Eileen Farrell: From Woonsocket To The Grammy Awards

One of my goals in writing for the Woonsocket arts section of Patch.com is to explore and make known great artists who came from Woonsocket both past, present and those who are waiting in the wings.The first artist reached the highest ranks of greatness.  In the mid-20th century, musicians like Leonard Bernstein, Arturo Toscanini, Nicolai Gedda, Franco Corelli, Richard Tucker, Robert Merrill and Louis Armstrong were the giants of their time.  They had the same status as the Christina Aguileras and the Britney Spears of today.  Add to that list, Woonsocket’s own dramatic soprano, Eileen Farrell.

Farrell was one of three children and her parents were traveling vaudeville singers.  She was born in Willimantic, Connecticut in 1920 but at an early age moved to Woonsocket and graduated from Woonsocket High School.  Throughout her professional career, she would always refer to Woonsocket as her home town.

At an early age, Farrell began to study singing with Merle Alcock then later with Eleanor McLellan.  Early on it was quite clear that she had an extraordinary instrument just waiting to be brought out.

In 1940, she made her concert debut at the Columbia Broadcast Studios (CBS,) where she made such an impression that she was given her own radio program.  During this time with CBS she met and married New York City police officer Robert Reagan and was married to Robert until his death in 1986.  They had two children.

From 1947 through 1950, Farrell embarked on a concert tour of the United States and South America but it was in 1950 that she began to rise as a star.  In October of that year, in New York City she gave a song recital that was received with great acclaim.  Offers for singing engagements began to pour in.  The most important of these was as a soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with conductor Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra in Mr. Toscanini’s first and only studio recording of the symphonic work.  This spring-boarded her career into the fast lane.

Leonard Bernstein was the longtime conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and during the 1950s and1960s Farrell was the most frequent soprano soloist to appear with Maestro Bernstein and the NYPO. 

Some people may remember the 1955 musical film Interrupted Melody starring Eleanor Parker, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role. Farrell supplied the singing voice that Eleanor Parker lip-synched to.               

Throughout the ‘50s, Farrell made operatic stage debuts all over the country with such companies as San Carlo Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and San Francisco Opera.  Finally, in 1960, the most prestigious company in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world called.  Farrell made her long awaited New York Metropolitan Opera debut.  She would sing leading roles for five seasons with the company with the top singers of the world – Nicolai Gedda, Franco Correlli, Richard Tucker, Robert Merrill and many others. 

Reviewer Harold C. Schonberg of the NY Times said of Farrell’s Met debut, “Two things happened last night at the Metropolitan Opera,……One was a new production of Gluck’s Alcestis…The other was the long-awaited debut of Eileen Farrell, the American dramatic soprano.”               

One year later, at the Met, she sang the role of Leonora in Verdi’s La Forza Del Destino.  Ronald Eyer of the Herald Tribune had this to said in his review, “Eileen Farrell, as Leonora, brought down the house……Her ‘Me pellegrina’ in the first act, and her second act prayer were more in sheer vocal grandeur, I am sure, than even Verdi ever bargained for.  And her ‘Pace, pace, mio Dio,’ in the last act was like a brand new revelation of an old song.”               

For additional reviews and information on Farrell’s performances at the Metropolitan Opera visit the  Met Opera website.               

Although classically trained, Farrell was also comfortable in the genre of pop.  In 1959, Farrell appeared in the Spoleto Festival in Italy singing the soprano role in Verdi’s Requiem.  Also, scheduled to appear a couple of days later was jazz legend Louis Armstrong with his band.  Armstrong, however, became ill and Farrell was asked to fill in for him and sing with his band, performing some of the day’s most popular ballads and blues.  She agreed to do it and was an instant sensation.  Her rendition of “Sunny Side of the Street” became known world-wide.  Columbia records signed her to record some pop albums including “I’ve Gotta Right To Sing The Blues” and “Here I Go Again.”               

In 1962, Farrell won a Grammy Award for a recording of Wagner’s Gotterdamerung Brunnhilde’s Immolation Scene.  This just added to her fame and she began to appear on several television shows such as The Carol Burnett Show, The Ed Sullivan Show and The Colgate Comedy Hour.              

After her five seasons at the Met, she returned to touring until a physical ailment prevented her from keeping up such a grueling schedule.  In the 1970s and early 1980s she took up teaching and held a position at the University School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana then at the University of Maine in Orono.                 

When her husband passed in 1986, Farrell no longer wanted to sing.  Soon enough though, she did return to singing.  She published an autobiography in 1999 entitled Can’t Help Singing: The life of Eileen Farrell. 

On March 23, 2002 in Park Ridge, New Jersey, Eileen Farrell passed away.                

To experience performances by Eileen Farrell, just follow the links provided and view the attached videos.