During her lifetime (1755-1831), English actress Sarah Siddons was an international celebrity acclaimed for her performances of tragic heroines. We know what she looked like, but what of her famous voice, reported to cause audiences to hyperventilate or faint? This takes readers on a journey to discover how the actor's voice actually sounded, demonstrating how romantic poets' preoccupation with voices is linked to a larger cultural anxiety about the voice's ephemerality.