863-72. In 1880 she was
nominated a professor of singing at the
Brussels Conservatoire, but undertook a tour
in the provinces, 1883-4. She made a special
visit to London in 1889, to sing in Benoit's
" Lucifer " at the Albert Hall, Ax^ril 3. In
1891 she resigned her professorship at Brussels,
and accepted one at the R.A.M., London, the
same year, which she still retains, and was
elected an Hon. Member of the Institution.
In opera she made her debut at Her Majesty's
Theatre, October 10, 1860, as A/aid Marian,
in Macfarren's "Robin Hood," and "took the
audience by storm." She first sang in Italian
Opera at the same theatre in May, 1866, as
Adalgisa in " Norma," appearing later in
many operas, English, French, and Italian.
She married, in 1857, Nicolas Lemmens, the
eminent Belgian organist and composer, who
died January 30, 1881. Two daughters, Mary
and Ella, made successful first appearances at
the Royal Academy of Music, Louvain, Nov-
ember 6, 1881 ; and both have been heard in
London and the provinces, at times from
1882. Madame Sherrington is the composer
of some songs.

entry id: 370-L-43