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.

Career

She studied music at the Guildhall School in London, England^[3] and later worked as a lecturer at the City of London School.^[4] In 1895 she was giving music lectures at the City School of London.^[2]

As a composer, Swepstone wrote early 20th-century orchestral music, chamber music, and songs.^[2] 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.^[2] 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).^[2]

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.^[2] Swepstone’s piece, Piano Quintet in E minor, was performed a total of four times at the concert series.^[5] Swepstone’s influence is apparent in that, of all the pieces played at the series and written by women, over half were her compositions.^[2]

In total, seven of her chamber music compositions were performed at the series.^[2] 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.^[2]

Works

Swepstone wrote chamber music, and also songs and choral music. Selected works include:^[6]

• The Four Ships
• Foreshadowings
• A Song of Twilight with A.R. Aldrich
• Symphony in G minor
• Robert Louis Stevenson's Songs for Children Set to Music
• Three-Part Song for female voices, with Pianoforte Accompaniment, words by F.R. Haverga
• Les Tenebres overture
• Honour March
• Lament, for Violin and Piano
• The Crocuses' Lament, Two-Part Song for female voices
• Requiem for Violoncello and Piano
• A Song of Twilight with A.R. Aldrich
• Robert Louis Stevenson's Songs for Children Set to Music
• Three-Part Song for female voices, with Pianoforte Accompaniment, words by F.R. Haverga
• The Crocuses' Lament, Two-Part Song for female voices
• The Ice Queen, cantata, female voice
• Idylls of the Morn, cantata, female voice

Orchestral works

• Daramona, symphonic poem, 1899
• The Ice Maiden, suite, 1900
• Symphony in G minor, 1902
• Les Tenebres overture, 1903
• Paolo and Francesca, prelude, 1904
• Mors Janua Vitae, funeral march, 1906
• The Wind in the Pines, symphonic poem, 1909
• The Horn of Roland, overture, 1910
• Moonrise on the Mountains, symphonic poem, 1912
• Woods in April, symphonic poem, 1914
• The Roll of Honour, march, 1916
• Morte d’Arthur, symphonic poem, 1920
• The Four Ships, suite, 1927

Chamber works

• Piano Quintet in F minor
• Piano Quintet in E minor
• Quintet D Hn & String Quartet
• Quintet in E flat, Piano and Wind
• String Quartet Lyrical Cycle
• Piano Trio D minor
• Piano Trio G minor
• Piano Trio A minor

Other works

• Lament, for Violin and Piano
• Requiem for Violoncello and Piano
• Foreshadowings, with violoncello accompaniment

References