Reeves
JOHN SIMS, an English singer; born in Shooters' Hill, Kent, Oct. 21, 1822. At 14 he was a clever performer on various instruments, and was appointed organist and director of the choir in the church of North Cray in Kent. He first appeared in public as a baritone at Newcastle in 1839. This début was a complete success; and he acquired fresh fame, but as a tenor, in London. In order to perfect his voice and style he studied at Paris (1843) for some time, and then appeared at Milan in the tenor part of Edgardo in "Lucia di Lammermoor." He returned to England in 1847, and, at Drury Lane as Edgardo, was immediately recognized as the first English tenor. He was engaged in 1848 at Her Majesty's Theater, and in 1851 sang as first tenor at the Italian Opera in Paris. After 1860 he became popular all over the country as a ballad singer at concerts. He especially excelled in singing oratorio parts, his first oratorio rôle having been in "Judas Maccabæus" in 1848. He died in 1900.