Muriel Herbert Explained

Muriel Emily Herbert (1897 – 1 May 1984) was a British composer of the early 20th century. Much of her work is for solo voice and piano, with art song settings of texts by English and Irish poets such as Thomas Hardy, Robert Herrick, Ben Jonson, James Joyce, and W. B. Yeats.[1]

Early life

Herbert was born in 1897, in Sheffield, and grew up in Liverpool, England. She was the youngest child and only daughter. Herbert grew up singing and playing music in her home, as her mother was the church choir director. Her older brother, Percy, was also a musician and encouraged Herbert to study music, for which she had a natural ability.[2]

Herbert began writing down songs for voice and piano at a young age. Her father died in 1909, and the Herbert family struggled with poverty. Hugh Farrie, a journalist for the Liverpool Post, encouraged Herbert to become a concert pianist, but her interest was in composition.

Education

In 1917, Herbert received the Liverpool scholarship and attended the Royal College of Music in London. She studied with Irish composer, Charles Stanford, and when World War I ended she stayed near London, taught at Wycombe Abbey School for girls, gave private lessons, performed recitals, and continued developing her musical abilities.

In the early 1920s she met Roger Quilter, who viewed her works favourably and recommended them to the publisher Augener, who even signed the contract as a witness. Augener published the songs "Beauty", "Cradle Song", "Loveliest of Trees", "Renouncement", and "When Death to Either Shall Come" in 1923, and "Autumn", "Most Holy Night", and "Have you seen but a white lily grow" in 1926. Later, Robert Elkin published some of Herbert's other art songs and two works for violin and piano ("Giboulée" and "Enchanted April").[3]

Marriage and Paris

In 1925, after marrying a young French academic, Emile Delavenay, Herbert traveled to Paris for her honeymoon. Here she was introduced to James Joyce by Emile's friend, the Irish poet Tom McGreevey. Herbert played and sang her versions of Joyce's poems, "I hear an army charging" and "Lean out of the window". Later, Joyce gave her inscribed copies of his poetry collections, Chamber Music and Pomes Penyeach, as well as permission to publish her settings of his texts.[3]

Later career and rediscovery

Although Herbert had received an honorary A.R.C.M. by the Royal College and had given occasional broadcasts of her vocal music for the BBC[4] much of her music has remained rarely performed.[5] Through the efforts of a former student, Bill Lloyd, and Herbert's daughter, Claire Tomalin, Herbert's music has begun to be performed and recorded.[6] In 2008, James Gilchrist, tenor, Ailish Tynan, soprano, and David Owen Norris, piano recorded 36 of Herbert's art songs with Linn Records.[6] Arthur Keegan has arranged her Hardy setting "Faintheart in a Railway Train" for chamber ensemble.[7] Her songs are being republished by BiblioFox Music Publishing.[8]

Selected works

Voice and piano[9]
Children's operettas
Violin and piano

External links

Selected sheet music: http://www.bibliofoxmusic.co.uk/composers/muriel-herbert/

Notes and References

  1. https://www.oxfordlieder.co.uk/composer/185 'Muriel Herbert (1897- 1984)' at Oxford Lieder
  2. News: Forgotten voice. The Guardian. 20 January 2013. 8 May 2009. Claire. Tomalin.
  3. https://books.google.com/books?id=EoKmCgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Muriel+Herbert%22+%22James+Joyce%22&pg=PR35-IA117 Stokes, Richard. The Penguin Book of English Song (2016)
  4. https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/8d8131cfc3454d10a784a68e22954972 'Songs of Muriel Herbert', Radio Times Issue 770, 3 July 1938, p.33
  5. Web site: The Songs of Muriel Herbert – A Great New Discovery. British Classical Music: The Land of Lost Content. 20 January 2013. 29 July 2009. France. John.
  6. Web site: Songs of Muriel Herbert. Linn Records. 20 January 2013.
  7. The Past and I: 100 Years of Thomas Hardy, Delphian Records DCD34307 (2024)
  8. http://www.bibliofox.co.uk/?product_cat=&post_type=product&s=Muriel+Herbert BiblioFox Music Publishing: Muriel Herbert
  9. Web site: Rec Music Foundation. Lied, Art Song and Choral Text Archive. Composer: Muriel Emily Herbert (1897–1984).

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