1. Elizabeth Billington's mother, Frederika, nee Weirman, an English vocalist of some distinction, was a pupil of Johann Christian Bach, and sang at Vauxhall with success between 1765 and 1775.
13 Facts About Elizabeth Billington
1. 2.
Elizabeth Billington now began to turn her attention to the cultivation of her voice, and at the early age of fourteen appeared at a public concert in Oxford.
3.
In 1791 she was kind enough to take in Elizabeth Billington Clendining who she had met in Dublin.
4.
Mrs Elizabeth Billington was not happy in her marriage, and even before she had appeared on the London stage rumour had been busy with her fair fame.
5.
Elizabeth Billington's singing created an extraordinary impression, but her triumph was cut short by the sudden death of her husband, which took place the day after her first appearance, as he was preparing to accompany his wife to the theatre, after dining with the Bishop of Winchester.
6.
Elizabeth Billington stayed at Naples sixteen months, and then sang at Florence, Leghorn, Milan, Venice, and Trieste.
7.
Elizabeth Billington's reappearance took place at Covent Garden on 3 Oct 1801, in Thomas Arne's Artaxerxes, in which she sang the part of Mandane, Incledon singing that of Arbaces.
8.
In 1802 Mrs Elizabeth Billington appeared in Italian opera at the King's Theatre, on the occasion of the farewell of Banti, when both these great artists sang in Sebastiano Nasolini's 'Merope.
9.
Elizabeth Billington appeared once more at Whitehall Chapel in 1814, at a concert in aid of the sufferers by the German war.
10.
Elizabeth Billington was all through her life a finished pianist.
11.
In person Mrs Elizabeth Billington was very handsome, though inclined to stoutness.
12.
Elizabeth Billington's portrait was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds as Saint Cecilia, and has been engraved by James Ward, Pastorini, and Cardon.
13.
Haydn said of her, that Sir Joshua Reynolds should rather have painted the angels listening to Mrs Elizabeth Billington singing, than have depicted, as he did, Mrs Elizabeth Billington listening to the angels.