Elizabeth Stirling a.k.a. Elizabeth Bridge (26 February 1819 – 25 March 1895) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

organist and composer.

Biography

Elizabeth Stirling was born in

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, and studied piano and organ at the Royal Academy of Music with Edward Holmes and W. B. Wilson, and harmony with

James Alexander Hamilton James Alexander Hamilton (April 14, 1788 – September 24, 1878) was an American soldier, acting Secretary of State, and the third son of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He entered politics as a Democrat ...

and Sir George Macfarren. In 1837 she performed a recital at St. Katherine's Church,

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...

, which was reviewed by ''The Musical World''. In 1839 she took a position as organist at

All Saints Church, Poplar All Saints' Church, Poplar, is a church in Newby Place, Poplar, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and is the Church of England parish church of Poplar. It was built in 1821–3 to serve the newly created parish. The church was designated a Gra ...

, where she remained until 1858. In that year, she was the successful competitor for the post of organist at St Andrew Undershaft, a position she filled until 1880. As an organist, she was noted for her exceptional pedal playing. She published two grand voluntaries; six pedal fugues; eight slow movements and other organ-pieces, over fifty songs and duets, and arrangements of the works of Bach, Mozart and Handel. Her most popular song was "All Among the Barley". In 1863, she married Frederick Albert Bridge ('F.A. Bridge') (1841–1917), photographer, choirmaster of

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...

and organist and choirmaster of

St Martin, Ludgate St Martin, Ludgate, also known as St Martin within Ludgate, is an Anglican church on Ludgate Hill in the ward of Farringdon, in the City of London. The church is of medieval origin, but the present building dates from 1677 to 1684 and was design ...

Works

Selected works include:

Choral

*''The Dream'', SSTB, piano *''All Among The Barley'', SATB *''The Forester'', SATB, piano *''Back From the Brink'', SATB, piano

Organ

*''Moderato and Maestoso'', organ *''Romantic Pieces for Organ'' *''Six Fugues for Organ On English Psalm Tunes''. • 'Soft Voluntary'T. L. Fowle (Ed.
Fifty Easy Voluntaries: fifty new compositions by English composers"">"Fifty Easy Voluntaries: fifty new compositions by English composers"
5th edition. (London: F. Pitman, n.d.) No. 40.

References

External links * Hanna Bergmann, Art. �
Sterling, Elizabeth
��. In: Lexikon „Europäische Instrumentalistinnen des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts“, hrsg. von Freia Hoffmann, 2009. 1819 births 1895 deaths 19th-century classical composers English classical composers British women classical composers English organists 19th-century English musicians People from the Royal Borough of Greenwich Musicians from London Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Women organists 19th-century British composers 19th-century women composers 19th-century organists {{UK-composer-stub