Eda Kersey (15 May or 16 May 190413 July 1944) was a British violinist who was renowned for her brilliant playing. She premiered a number of important works, including the Bax Violin Concerto, but her career was cut short by her early death. Eda Kersey was born in

Goodmayes Goodmayes is a district of Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge, England. It is situated eleven miles north-east of Charing Cross, and forms part of both the Romford and Ilford post towns. Historically part of Essex, it was part of the Muni ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

in 1904. She studied the violin from the age of six, winning an honours certificate from the

Trinity College of Music Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music and dance conservatoire based in London, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. The conservatoire has ...

when only eight. She studied with Edgar Mouncher, a pupil of

Otakar Ševčík Otakar Ševčík (22 March 185218 January 1934) was a Czech violinist and influential teacher. He was known as a soloist and an ensemble player, including his occasional performances with Eugène Ysaÿe. Biography Ševčík was born in Horaž ...

; under him, she prepared the first movement from Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, which she played in

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

when only ten. At 13, she commenced studies with Margaret Holloway, a pupil of

Leopold Auer Leopold von Auer ( hu, Auer Lipót; June 7, 1845July 15, 1930) was a Hungarian violinist, academic, conductor, composer, and instructor. Many of his students went on to become prominent concert performers and teachers. Early life and career Au ...

. She gave her first London recital at age 16 at the Aeolian Hall. The BBC engaged her to play the

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositi ...

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

and Elgar concertos and she gave the first broadcast of Dohnányi's Violin Concerto No. 1. She also performed the Beethoven concerto at the 1930

Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

under Sir Henry J. Wood. Later Proms performances included the

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

and Bach A minor concertos. In 1930 she gave the first two performances of Stanley Wilson's Violin Concerto in the Midlands and a further performance in Bournemouth on 3 April, 1930. In 1931 she formed a piano trio with

Gerald Moore Gerald Moore Order of the British Empire, CBE (30 July 1899 – 13 March 1987) was an England, English classical music, classical pianist best known for his career as a Collaborative piano, collaborative pianist for many distinguished musicians. ...

and

Cedric Sharpe Cedric Sharpe, ARCM, Hon RAM (13 April 1891 – 1978) was a British cellist, composer and music professor of the early to mid-20th century. He studied cello at the Royal College of Music later becoming professor of cello at the Royal Academy ...

, while continuing her solo career. She also played in a trio with

Howard Ferguson George Howard Ferguson, PC (June 18, 1870 – February 21, 1946) was the ninth premier of Ontario, from 1923 to 1930. He was a Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1905 to 1930 who represented the eastern provincia ...

and

Helen Just Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, G ...

for some time. She became friendly with

Albert Sammons Albert Edward Sammons CBE (23 February 188624 August 1957) was an English violinist, composer and later violin teacher. Almost self-taught on the violin, he had a wide repertoire as both chamber musician and soloist, although his reputation rest ...

, who encouraged her to overcome her dislike of the Elgar concerto and include it in her repertoire. She preferred works such as the violin sonatas of

John Ireland John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in ''All the King's Men'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Oscar nomina ...

, which she played with

Kathleen Long Kathleen (Ida) Long CBE (7 July 189620 March 1968) was an English pianist and teacher. Life and career Long was born in Brentford, a suburb of London in the UK. McVeagh, Diana"Long, Kathleen"''Grove Music Online'', Oxford Music Online, accessed ...

. Her repertoire also included the Violin Concerto by

Ernest Bloch Ernest Bloch (July 24, 1880 – July 15, 1959) was a Swiss-born American composer. Bloch was a preeminent artist in his day, and left a lasting legacy. He is recognized as one of the greatest Swiss composers in history. As well as producing music ...

. Eda Kersey premiered

Arthur Benjamin Arthur Leslie Benjamin (18 September 1893, in Sydney – 10 April 1960, in London) was an Australian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher. He is best known as the composer of '' Jamaican Rumba'' (1938) and of the ''Storm Clouds Cantata'', f ...

's ''Romantic Fantasy'' on 24 March 1938, with violist

Bernard Shore Bernard Shore (17 March 1896 – 2 April 1985) was an English viola player and author. Early life Shore studied at the Royal College of Music from 1912, with Sir Walter Alcock (organ) and Thomas Dunhill (composition), but his time there was inte ...

, at a Royal Philharmonic Society concert conducted by the composer. During World War II, she gave many performances for CEMA. She and Kathleen Long were regular artists at Dame

Myra Hess Dame Julia Myra Hess, (25 February 1890 – 25 November 1965) was an English pianist best known for her performances of the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann. Career Early life Julia Myra Hess was born on 25 February 1890 to a Jew ...

's National Gallery Lunchtime Concerts. Eda Kersey also premiered

E.J. Moeran } Ernest John Smeed Moeran (31 December 1894 – 1 December 1950) was an English composer of part-Irish extraction, whose work was strongly influenced by English and Irish folk music of which he was an assiduous collector. His output includes or ...

's Violin Sonata, and gave the UK premiere of

Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. The music critic Donal Henahan said, "Proba ...

Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...

at a 1943 Proms concert. In 1938,

Arnold Bax Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, (8 November 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works, but he is best known for his orchestral musi ...

had written his Violin Concerto for

Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-born American violinist. Born in Vilnius, he moved while still a teenager to the United States, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. He was a virtuoso since childhood. Fritz ...

, but Heifetz did not find it sufficiently challenging and never played it, so Bax put it aside. The work was given its premiere on 22 November 1943 by Eda Kersey and the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. T ...

under Sir Henry Wood, after

Arthur Bliss Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss (2 August 189127 March 1975) was an English composer and conductor. Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army. In the post-war years he qu ...

, then the BBC's Director of Music, commissioned Bax to write a new work. She also recorded the concerto in February 1944, under Sir

Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult, CH (; 8 April 1889 – 22 February 1983) was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family, he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London ...

. Preparations to record some of the core concerto repertoire were well advanced when she died. Her death, from stomach cancer, occurred on 13 July 1944, at the age of 40.

Elsie Suddaby Elsie Suddaby (1893 - 1980) was a British lyric soprano during the years between World War I and World War II. She was born in Leeds, a first cousin once removed to the organist and composer, Francis Jackson. A pupil of Sir Edward Bairstow, she ...

sang at her memorial service. Eda Kersey's recordings are few: they include the Bax Concerto and pieces by Brahms,

Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was known ...

and

Jenő Hubay Jenő Hubay, Jenő Hubay von Szalatna, hu, szalatnai Hubay Jenő (; 15 September 185812 March 1937), also known by his Germany, German name Eugen Huber (), was a Hungarian violinist, composer and music teacher. Early life Hubay was born i ...

. The Eda Kersey Memorial Exhibition was created in 1947 at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kersey, Eda 1904 births 1944 deaths British classical violinists Deaths from stomach cancer 20th-century classical violinists 20th-century British musicians Women classical violinists 20th-century British women musicians