Archive - Women Make Music
Women Make Music
Brass Bands wouldn't exist without women and yet barely any music is ever performed that has been written by a woman, very few female conductors exist, hardly any women adjudicate brass band competitions. It's a situation that is persists largely without question.
We've a proud tradition of regularly performing contemporary original music for brass so we're going to start to address this gender imbalance by increasing the amount of music we play composed and arranged by women. It's not much, but someone's got to start somewhere.
If you're a composer or student who wants to write original music for brass band and wants to hear your music performed or want to know more about this initiative, please contact secretary@harrogateband.org.
See: Women Make Music for more information, and the list of Women Composers & Arrangers for brass band, below.
Why do this?
A member of our Band commented: "I can't really see the problem, no one's stopping women writing music are they?". Reading the evidence from the Performing Right's Society (PRS) report into why female representation in music composition is so low gives us an insight:
"The perception of most interviewed artists is that the music industry is still very male dominated. This is particularly the case 'behind the scenes' in production, where women creators are often working in all male environments. This can mean needing to work and push much harder to get your voice heard. Linked to this, the lack of strong female role models and recognition of what women do and have achieved in music in the past, is a real issue in terms of shaping the ambitions and confidence of young women entering the industry." - PRS Women Make Music Evaluation Report 2011 - 2016
[click here for a copy of the report]
We don't actually know if the brass band movement mirrors the music industry as a whole but a cursory review of our own experience tells us it probably is. Until recently our committee was never led by a women, all our adjudicators for all our contests have been male, we've only ever performed one piece in competition written by a women, virtually all the panels that pick competition pieces are male, the two main media outlets for brass bands are run exclusively by men and there are hardly any women conductors. Look through our music pads and there'll be almost no music written by a woman and listen to brass band music programmes and women's voices are rarely heard. Conversations we've had with women composers have identified childcare and lack of confidence as issues. Conversely, when we performed 18 year old Ruth Mellor's composition at our Women Make Music launch she told us it gave her a massive confidence boost.
Women are well represented in brass banding but their contribution is rarely recognised, visible and celebrated. Most bands wouldn't function without the work of women committee members, brass band competitions are kept going by women nearly always tucked away out of the limelight behind the scenes doing vital administrative jobs, women are looking after children whilst their husbands play and 50% of the audiences are female.
But it's much more than trying to reduce a gender imbalance. The reason is that if we're wasting the talent of so many people who could be composing brilliant music for brass bands our audiences are losing out and so is the brass band movement.
Our initiative has two objectives:
- to give women the confidence to compose brilliant music for brass band
- to showcase compositions by female composers to our audiences
Part of the mission of the International Women's Brass Conference is to encourage and promote the creation of new music by women composers. To further this goal, the organization regularly funds commissions projects and also strives to create performance opportunities for these new works, which has included music for brass band.
If you have any additions to this list, or comments, please email them to Gavin Holman (gavin@ibew.co.uk)
| Elaine Agnew [website] |
Little Christmas |  |
| Katie Bell |
On the Move arr: Simple Gifts (Lord Of The Dance) arr: Christmas Compendium |  |
| Judith Bingham (1952-) |
Prague Brazil - A Souvenir Four Minute Mile Stars Above: the Earth Below These are our Footsteps |  |
| Evangeline Booth (1865-1950) |
Streams in the Desert, arr. Eric Ball Love is All Songs of the Evangel Woman |  |
| Anne Boyd (1946-) |
Missa Pacifica : for soprano, large choir, brass band and organ (2008) |  |
| May H. Brahe (1884-1956) |
Down Here I Passed by your Window Bless This House, arr. Helen Taylor |  |
| Helen May Butler (1867-1957) |
Cosmopolitan America March |  |
| Cheryl Camm [website] |
Destination 6574 (1984) |  |
| Anita Cocker-Hunt |
I Do Believe |  |
| Barbara Croall [website] |
Zaagi 'idiwin Nagamon (Love Song) - A singing landscape for brass band and pipigwan soloist |  |
| Jessica Curry |
The Durham Hymns |  |
| Kirsty Devaney |
Fanfare for Gosport |  |
| Helen Douthwaite |
Celtic Lullaby Dynamite! Flourish Song for Malik - Tenor Horn Solo arr. Flow Gently Sweet Afton (A. Hume) |  |
| Alice G. Edwards (1878-1958) |
The Lord Will Be Gracious |  |
| Estelle Flood |
Somewhere in Time arr: Karelia (Sibelius) arr. Brown Bird Singing (H. Wood) arr. Dies Irae (G. Verdi) arr. Dream of Olwyn (Charles Williams) arr. Just The Way You Are |  |
| Dorothy Freed (1919-2000) [website] |
Aquarius March for Brass Band (1971) |  |
| Nancy Galbraith [website] |
with brightness round about it (2002) Washington's Landing (2006) Luminosity (2008) Euphonic Blues for Brass (2013) |  |
| Dorothy Gates (1966-) |
Anointing Breathe Cantad a Jehova Feliz Navidad Festive Preludium on Falcon Street Give me Jesus Gloria in Excelsis Deo Hallelujah Variations Hope I'm Pressing On Jesus is my Lord Jesus paid it all Lord, Reign in Me Sleep Little Jesus Sweet Communion Take the Name of Jesus with you War Cry Wexford Carol arr. America the Beautiful (S.A. Ward) arr. At the name of Jesus (J.M. Brierley) arr. Find us Faithfull (John Mohr) arr. Hallelujah (G.F. Handel) arr. I'm in His Hands (Stanley Ditmer) arr. Our God Reigns (Leonard Smith) arr. Philippians 4:6 (Bobby McFerrin) arr. See What a Morning (Keith Getty) arr. Shepherd's Pipe Carol (J. Rutter) arr. Silent Night (Franz Gruber) arr. Ye Merry Gentlemen (Thomas Mack) |  |
| Evelyn Glennie [website] |
A Little Prayer |  |
| Sally Greenaway [website] |
Cirque du Brasse'air (2011) |  |
| Irena Grieg (1962-) |
Lux Aeterna |  |
| Emily Hall |
Inframundo - A manuscript copy exists in the library of the Bedford Town Band |  |
| Judith Hayes [website] |
arr. Gesu Bambino (Pietro Yon) arr. Forres Cradle Song (James Scott Skinner) arr. Meditation from Thais (horn solo) Mongolian Folk Tune arr, Gabriella's Song from "As it is in Heaven" (Stefan Nilsson) Brazilian Festival Irish Lament and Jig arr. How Far is it to Bethlehem? arr. I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In Up on the House Top |  |
| Agnes Heathcote (1862-?) |
Jesus come with Peace Jesus is near, burdens to bear I'll Follow Thee |  |
| Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-47) |
Gartenlieder op.3 |  |
| Imogen Holst (1907-1984) |
The Unfortunate Traveller (1930) |  |
|
Emily Howard [website] |
Obsidian |  |
|
Pimpanit Karoonyavanich [website] |
A Journey to The Bermuda Triangle |  |
| Liz Lane [website] |
Surtaal Symphony (2017) - for brass band, bhangra band and soprano Innovation 216 (2016) Slate, Sea and Sky (2016) Their Songs of Freedom (2015) Silver Rose (2014) Antiphonary (2013) Diamond Fanfare (2012) arr. The Lord's Prayer from African Sanctus, by David Fanshawe (2006) |  |
| Libby Larsen [website] |
Fanfare for a Learned Man (arr. Judson Scott) |  |
| Rebecca Lundberg |
Pater Noster (Our Father) - cornet/flugel solo |  |
| Anne McGinty (1945-) [website] |
Arlington Overture Spectrum American Folk Songs Suite Motivations |  |
| Eileen Mehegan |
Dream Waltz: Lovely Lucerne (c.1920) | |
| Ruth Mellor |
arr. Hymn of Acxiom (by Vienna Teng) |  |
| Katie Moss (1881-1947) |
The Floral Dance, arr: Derek Broadbent | |
|
Kelly Marie Murphy [website] |
Drumming the Plain, the Horseman is Coming (1992) Hartford Accident and Indemnity (2004) The Reanimation of Forsters Corpse |  |
| Thea Musgrave (1928-) [website] |
Variations for Brass Band |  |
| Lynda Nicholson |
arr. Christmas Lullaby (French traditional) arr. The Sleigh Race (Alfred Caldicott) |  |
| Celestine Oliphant (1863-1941) |
O Far Whiter than the Snow All the Waters of the Sea |  |
| Lucy Pankhurst [website] |
Abrazo - cornet solo Alchemists' Fire Aria - His Depth, part of "Diversions After Benjamin Britten: Four Centenary Tributes for Brass Band" Ascension Broken Mantra Buffoon Concerto for Tenor Horn Dance, Dance Dreamer Frost Go! Heed The Word! In Pitch Black Journey Home Legacy Marilyn Midnight (euph solo) Mischief Mr Sonneman's Unusual Solution Once in Never Oubliette Petrichor Resplendence - cornet solo Roots Sheihellion Shining Stars Storm Th'owfen Raconteurs 3 Minute Warning Voices in Memoriam Wicked Wired + various arrangements |  |
| Chelsea Pascoe |
Light Song The Living Water! Prayer Gently Lifts Me arr. Spirit Song (John Wimber) arr. Through the Fair (flugel solo) |  |
| Lynsey Paterson |
A Caledonian Fanfare |  |
|
Emily Peasgood [website] |
Collective Spirit - The Boat Project |  |
| Helen Perkin (1909-1996) |
Carnival Cordell Suite Island Heritage Three Pieces |  |
|
Laura Pettigrew [website] |
Tranquilllitas Amini A Terra |  |
| Liz Plowman |
Women of War | |
| Andrea Price |
March - Spirit of Victory Eire Time (euphonium solo) Enter The Dance (tenor horn solo) Out of Shadows (euphonium solo) Scarborough Fair (marimba/xylophone solo) Fling (xylophone solo) A New Day (baritone solo) |  |
| Lauren Redhead [website] |
Dalton, Retold (2013) |  |
| Teresa del Riego (1876-1968) |
O Dry Those Tears, arr: William Moore | |
| Rhian Samuel [website] |
Taliesin |  |
| Elena Ruehr [website] |
The Voyage Out (1995) (arr. Judson Scott) |  |
| Amanda Sandberg (1873-1961) |
Fronten Kallar! |  |
| Alex Shapiro [website] |
Papercut (arr. Judson Scott) |  |
| Liz Sharma [website] |
Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Gluck) Dance of the Groovy Spirits Fanfare for a Celebration Finale of Concerto Grosso Memories and Myths Night Spirits Stormy Weather Summer Journey The Oak and the Ash Water Birds |  |
| Naomi Styles [website] |
Dance of the Troglodytes Pachamama (Mother Earth) Cyanobacteria Suenora arr. Libertango (by Piazzolla) arr. Christmas Jig arr. Infant King arr. Merry Christmas Everyone (Shakin' Stevens) arr. Sing Lullaby (by Herbert Howells) arr. Let it Snow (cornet solo) arr. For those in Peril on the Sea arr, Have I told you Lately (by Van Morrison) arr. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas arr. Ol' Man River (by Jerome Kern) arr. If I were a rich man arr. One for my Baby (and one more for the Road) arr. God Save the Queen arr. What's This? (by Danny Elfman) arr. When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney arr. The Lamb (by John Taverner) arr. "Tum-te-tum" Cameron |  |
| Hilary Tann [website] |
All the Moon Long |  |
| Phyllis Tate (1911-1987) |
Illustrations for Brass Band |  |
| Louisa Trewartha [website] |
You Stood and Watched Me Trembling Bass Tuba Concerto Heuristic Brassing |  |
| Joan Trimble (1915-2000) |
Erin Go Bragh (1943) |  |
| Joy Webb (1932-) |
Share My Yoke (arr. Bosanko) |  |
| Maude Valerie White (1855-1937) | To Mary (cornet solo) |  |
| Margaret Lucy Wilkins [website] |
Epistola da San Marco (1987) |  |
| Amanda Wilkinson |
Elements of Fire | |
| Amy Woodforde-Finden (1860-1919) |
Four Indian Love Lyrics Pagoda Of Flowers - arr. Sydney Herbert Temple Bells - arr. M. Williams |  |
Some male composers have used female pseudonyms for some of their works. E.g. "Heather Dene" was William Rimmer, and "Lilian Raymond" was James Ord Hume