Laura Gertrude Lemon (15 October 1866 – 18 August 1924) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

composer and songwriter who lived and worked in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. She also used the pseudonyms Austin Fleming and Ian Macdonald. Lemon was mostly known for composing pieces for violin and piano such as "Three Moravian Dances", which was dedicated to the Canadian violinist

Kathleen Parlow Kathleen Parlow (September 20, 1890 – August 19, 1963) was a violinist known for her outstanding technique, which earned her the nickname "The lady of the golden bow". Although she left Canada at the age of four and did not permanently return ...

. However she also noted for her

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

literature. "My Ain Folk, a ballad of home", was at one time one of the best-known songs by a Canadian composer.

Early life

Lemon was born in

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Her father was Andrew Lemon, Queen's Counsel, with a job as a partner in the law firm Lemon and Peterson. Her mother was Laura Armstrong, after whom she was named. In 1881, when she was five years old, the family moved from their Arthur Street home to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Lemon grew up there with an appreciation and skill for music. In her early 20s Lemon moved to England, enrolling in the Royal Academy of Music in

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Musical career

Lemon was a skilled pianist and many of her early works were written for piano. In the 1890s, her compositions began to be published as on sheet music. These titles included "Slumber Songs" and "Three Moravian Dances". Her works were performed by local singers, sometimes with Lemon's accompaniment. Lemon began to collaborate with lyricist Wilfrid Mills in 1904. Their work "My Ain Folk" (1904) (subtitled "A Ballad of Home") remains the best recalled of their collaborations."Guelph-born composer wrote hit song ‘My Ain Folk’"
''Waterloo Region Record'', 9 Jan 2015 by Rych Mills The prominent English singer, Dame Clara Ellen Butt, popularized the song by performing it during one of her presentations. The first recording that can be traced was sung by Dame Clara for the Gramophone Company Limited in July 1912. Others who later recorded it are John McDermott, John Allan Cameron, Lulu and Kenneth McKellar. Lemon died in

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, England, in 1924.

Works

Lemon composed for violin and piano, but was best known for her songs. The selected works include: *"Three Moravian Dances", for piano and violin (1910) – dedicated to

*"My Ain Folk: A Ballad of Home" (1904). Arranged by: Reg Leopold *''Slumber Songs'' (1895) * "My Ain Love and My Dearie" (1900)Madelaine Morrison, ''Domestic Harmonies: Musical Activity in Southwestern Ontario, 1880–1920''. Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, 2013, page 314. *"Canada Ever!" (1907) *"Mighty Dominion" (1910) *''Canadian Song Cycle'' (1911), words by Wilfred Mills *"Love's Necklet" (1913), words by Lancelot Cayley Shadwell (1882–1963)

External links

Canada ever! : patriotic song by Lemon, Laura G., 1866-1924
hosted as part of the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

Canadian Sheet Music collection hosted at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

.
The RecordGuelph in postcards

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemon, Laura 1866 births 1924 deaths Canadian women classical composers Canadian classical composers Canadian emigrants to England Musicians from Guelph Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music 20th-century Canadian composers British classical composers British women classical composers 20th-century British composers 19th-century British composers 19th-century classical composers 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Canadian women composers 19th-century women composers