Smith: Symphonies

Alice Mary Smith (1839–84), known primarily for some published Victorian drawing room songs and choral works, was the first known British woman to have composed and had performed a symphony, her Symphony in C Minor of 1863. A second symphony, in A minor of 1876, was prepared for a symphonic competition but not submitted. Smith composed a substantial quantity of orchestral, chamber, and choral music at a time when women were normally expected to write lightweight songs and piano pieces. These two hitherto unpublished works show that Smith’s craftsmanship of orchestration and handling of material compares well with her contemporaries. In the introduction, Graham-Jones presents much new research into her life and music, and contemporary reviews of performances of her music show that it was highly regarded during her relatively short life. Her songs were known in the U.S.A. and the introduction quotes an extensive obituary from a Boston newspaper.

CB, Early Music Review, April 2008. (review of CD)
Jurgen Schaarwachter, Die Musikforschung, 57, 2004.