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Mary Frances Allitsen (30 December 1848 – 1 October 1912) was an English
(1897) Boosey & Company, London Her real name was Mary Bumpus, according to the '' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''.
She began her musical career as a singer and appeared as contralto soloist in Louis Spohr's ''The Last Judgement'' at a recital in Kilburn. Her voice failed, however, and she ended her singing career and turned to voice coaching and composing. She took some of her compositions to Thomas Henry Weist Hill, principal of the
''The Etude'', Volume 20, Issues 1-6, p.127, Philadelphia, PA She began to apply herself to her musical studies with determination, but because she had to teach in order to support herself, and, at that time, this required travelling to her pupils' residences on trains and buses, she had to confine her studies to the night hours, in a state of fatigue. Later, on tour in America to promote her music, she told ''Etude'' magazine that, looking back, she scarcely knew how she lived through those days. Allitsen's first success was the "Old English Love Song." Her ''Album of Six Songs'' was very well received. She also received high praise for eight settings of poems by Heine. "Prince Ivan's Song," taken from '' A Romance of Two Worlds'', was described by Marie Corelli, the writer of that work, as "the very fire of sound." Allitsen published over fifty songs in many different styles, the most successful being a "Song of Thanksgiving," "Mary Hamilton," "False or True," "Spring Contrasts," "King Duncan's Daughter" and "King and Slave."
She also wrote two overtures, entitled ''Undine'' and ''Slavonique'', a Funeral March, and a Tarantella, (which were performed by the
César Saerchinger, Ed. (1918) ''International Who's who in Music and Musical Gazetteer'', New York
/ref> and by the Crystal Palace orchestra), and ''Caprice'', played by pianist Vladimir de Pachmann, a sonata, and other piano pieces. De Pachmann said, "Miss Allitsen possesses four gifts for composition: Originality, imagination, feeling, and grace." In some of her settings of poems by Tennyson and Heine, and in her songs "The Lute Player", "Love is a Bubble" and "Fidelity", ''Strand Musical Magazine'' said that she displayed "dramatic talent and virility." A mezzo-soprano, Allitsen was also well known as a singing teacher. She is reported by several sources as having kept a photograph of
Brief discussion of Allitsen's works at Musicweb-International.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allitsen 1848 births 1912 deaths English classical composers Women classical composers 19th-century English musicians 19th-century British composers Musicians from London 20th-century English composers 20th-century English women musicians 20th-century women composers 19th-century women composers
Mary Frances Allitsen (30 December 1848 – 1 October 1912) was an English composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
. One of her most popular songs is a setting of Psalm 27
Psalm 27 is the 27th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?". The Book of Psalms is part of the Ketuvim, third section of the Tanakh, Hebrew Bible, ...
, " The Lord is My Light"."The Lord is My Light"(1897) Boosey & Company, London Her real name was Mary Bumpus, according to the '' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''.
Biography
Frances Allitsen was born in London, and as a child was far more inclined to literature than to music. But although she had written a novel and some short stories, she finally abandoned literature and devoted herself to music."Popular Lady Composers" (Jul–Dec 1895) ''Strand Musical Magazine'' p.251, London The family moved to a small village where Frances felt isolated and lonely. She said of that time, "It was impossible to go out walking of an afternoon without it being imputed that I was going to see the young men come in on the train, where the chief subject of conversation was garments, and the most extravagant excitement sandwich parties." Her family did not support her interest in music and as a result she was discouraged from seeking a formal education in the subject.
She began her musical career as a singer and appeared as contralto soloist in Louis Spohr's ''The Last Judgement'' at a recital in Kilburn. Her voice failed, however, and she ended her singing career and turned to voice coaching and composing. She took some of her compositions to Thomas Henry Weist Hill, principal of the Guildhall School of Music
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...
, and he expressed his regret that she had put off serious study till so late.William Armstrong (April 1902) "Three English Women Composers"''The Etude'', Volume 20, Issues 1-6, p.127, Philadelphia, PA She began to apply herself to her musical studies with determination, but because she had to teach in order to support herself, and, at that time, this required travelling to her pupils' residences on trains and buses, she had to confine her studies to the night hours, in a state of fatigue. Later, on tour in America to promote her music, she told ''Etude'' magazine that, looking back, she scarcely knew how she lived through those days. Allitsen's first success was the "Old English Love Song." Her ''Album of Six Songs'' was very well received. She also received high praise for eight settings of poems by Heine. "Prince Ivan's Song," taken from '' A Romance of Two Worlds'', was described by Marie Corelli, the writer of that work, as "the very fire of sound." Allitsen published over fifty songs in many different styles, the most successful being a "Song of Thanksgiving," "Mary Hamilton," "False or True," "Spring Contrasts," "King Duncan's Daughter" and "King and Slave."
C. Hayden Coffin
Charles Hayden Coffin (22 April 1862 – 8 December 1935) was an English actor and singer known for his performances in many famous Edwardian musical comedies, particularly those produced by George Edwardes.
Hayden achieved fame as Harry Sher ...
, Clara Butt, Esther Palliser and Ada Crossley
Ada Jemima Crossley (3 March 1871 – 17 October 1929) was an Australian contralto notable as the first RCA Victor Red Seal, Red Seal recording artist engaged in the US by the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1903.
Born at Tarraville, Gippslan ...
did much to popularise them.
She also wrote two overtures, entitled ''Undine'' and ''Slavonique'', a Funeral March, and a Tarantella, (which were performed by the Royal Artillery Band
The Royal Artillery Band was the first official, and permanent British military band (and former symphony orchestra) originating in 1557, but granted official status in 1762. Consisting of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments (and until 2 ...
under Cavaliere Ladislao Zavertal,Ladislao Zavertal, Cavaliere, Order of the Crown of Italy, born Milan Sep. 29, 1849. Appointed conductor of the Royal Artillery Band 1881 â€César Saerchinger, Ed. (1918) ''International Who's who in Music and Musical Gazetteer'', New York
/ref> and by the Crystal Palace orchestra), and ''Caprice'', played by pianist Vladimir de Pachmann, a sonata, and other piano pieces. De Pachmann said, "Miss Allitsen possesses four gifts for composition: Originality, imagination, feeling, and grace." In some of her settings of poems by Tennyson and Heine, and in her songs "The Lute Player", "Love is a Bubble" and "Fidelity", ''Strand Musical Magazine'' said that she displayed "dramatic talent and virility." A mezzo-soprano, Allitsen was also well known as a singing teacher. She is reported by several sources as having kept a photograph of
Lord Kitchener of Khartoum
Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, (; 24 June 1850 – 5 June 1916) was a senior British Army officer and colonial administrator. Kitchener came to prominence for his imperial campaigns, his scorched earth policy against the Boers, ...
on her piano. Having been in poor health for many years, she told a reporter, "Whenever I feel like shirking my duty I look at his portrait." She later read herself quoted as having said that she could not compose without a picture of Lord Kitchener before her.
Works
* "Adieu! Love" (1895) *"The Lord is My Light" (1897) *"There's a Land" (1897) Words by Charles MacKay * "Like Violets Pale" (1898) Words by James Thomson *''Album of Eight Songs'' (1900) Words byHeinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...
* "Afterward" (1901)''The Expository Times'' (1901)
Notes
References
Further reading
* Fuller, Sophie. ''The Pandora Guide to Women Composers: Britain and the United States'', 1629–Present. London: Pandora, 1994. Print. * Fuller, Sophie. ''Women Composers During the British Musical Renaissance'', 1880-1918. , 1998. Print.External links
Brief discussion of Allitsen's works at Musicweb-International.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allitsen 1848 births 1912 deaths English classical composers Women classical composers 19th-century English musicians 19th-century British composers Musicians from London 20th-century English composers 20th-century English women musicians 20th-century women composers 19th-century women composers