Edith Swepstone Explained

Edith Mary Swepstone
Birth Date:4 January 1862
Birth Place:Stepney, London
Death Date:5 February 1942
Death Place:Tonbridge, Kent
Alma Mater:Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation:Composer, teacher of music
Employer:City of London School

Edith Mary Swepstone (4 January 1862 – 5 February 1942) was an English composer[1] and music teacher. She was born in Stepney, London, the daughter of a London solicitor.[2] She studied music at the Guildhall School and later worked as a lecturer at the City of London School.[3] She died in Tonbridge, Kent[4] .

Career

She studied music at the Guildhall School in London, England and later worked as a lecturer at the City of London School.[5] In 1895 she was giving music lectures at the City School of London.

As a composer, Swepstone wrote early 20th-century orchestral music, chamber music, and songs. During the first quarter of the 20th century, she had many of her orchestral works performed by the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, the most by a single composer. Though the music is not located, 14 of Swepstone’s orchestral works were presented in a total of 24 performances, between 1899 and 1933. There are only two recorded instances of her orchestra music having been performed elsewhere; in March 1887 at Leyton (a movement from Symphony in G minor), and in February 1897 at Queen's Hall in London (Les Tenebres).

At the South Place Concert Series, a weekly chamber music concert series in London, between 1887–1987, 1,121 works were performed and women composers make up for only 13 of those compositions. Swepstone’s Piano Quintet in E minor was performed a total of four times at the concert series.[6] Swepstone’s influence is apparent in that, of all the pieces played at the series and written by women, over half were her compositions.

In total, seven of her chamber music compositions were performed at the series. In addition to Piano Quintet E Minor, played four times, the following works were each performed once: Quintet D Hn & String Quartet, Quintet E-flat Pf and Wind, String Quartet Lyrical Cycle, Piano Trio D minor, Piano Trio G minor, Piano Trio A minor.

Works

Swepstone wrote chamber music, and also songs and choral music. Selected works include:[7]

Orchestral works

Chamber works

Other works

References

  1. Book: George Eliot, a centenary tribute. 1982. Totowa, N.J. : Barnes & Noble. Internet Archive. 978-0-389-20252-3. Haight. Gordon S.. VanArsdel. Rosemary T..
  2. The women musicians of South Place Ethical Society, 1887-1927. Manchester Metropolitan University in collaboration with Conway Hall Ethical Society. 2018. Ph.D.. Jessica Claire. Beck.
  3. Web site: Swepstone, Edith. 2021-04-06. Grove Music Online. 2018 . en. 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.2021378 . Foreman . Lewis .
  4. Book: 474 . England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 . 1942.
  5. Book: Hyde, Derek. New found voices : women in nineteenth century English music. 1998. Aldershot ; Brookfield, Vt., USA : Ashgate. Internet Archive. 978-1-85928-349-3.
  6. Book: Elson, Arthur. Woman's work in music; being an account of her influence on the art, in ancient as well as modern times; a summary of her musical compositions, in the different countries of the civilized world; and an estimate of their rank in comparison with those of men. 1904. Boston, L.C. Page. Music - University of Toronto.
  7. Web site: 'Edith Swepstone' [WorldCat.org]]. 2021-04-06. www.worldcat.org. en.
  8. https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/03/from-the-airwaves-mpr/ recorded by John Bradbury and Ian Buckle, MPR 117 (2024)

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