Catherine Gordon Soprano

  The upcoming benefit concert and Victorian Tea at The Red Church in Sonora features the stories and songs of engaging women in Tuolumne County. Elizabeth Leary of Columbia California was one of the first women to take advantage of the Sole Trader act, which allowed her to start her own business in the Performing Arts.  There is a lingering misconception that amusements in Columbia during the Gold Rush were all in the nature of saloons, fandangos, and gambling halls.  The surprising truth is that by 1853, Elizabeth Leary, the wife of Constable John C. Leary, was presenting some of the finest performing artists in the world right here in Tuolumne County. Two of the "Celebrity Songbirds," of the era: Eliza Biscaccianti (The American Thrush) and Catherine Hayes (The Swan of Erin) performed at Mrs. Leary's Assembly Hall at Fulton and Broadway in Columbia. Both of these famous Cantatrices were represented by P.T. Barnum, who had begun promoting opera stars as a way to build h

 In just a bit more than three weeks the curtain will rise on the musical tribute to Elizabeth Leary and the Celebrity Songbirds. We will also celebrate the 163rd. anniversary of the fist service at St. James' Episcopal Church. Lovingly known as the Red Church in Sonora.   The story of Elizabeth Leary and the famous sopranos she booked into the Armory Assembly Hall gets more fascinating the more research I do. The docents at the Archives at Columbia State Historic Park made a big difference when they showed me, "The Theater of the Golden Era in California," by G.R. Macminn. I have more anecdotes of Tuolumne County, and some bittersweet truths to share.  You don't want to miss the story of Constable John Leary, and get ready to learn more interesting facts about P.T. Barnum and Jenny Lind. You will be familiar with the beautiful songs in the program, and I hope you will come away with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by these engaging women of the Califor

  Catherine has her BA in Theatre from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana. In 2017, she was invited to join the alumni of Saint Mary’s Women’s Choir in a performance of American composer Libby Larsen’s, “Magnificat,” at Carnegie Hall.  Her preparation for that concert inspired a shift from Musical Theatre to classical, sacred, and ballad singing.  Catherine worked for 11 years as an actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer in Los Angeles.  She played principal roles opposite Lucy Arnaz in “Wonderful Town,” Vicki Lawrence in “Hello Dolly,” and Bill Hayes in “42 nd Street.” She was also a principal singer/dancer for Holland America Line.  Catherine came to Sonora to play Joan in “Dames at Sea,” for Sierra Repertory Theatre, met her husband Van there, and stayed for good. She recently joined the congregation here at St. James, and she is grateful for the warm welcome, and the chance to share the stories of a remarkable woman of Tuolumne County and the famous singers she hosted her

 

 Celebrity Songbirds of the Mother Lode is an upcoming benefit performance for The Red Church Historical Preservation fund.

Catherine Gordon as Catherine Hayes              Catherine Gordon pays tribute to Catherine Hayes. The most celebrated Irish soprano of the 19th century delighted audiences in San Francisco, Sacramento, and even Columbia, California. She was hailed as The Swan of Erin, The Hibernian Prima Donna, and even The Irish Jenny Lind during her worldwide career. Although her name is no longer well known in the United States, Queen Victoria wrote about Catherine Hayes in her diary, her American tour was produced by P.T. Barnum, and Captain John Sutter paid the highest price ever recorded to hear Miss Hayes from the front row when she sang in Sacramento. Why isn't she remembered here today?   What were the songs and arias that moved so many critics and countless music lovers to extravagant praise? Was the acclaimed actress Helen Hayes really related to The Swan of Erin? Soprano Catherine Gordon sings seven of the compositions that made Miss Hayes famous , and she shares the history, stories,