The Society of Women Musicians was a British group founded in 1911 for mutual cooperation between women composers and performers, in response to the limited professional opportunities for women musicians at the time. The founders included

Katharine Emily Eggar Katherine Emily Eggar (5 January 1874 – 15 August 1961) was an English pianist and composer. Eggar was born and died in London, England, the daughter of Thomas Eggar and Katherine MacDonald. Eggar was active member of the feminist movement espe ...

, a composer, Marion Scott, a

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...

, and Gertrude Eaton, a singer. 37 women came to the first meeting, held on 11 July 1911 at the Women's Institute, 92 Victoria Street, including

Rebecca Helferich Clarke Rebecca Helferich Clarke (27 August 1886 – 13 October 1979) was a British-American classical composer and violist. Internationally renowned as a viola virtuoso, she also became one of the first female professional orchestral players. Rebecca ...

, Alma Haas, and

Liza Lehmann Liza Lehmann (11 July 1862 – 19 September 1918) was an English soprano and composer, known for her vocal compositions.Banfield, Stephen. Grove Music Online' After vocal studies with Alberto Randegger and Jenny Lind, and composition studies ...

, who later became the group's first president.Sophie Fuller, Grove: "Society of Women Musicians" The first concert was held on 25 January 1912 in the small room of

Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it ...

. Regular concerts followed at the same venue and at the Aeolian and Wigmore Halls. They featured premieres from women composers such as

Ethel Barns Ethel Barns (5 December 1873 – 31 December 1948) was an English violinist, pianist and composer. She was born in London and entered the Royal Academy of Music at as a teenager, where she studied with Emile Sauret for violin, Ebenezer Prout for ...

, Rebecca Clarke, Katharine Eggar, Dorothy Howell,

, Fiona McCleary (1900–1986), Marion Scott, Elna Sherman, and

Ethel Smyth Dame Ethel Mary Smyth (; 22 April 18588 May 1944) was an English composer and a member of the women's suffrage movement. Her compositions include songs, works for piano, chamber music, orchestral works, choral works and operas. Smyth tended t ...

. In later years there were also premieres from

Ruth Gipps Ruth Dorothy Louisa ("Wid") Gipps (20 February 1921 – 23 February 1999) was an English composer, oboist, pianist, conductor, and educator. She composed music in a wide range of genres, including five symphonies, seven concertos, and num ...

Elisabeth Lutyens Agnes Elisabeth Lutyens, CBE (9 July 190614 April 1983) was an English composer. Early life and education Elisabeth Lutyens was born in London on 9 July 1906. She was one of the five children of Lady Emily Bulwer-Lytton (1874–1964), a me ...

Elizabeth Maconchy Dame Elizabeth Violet Maconchy LeFanu (; 19 March 1907 – 11 November 1994) was an Irish-English composer. She is considered to be one of the finest composers Great Britain and Ireland have produced. Biography Elizabeth Violet Maconchy was b ...

and

Elizabeth Poston Elizabeth Poston (24 October 1905 – 18 March 1987) was an English composer, pianist and writer. Early life and career Poston was born in Highfield House in Pin Green, which is now the site of Hampson Park in Stevenage. In 1914, she moved ...

. The group had a number of influential musicians as presidents, including

Cécile Chaminade Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade (8 August 1857 – 13 April 1944) was a French composer and pianist. In 1913, she was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, a first for a female composer. Ambroise Thomas said, "This is not a woman who composes, but a ...

Astra Desmond Astra Desmond (10 April 1893 – 16 August 1973) was a British contralto of the early and middle twentieth century. Biography Early years Astra Desmond was born Gwendoline Mary Thomson (she would later modify the spelling of her first nam ...

Alma Goatley Alma Goatley Temple-Smith (1887 – 27 August 1969) was an English musician and composer. From 1935 to 1936, she was president of the Society of Women Musicians. Early life Alma Goatley was born in Savoie, and raised in London, the daughter o ...

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 ...

Rosa Newmarch Rosa Harriet Newmarch (18 December 18579 April 1940) was an English poet and writer on music. Biography Rosa Harriet Jeaffreson was born in Leamington in 1857, the maternal granddaughter of 19th-century dramatist James Kenney. She settled i ...

Evelyn Suart Evelyn Suart, Lady Harcourt (30 April 188126 October 1950) was an English pianist. She was born in 1881 in Sindapore, India, the daughter of Brigadier-General W. H. Suart,

and

. The post of vice-president was largely honorary, and was held by woman musicians such as

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist. From a ...

Imogen Holst Imogen Clare Holst (; 12 April 1907 – 9 March 1984) was a British composer, arranger, conductor, teacher, musicologist, and festival administrator. The only child of the composer Gustav Holst, she is particularly known for her education ...

and

Fanny Waterman Dame Fanny Waterman (22 March 192020 December 2020) was a British pianist and academic piano teacher, who is particularly known as the founder, chair and artistic director of the Leeds International Piano Competition. She was also president of ...

. Although the group was aimed at women, men were not excluded, and were included in the membership and attended conferences. Male members included

Thomas Dunhill Thomas Frederick Dunhill (1 February 187713 March 1946) was a prolific English composer in many genres, though he is best known today for his light music and educational piano works. His compositions include much chamber music, a song cycle, '' ...

and

Walter Willson Cobbett Walter Willson Cobbett (11 July 184722 January 1937) was an English businessman and amateur violinist, and editor/author of ''Cobbett's Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music''. He also endowed the Cobbett Medal for services to chamber music. Wal ...

Theodore Holland Theodore Samuel Holland, OBE (25 April 1878 – 29 October 1947), was a British composer and academic. Born in Wimbledon, Holland attended Westminster School and then the Royal College of Music, where his composition teacher was Frederick Corder. ...

attended a concert of his recent songs held by the Society on 28 October 1947, the day before his death.Obituary, Theodore Holland ''The Times'', 31 October 1947, p7 Activities included collecting a library, starting a choir and orchestra which gave public and private concerts of works by members of the Society, lectures, and a composers conference. The Society was also active in advocating for professional women musicians in symphony orchestras. The Society disbanded in 1972, and its archives were given to the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...

Notes

References

*Sophie Fuller. "Society of Women Musicians", ''

Grove Music Online ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

'', ed. L. Macy (accessed March 12, 2007)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access).

{{Authority control * Music-related professional associations Women's organisations based in the United Kingdom 1911 establishments in the United Kingdom Organizations disestablished in 1972 Music organisations based in the United Kingdom