Susan Spain-Dunk, from a 1916 publication.

Susan Spain-Dunk (22 February 1880 Folkestone, England – 1 January 1962 London) was an English composer, conductor and violinist/violist.

Life and career

The Concert Party by Frank Owen Salisbury (1929), illustrating W. W. Cobbett's private quartet. Susan Spain-Dunk is playing the viola.

Susan was the third of four children (Ethel K Dunk b. 1876; John De Lanoy Dunk b. 1878; Susan Spain Dunk b. 1880; William Major b. 1882). Their father was a house builder. Her second name, Spain, was added as the Dunk family were related to the Spain family. She studied violin and composition at The Royal Academy of Music, London with Stewart Macpherson and Richard Walthew and later taught composition and harmony there. For a time she played the viola in a private quartet of Walter Cobbett. She also played (violin or viola) in the Winifred Small Quartet and Cobbett made suggestions for "Anthology" programmes for the quartet.[1] She conducted some of her own works at the British Women's Symphony Orchestra,[2] at The London Promenade Concerts (1924-1927) and also at Bournemouth, Eastbourne and Torquay.

In 1908 she married Henry Gibson (7 October 1882 - 22 July 1954). He was a minor composer, violinist, organist and pianist. The marriage lasted about sixteen years and she had one son, The Reverend Alan Henry Gibson (November 1911-September 1999),[3] and two grandchildren.[4] In the mid-1930s she was living at 17, Elm Park Mansions in Chelsea. She died on 1 January 1962 aged 81.

Spain-Dunk appears in the book Some Folkestone Worthies by C.H. Bishop,[5] and (anonymously) in the painting The Concert Party (1929) by Frank Owen Salisbury.[6]

Music

Her orchestral works include the Suite for String Orchestra (1920), the Idyll for Strings (1925), the overtures Water Lily Pool (1925) and Kentish Downs (1926), two symphonic poems: Elaine (1927) and Stonehenge (1929) and the Cantilena for clarinet and orchestra (1931). The Suite was premiered at the Proms on Thursday 21 August 1924.[7] There is a modern recording, from a new edition of the score edited by Peter Cigleris.[8] The Idyll and Water Lily Pool (for flute, harp and strings) were both premiered at a British Women's Symphony Orchestra concert at Queen's Hall on 25 May 1925,[9] and repeated at the Proms on 13 October 1925.[10]

Kentish Downs, first performed at the Proms on 30 August 1926 [11] was revived on BBC Radio 3 in 1997 with the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth [12] with a further BBC Radio 3 broadcast in 2001.[13] Elaine was conducted by the composer at the Proms on 25 August 1927,[14] and Stonehenge was produced at the Eastbourne Festival in 1929[15] and played again in Bournemouth in 1931.[16] It was revived by the BBC Concert Orchestra in a broadcast from Watford Colosseum under conductor Anne-Marie Helsing on 19 January 2019.[17] The Idyll, Kentish Downs and Elaine are mentioned in the letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson (p. 12).[18]

The Cantilena for clarinet and orchestra (sometimes known as Poem) was revived by the Folkestone Symphony Orchestra with soloist Peter Cigleris on 16 March 2019, its first performance since 1931.[19] It has since been recorded.[20]

One of Susan Spain-Dunk's most popular chamber works is the Phantasy for String Quartet in G minor (1915).[21] A recording was made by the Archaeus String Quartet on the Lorelt Label and released on 27 June 2003.[22][23][24] There are also modern recordings of her Violin Sonata No 3 in C minor (1910),[25] Piano Quartet (circa 1920) and Rhapsody Quintet for wind ensemble.[26][27] The autograph manuscript of the Quartet in B flat minor was written and dated March 1914 with an address of 49 Castletown Road, West Kensington, London.[28][29][30]

Andred's Weald - for military orchestra (1925) – was conducted by Spain-Dunk on 28 February 1929 with the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra.[31]

List of works

Orchestral

  • Suite for string orchestra in B minor (1920) *
  • Andred's Weald, for military orchestra (1925)
  • Idyll for strings (1925) *
  • Water Lily Pool, Overture for flute, harp and strings (1925) (also variously known as Romantic Piece and Sketch) *
  • Kentish Downs, Overture (1926)[32]
  • Elaine, symphonic poem (1927)
  • Karisima (1928)
  • Kentonia, concert march (1928)[32]
  • Serenade de Capri (1928)
  • Farmer's Boy, Overture (1929)[32][33]
  • Stonehenge, symphonic poem (1929)[17]
  • Cantilena for clarinet and orchestra (also known as Poem) (1931) *
  • Notre Dame d'Albert, tone poem (1931)
  • Highland Overture (1935)
  • The Flute Player of Brindaven (1939)
  • Legend for oboe and strings (1955)
  • Cinque Ports Suite - 'Dover Castle', 'Rye Harbour', Winchelsea Gate' (1958)
  • Malaya, tone poem (1958)[32]
  • Weald of Kent, Fantasia for orchestra
  • Four Spanish Dances for piano and orchestra (orchestrated from piano works)
  • Two Scottish Pieces for orchestra, Op.54/1. 'By St.Mary's Loch', 54/2. 'Kerrera' (also a version for violin and piano)[32]
  • Blessed Sonya, prelude
  • Lament for string orchestra[34]

• Published by Novello & Co.[35]

Chamber

  • Petite Serenade for flute and piano (1907)
  • Phantasy piano trio in A minor (1907) (Cobbett prize)
  • Halligen, Scandinavian dance for violin and piano (1908)
  • Springdays, Scandinavian dance for violin and piano (1908)
  • Violin Sonata in B minor (1908) (Cobbett prize - only the Romance survives)[25]
  • Violin Sonata No 3 in C minor (c. 1910)[25]
  • String Quartet in B flat minor (1914)
  • Phantasy string quartet in D minor (1915), pub. Goodwin & Tabb, London.[36]
  • Piano Quartet (c.1920, ed. Peter Cigleris, 2021)[26]
  • Les Sylphes (c.1926-29) for violin and piano[25]
  • Lorelei Legend for violin and piano (1933)
  • Jarabe, Spanish dance for violin and piano, Op.57 (1933)
  • Winter Song for cello and piano (1938)
  • Sextet in F major (1941)
  • Dead Roses for violin and piano
  • Two pieces for violin and viola: 'The lonely moor'; 'Jig'[37]
  • Trio for two violins and piano
  • Violin Sonata in D minor
  • Wind quintet

Piano

  • Six Spanish Dances - La Madrilena, El Jaleo, Aragonaise, Pepita, Cachucha, El Ole (1936) - four were later orchestrated.
  • Piano Preludes No 1 and 2 (1941)[38]

Choral

  • The Baptism of Jesus, cantata (1959)

Bibliography

  • Bishop, C.H: Some Folkestone Worthies: Ten outstanding persons who have contributed to the life and development of old Folkestone (Published by Printed by Southern Litho Printing Co., Ltd., Folkestone circa 1970), pp. 48 with monochrome illustrations and photographs.
  • Finzi, Gerald; Ferguson, Howard; Hurd, Michael: Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson (Boydell & Brewer, 2001 - Biography & Autobiography), pp. 310. July 2001 ISBN 9780851158235
  • Hodges, Betsi: W. W. Cobbett's Phantasy: A Legacy of Chamber Music in the British Musical Renaissance. (Ph.D. Dissertation, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. ProQuest, 2008), pp. 81 (p. 26)
  • Powell, Ardal: The Flute (Yale University Press, 2002), pp. 347. ISBN 978-0300094985
  • Sadie, Julie Anne and Samuel, Rhian (eds.) The New Grove Dictionary of Women Composers (London: Macmillan, 1994).
  • Seddon, Laura: British Women Composers and Instrumental Chamber Music in the Earliest Twentieth Century (Farnham: Ashgate, 2013), pp. 248. ISBN 978-1-409-43945-5 (hb)

References

  1. ↑ Hodges, Betsi. W. W. Cobbett's Phantasy: A Legacy of Chamber Music in the British Musical Renaissance (PDF). p. 26. ISBN 9780549559399. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Distaff Side: Some British Women Composers Scowcroft- Oct 2002 MusicWeb(UK)". Musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  3. ↑ "Newsletter No.1, January 2000" (PDF). Folkestonehistory.org. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  4. ↑ "Susan Spain-Dunk". Unsungcomposers.com. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  5. ↑ Bishop, C.H. (1970). Some Folkestone Worthies: Ten outstanding persons who have contributed to the life and development of old Folkestone. Folkestone, Kent: Southern Litho Printing Co., Ltd. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  6. ↑ Foreman, Lewis. Notes to Dutton CDLX 7398 (2022)
  7. ↑ "BBC Prom 11 21 Aug 1924 Queen's Hall". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  8. ↑ 'British Music for Strings III', CPO 555 457-2, reviewed at MusicWeb International
  9. ↑ Powell, Ardal (24 July 2002). The Flute. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300094981. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via Google Books.
  10. ↑ "Prom 57, Tue 13 Oct 1925 Queen's Hall". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  11. ↑ "Prom 14, Mon 30 Aug 1926 Queen's Hall". BBC. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  12. ↑ "Issue 3812, p.104". bbc.co.uk. BBC Radio Times. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  13. ↑ "Issue 4014, p.116". bbc.co.uk. BBC Radio Times. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "Prom 11, 1927". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  15. ↑ The Times obituary, 8 January 1962 p18
  16. ↑ Musical Times, Vol 72 No 1060, June 1931
  17. 1 2 "BBC Radio 3 - Afternoon Concert, BBC Concert Orchestra Live". BBC. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  18. ↑ Ferguson H.; Hurd, M., eds. (2001). Letters of Gerald Finzi and Howard Ferguson. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press. p. 12. ISBN 0-85115-823-4.
  19. ↑ "Past Concerts". Folkestonesymphony.org. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  20. ↑ Rediscovered: British Clarinet Concertos, Signum Classics SIGCD656 (2020)
  21. ↑ "Susan Spain-Dunk". Edition Silvertrust. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  22. ↑ "Smyth, Beach and Spain-Dunk". Presto Classical. Lorelt. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  23. ↑ Arloff, Steve. "Review of LNT114: Smyth, Beach and Spain-Dunk". Lorelt.co.uk. Lontano Records Limited. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  24. ↑ Jones, Vaughan (21 April 2009). "Schubert, Van Bree and Spain Dunk!". manorhousemusic.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Guild GMCD7827 (2022), reviewed at MusicWeb International
  26. 1 2 Dutton Epoch CDLX7396 (2022)
  27. ↑ Dutton Epoch CDLX7398 (2022)
  28. ↑ Spain-Dunk, Susan. "Quartet No.1 in B flat minor". library.leeds.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  29. ↑ West, A. (Spring 2003). "Another Susan Spain-Dunk Quartet" (PDF). Chamber Music Journal. 14 (1): 2. ISSN 1535-1726. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  30. ↑ Seddon, Laura (2013). British Women Composers and Instrumental Chamber Music in the Early Twentieth Century. UK: Ashgate Publishing. pp. 134–141. ISBN 978-1409439455.
  31. ↑ Spain-Dunk, Susan. "Andred's Weald". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 Recorded by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Stephen Bell in July 2021, Glasgow, for BBC broadcasts
  33. ↑ BBC archive recording, January 1945. BBC Midland Light Orchestra conducted by Rae Jenkins
  34. ↑ BBC broadcast, 19 March, 2021, BBC SO, conducted by Michael Collinswww.bbc.co.uk/sounds Archived 19 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  35. ↑ "Susan Spain-Dunk Works". musicsalesclassical.com. Novello & Co. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  36. ↑ "Phantasy Quartet". imslp.org. Goodwin & Tabb. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  37. ↑ "Two Pieces". British Music Collection. Stainer & Bell. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  38. ↑ Broadcast performance by Duncan Honeybourne, 20 May, 2021
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