Amy Evans, once nicknamed “Lily of the Valley,” was renowned for her singing voice. Born in 1884 in Tonypandy, Wales, to a coal-mining family, she showed immense musical promise at an early age. In 1899, at 14 years old, Evans traveled to Cardiff to compete in the Welsh Royal National Eisteddfod. Competing against 78 adults, she won the contest by singing “Hear Ye O Israel” from Mendelssohn’s Elijah. When returning to Tonypandy, it was predicted that she would be the greatest soprano ever to come from Wales. A local dignitary, Robert Forrest, began sponsoring Evans. He housed her in his home, educated her amongst other dignitaries, and began vocal lessons. In 1910 she earned a role in W. S. Gilbert’s last opera, Fallen Fairies, at London’s Savoy Theatre. Impressed with her performance, the theatre signed Evans to a three-year contract where she played in several productions, including as the title role from Carmen. She then traveled to the United States where she sang with the Chicago Opera Company and appearing at the Lyric Theatre in Baltimore.

In 1917 Evans was invited to solo at Queen’s Hall in London, where she met Scottish baritone Arnold Gange Adams, known professionally as Fraser Gange. The couple married shortly thereafter and toured together to New Zealand and Australia in 1920. They then moved to New York where her husband taught at Juilliard and other music schools in the area. In 1949 the couple moved to Baltimore, where Fraser Gange taught voice at the Peabody Conservatory. Evans was known socially as Amy Evans Gange or Amy Gange but retained the use of her maiden name in musical performances.

After the death of her husband, Amy Evans gave some public performances, including one in 1960 when she returned to the Eisteddfod festival at Cardiff to sing “Hear Ye O Israel” once more. She continued to be an active member of the music community until her death in 1983.