WOMEN & MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1842, 30 August 1913, Page 11

WOMEN & MUSIC.

NOTABLE SONG WRITERS,

In a recent interesting article by Percy Cross Standing, much valuablo information is given regarding women's' work and influence in the making of harmony. Women of British birth may well compliment themselves upon tho growing influence which their compositions are exercising upon tho musical output of tho twentieth contury. According to 'Mr. Standing fow' peoplo witli any.knowlcdgo of the subject will gr ttdgo pride of placo to Miss Maude Valerie White. Hers is' a peculiarly varied gift, an done that lm matured with yeare. ' Jluch water has flowed under the bridgo since Miss AVhite's "Devout Lover" and "Absent, Yet Present" assured 1 lisi that new force had arisn in song-writing. As her powers ripened ,- this composer ga', '.c'more and moro of her beSt, until it become almost invidious to particularise. But it is impossible not to mention. such gems as her "Montrose's Love Song," her exquisito setting of Shelley's "To Marv," and her delicious "Threo Litt-lo Songs." She has, perhaps, been especially fortunate in her . interpreters, as -tho names of Santley, _Ben Davies, Gervaso Blwcs, Agnps Nieholls, and Kennerloy Rumford testify. Miss White has done) much of her work in beautiful Sicily (she has adapted, many Neapolitan airs) and at the old-world ,village of Broadway, in Worcestershire.' Madame Liza Lehmann, daughter of Rudolf. Lehmnnn, and grand-daughter of Robert Chambers, was doubly endowed by Nature as singer and composer. Much of her output is marked by a tender and whimsical originality, her best known compositions perhaps. are her popular song-cyelo, "In a Persian Garden," her twelve child-songs called "The Daisy Chain," and her admirable settings of portions of the-"In Memoriam"* of Tennyson and the "Endymion" of Longfellow. ' • ' Consolation in Song. Miss Hope -Temple (Madame Messa- ■ ger), home is in Paris, has not written much of late. It is ti fairly long time since she stormed ballad loving Britain with those gems of her musical fancy, -"An Old Garden," "In Sweet September," "Auf Wicdersehcn,"' etc. Miss Temple would have taken rank as a solo" pianist but for bad injuries to her left hand and arm. As it was,, she fouild her metier in song-' writing at 17, and thereafter could always -find her public. Mrs. Helen Rhodes, whose well-known Horn de plume "Gay d'Hnrdelot" is de- . riyed from .her French birthplace, is of mixed French, English, and Irish origin. Starting .study .under Maury at the Paris Conservatoire at tho. tender ago of 15 she derived courago from the encouragement of Gounod, Victor Maurel, "And other "immortals," t publish her first song "Sans Toi." Since.then she has written many favourites, such as . "Because," "I Think," otc. If Hope Temple and "Guy d'Hardelot"- are proud of their Hibernian asso- ' ciations, Alicia Adelaide Needham actually is an Irishwoman by birth. Sheearly justified her birthright by winning tho prize for the best original work at tho Irish Musical Festival' for five successivo years. Sho -has now published some 250 songs, the best known 1 perhaps being tho' delightfully tender.

"Husheen" and her setting of Sir Conan Doyle's "Who Carries tho Gun?" Writers of bperas. It is perhaps a.iittlo unfair for' Miss Teresa del Kiego to be judged by the vast popularity of that Very showy fiong, "U, Dry Those Tears." Her setting of Kingsley's "My Gentle Child", •is a thing of great beauty, especially as rendered by Madame Adi Orossley., In striking contrast are the most robust strains of Miss Florence Aylivard, whose "Beloved, It is Morn,", and "Song of the Bow" have appealed to, a wide public, and are still in considerable request' by the gifted amateur. It inay. be objected thai our women composers confine themselves rathor too closely to tho writing of songs and song-eyoles. An jection may be lodged in favour of Miss Ethel Smyth, whose opera, '"The AVreckers," attracted great attention when produced at His Majesty's Theatre. Another opera from this talented pen ("Fantasio") was staged at Weimer and Karisruho by Motti. Miss Smyth is also tho composer of a mass, two or three symphonies, . and a particularly original overture to '.'Antony and Clopatra." Two members of gifted band of women composers, Ellen Wright. (the composer of "Violets" and many, other slight but beautiful songs), and Frances Allitsen, have passed away since tho twentieth century "came in." 'Out of over sixty songs published by Frances Allitsen, "A Song.of Thanksgiving, 1 ' "Mary Hamilton," and a tiny,-tiling of rare beauty and delicacy of expression, "Since We Parted," may bo instanced. The good work of Miss Dorothy Forstcr, Miss. Ethel Harradcn (sister of the. well-known author), Amv Wood-forde-Finden, and Adelina do Lara must not bo forgotten. Mrs. WoodwordeFindon's song-cyclo is, coloured with the warmth and passion arid splendour of the East, whilst Madame de Lara's set of songs, "Rose of the World," has been acclaimed and declaimed hv Caruso. This gifted composer is the wife of the Into Mr. Thomas TCingnton, so rell known in Australian theatrical circles. Madame Cccilo Cliaminade's fame has long been international, and her work is almost as familiar in England as in' her native France. Nearly all these composers have complained of the diftieußv of obtaining suitable- words for setting. say, "Wo are forccd to fall back 011 tho lyrics of Shelley, Byron, Bjrns, Keats, e'te... and tliev are not inexhaustible." 'What is badly wanted is a poet, and th-ni tho woman-composer may wield an <>vnn greater influence than sho does to-day.