Singing the praises of Nellie Brown Mitchell

ROOFTOPS. ♪ >> WE ARE IN DOVER AT THE PINE HILL CEMETERY WHICH IS THE MAJOR , CEMETERY IN DOVER. AND THE BROWN FAMILY PLOT IS PROMINENTLY PLACED HERE IN THE CENTER OF THE CEMETERY. THIS IS WHERE ALL DOVER NOTABLES WERE BURIED IN THE 1800S. ERIN: IN THE UNMARKED GRAVE, SURROUNDED BY HER REMARKABLE FAMILY, NELLIE BROWN MITCHELL, A PROMINENT AFRICAN AMERICAN SOPRANO IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY, WAS LAID TO REST AFTER LEAVING HER MARK ON AMERICA’S MUSICAL LANDSCAPE. >> NELLIE BROWN MITCHELL WAS BORN IN 1845 AND SHE EARLY ON SHOWED EXTRAORDINARILY MUSICAL TALENTS. SHE WENT ON TO BECOME ONE OF THE LEADING SOPRANOS IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER. ERIN: NELLIE BROWN’S MUSICAL TALENT WAS DISCOVERED EARLY IN HER LIFE, AND HER FAMILY SENT HER TO BOSTON R FOEDUCATION AS A TEENAG.ER SHE GRADUATES FROM THE NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC, THE TOP AITRNING FACILITY IN THE COUNTRY AND SHE HAS A PREMIER , CONCERT AT STEINWAY HALL IN NEW YORK, WHICH IS ETH EQUIVALENT OF CARNEGIE HALL TODAY. SO SHE WAS CLEARLY WELL KNN.OW ERIN: SHE WENT TON TOUR, EVEN FORMING HER OWN GRO,UP THE NELLIE BROWN COMPANY, WHERE SHE WAS JOINED BY HER SISTER EDNAH, WHO WAS ALSO A SINGER. >> EVEN THOUGH IT SWA RECONSTRUCTION AND A RATHER HOPEFUL TIME FOR THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN NEW ENGLAND, SHE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SING WITH THE BOSTON 70 ORCHESTRA WERETH OER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS. SHE WOULDN’T HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE ANGR TOUR AS A SOPRANO IN EUROPE. ERIN: SO SHE TURNED TO TEACHING AND WAS AN ENTREPRENR.EU >> MY FEELING IS IT HAD TO DO WITH THE EXTRAORDINARY QUALITY OF HER VOICE. AND SHE WAS A GO-TO TEHEACR . ESH INVENTED THE PHOTOTERIOUM. SHE HAD A VIRTUOSIC TECHNIQUE. ER: THE SOPRANO’S STORY FOCUSES ON HER INCREDIEBL MUSICAL CAREER, BUT EVEN HER LIFE BEYOND MUSIC WAS REMARKABLE. SHE MARRIED CHARLES MITCHELL A — MITCHELL, A CIVIL WAR HERO AND ONE OF THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICANS ELECTED INTOHE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE. HER BROTHER EDWARD BROWN WAS A BOSTON ATTORNEY AND THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN JUSTICE OF THEEA PCE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. >> IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY. HER FATHER, CHARLES BROWN, WAS A BARBER/HAIRDRESSER WHO HAD PROMINENT HAIR DRESSING ROOMS IN FRANKLIN SQUARE A THEND NEW MORABUL ILDING ON CENTRAL AVENUE. SHE WOULD’VE BEEN — HE WOULD’VE BEEN THE CENTRAL TO DOVER LEIF ERIN: THEY WERE ALL LAID TO REST IN DOVER, IT IS UNCLEAR WHY BELLIE’S AVEGR WAS — NELLIE’S GRAVE WAS UNMARKED. >> WE ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. IT IS GOING TO HAVE THE PHRASE OF THE FIRST LINE OF THE NATIONALEG N ANTHEM, LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING. WE WILL VEHA A BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL MARKER ON THE STREET AND I THINK WE CAN LET HER VOICE SING AIAGN AND LET DOVER AND AMERICA KNOW THAT ISTH EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN IS BURIED HERE. ERIN: AS PART OF THE ACBLK HERITAGE TRAIL OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’S JUNETEENTH CE LEBRATION, INTERNATIONAL AWD-ARWINNING SINGER AND PERFORMER N’KENGE TOOK THE STAGE, AND HONORED NELLIE BROWN MITCHELL AND OTHER FAMOUS AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE SINGERS WHO BROKE DOWN BARRIERS AND PAVED THE WAY FOR FUTURE GENERATION ♪ [OPERATIC SINGING] >> BECAUSE I SING IN A LOT OF GENRES, I WANTED TO PUT TOGEERTH A PROGM RATHAT WOULD HONOR THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOPRANO AND THE VARIOUS SINGERS WHO HAVEEE B INSPIRED BY THEFR AICAN-AMERICAN SOPRANOS, STARTING WITH NELLIE BROWN MITCHELL. [OPERATIC SINGING] WE ALL AS ARTISTS ARE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF OSE LEGENDS AND SUUNNG HEROES WHO PAVED THE WAY. THERE WOULD NOT BE A ROAD. AND OUR JOB IS TO UPHOLD THE LEGACY, TO HONOR THE LEGACY, CELEBRATE THEM AND CREATE NEW ROADS R FOOTHERS TO FOLLOW. ERIN: THE CONCERT WAS JUST E OF MANY PROGRAMS PUT ON BY THE BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL OF NEW HAMPSHIRE TO CELEBRATE THE FEDERAL HOLIDAY. >> JUNETNTEEH IS AN AMAZGIN CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN SLASVE , FINALLY BEING TRULY FREE. I THKIN THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE EMANCITIPA PROCLAMATION BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT IS WHEN SLAVES WERE TRULY FREE. JUNETEEN ITHS A CELEBRATN OFIO THAT, AND IT’S IMPORTANT TH WAT HONOR THAT HISTORY AND KNOW THAT HISTORASY WELL, BECAUSE IF WE DON’T UNDERSTANDHE T PAST, WE CAN MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES IN THE FUTURE. >> THAT IS WHAT THE RECOVERY WORK IS ALL ABOUT. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT GETTING A FULLER, FREER PICTURE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE HISTORY. IT MEANS TODAY, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND ALL PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE HERE THAT THEY CAN POINT , WITH PRIDE AND SAY THIS IS OUR HOME, OUR HOME FOR ALL OF U OS,R WHATEVER RACE, AS WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAITT MEANS IN THIS HISTORY, AND WHEN SOMNEEO SINGS TODAY, THEY MIGHT UNDERSTAND THAT NELLIE OWBR MITCHELL’S VOICE WAS HEARD BEFORE THEIRS. ♪

Singing the praises of Nellie Brown Mitchell

The story of the New Hampshire-born African American soprano, considered by many the best singer in her day

Updated: 4:03 PM EDT Mar 24, 2023

Nellie Brown Mitchell was an African American soprano who wowed audiences in the 19th century. She was a remarkable woman from a remarkable family — and her story is one that should be honored, celebrated, and sung from the rooftops as it was this Juneteenth in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Her musical talent was discovered early in her life.Watch the video above to learn more about her.

DOVER, N.H. —

Nellie Brown Mitchell was an African American soprano who wowed audiences in the 19th century.

She was a remarkable woman from a remarkable family — and her story is one that should be honored, celebrated, and sung from the rooftops as it was this Juneteenth in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Her musical talent was discovered early in her life.

Watch the video above to learn more about her.