Elizabeth Stirling and the musical life of female organists in nineteenth-century England
- Creator
- Barger, Judith
Elizabeth Stirling and the musical life of female organists in nineteenth-century England
This book focuses on the three roles common to female organists in nineteenth-century England: recitalist, church musician, and composer. Barger utilizes many primary sources to piece together a picture of Stirling, as well as to present pictures from the lives of her female colleagues. Nineteenth-century newspapers and journals provide not only specific references to musical events, but also a view of the larger musical world and issues affecting nineteenth-century London organists. Works of fiction about musical heroines illustrate society's views about the role of music in women's lives and the consequences experienced by those women who did not abide by societal norms. Finally, perusal of published music by Stirling and her colleagues gives insight into compositional styles and practices and, when publicized in reviews, the value placed on these works. Issues with special relevance to female organists are explored in detail: inequality of education, the High-Church Oxford Movement, the process by which organists were chosen for church positions and the sexual politics of composition.
- Creator
- Barger, Judith