The Christmas Music of Dame Elizabeth Maconchy

 

The Christmas Music of Dame Elizabeth Maconchy

by R. Rojas

Updated November 23, 2024.

Special Shoutout: We do a special shoutout to Multitude of Voyces who we briefly mention down below for their recent efforts of promoting and publishing Dame Maconchy's music.

Dame Elizabeth Maconchy was an Irish-English composer who is considered one of the best composers to come out of the United Kingdom and Ireland. She was born in Hertfordshire to Irish parents and was raised in both Ireland and England. She began her musical studies in Dublin, Ireland, later moving to London in 1923 to enroll in the Royal College of Music. 

There she studied under Charles Wood and Ralph Vaughn Williams. As young female composer, she found options limited, but she did gather with other female composer of that time in London for support. Some of these included some of her classmates, creating one of the first women's composer groups for self-support. 

She later served as chair of the Composers Guild of Great Britain. Dame Maconchy was very productive in composing for many types of ensembles including orchestras, string quartets, choirs, brass, and more, as well as for solo voice. 

In the 1960s, she was given the Cobbet Medal for chamber music. She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1977. She was elevated to Dame Commander in 1987. She passed away in 1994. 

A good biography is posted on Wikipedia. There is a good but small entry on Maconchy in the Encyclopedia of World Biography. Also, the Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music has an impressive list of her works as well as bio. There is also a great article from the composer's daughter called Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (1907-1994): Some biographical and Musical Notes. (Note 1).

Dame Maconchy’s Christmas works are limited but good. She has a few winter-themed works. Most of her scores are available via Wise Music, Multitude of Voices, and other music publishers, including some for which, I could not find videos.

Christmas Works

"A Winter's Tale: soprano and string quartet [text: Kenneth Gee](1959 or 1949) - Chamber and voice. There may be not score for this.

"Christmas Morning: a Carol Cantata, soprano, treble/female voices and piano" (1960-2?)(SSAA)

"I Sing of a Maiden" from Two Carols (1966, Faber Music)(Mixed Voices)(carol for unaccompanied mixed voices)

"This Day" from Two Carols (1966)(Mixed Voices)(carol for unaccompanied high voices). Text: anonymous (c.1450)

"Down with the Rosemary and Bays: Twelfth Night Carol," 2-part chorus (1966). Also known as "Twelfth Night Song". Text: Robert Herrick. Commissioned for The Cambridge Hymnal.

"Nowell sing we now all and some: carol, 3-part chorus" (1967)(Note 2):

Update 2024: In 2024, Multitude of Voyces published the carol under the name "Nowell, Nowell, Nowell." Purchase it Now. It is available both on printed leaflet or digital. The work also appears in Multitude of Voyces:  Advent to Candlemas anthology volume (3).

"Christmas Night: carol, 4 voice" (1975) in A Garland of Carols, text: Harleian Mss. (c.1375). Filed under 'Chappell'; Carol: 'Jesu my sweet son dear'. Warner Chappell Music.

"There is no rose" (1984) (SATB). Written for the Witham Choral Society:

"On Stephenses Day" (1989)(SSA choir). Written for the 70th birthday of Stephen Wilkinson:

"The Bellman/Bellman's Carol: carol, chorus (1983[5?])" (1985) (SATB), Written for Angela Dugdale and the Broadland Singers. Although I have found several videos of this carol. I have not found one credited to Maconchy. It is included in the Chester Book of Carols. text: R. Herrick.

"Christmas Eve"

In 2024, Multitude of Voyces announced that they were working with Cambridge University Press to reintroduce Dame Maconchy's 'Candlemas Eve' on the poem by Robert Herrick (SS or TT into 4-part round). Source: Facebook Page.

Winter

"For Snow" (1978, published 1979) [SATB chorus a cappella], from Four Miniatures, no. 2:

The Land, Suite for Orchestra: No. 1, Winter. Lento (1929, 1930)(Universal Publishing Group):

"Our Life is Nothing but a Winter's Day" (1975):

Manconchy also has a "Cradle Song"(1952) (Solo Childrens). I have not found a video of this. 

Also, "Prayer Before Birth" (1971) may be of interest also:

(1)  Also see "In Focus: Dr Natasha Loges on Elizabeth Maconchy." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbjK1E4hB5w. Accessed 23 Nov. 2022.

(2) I am going by a date given by Eleanor Parker in a blog post at: https://corymbus.co.uk/nowell-sing-we/. Accessed 23 November 2022.

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