Deeds Not Words

Scordatura is marking 100 years of some women having the right to vote and enter parliament by exploring how women have used music as a form of protest. 'Deeds Not Words' will feature music by Louise Farrenc (who forced the Paris Conservatoire to give her equal pay in 1849), Elizabeth Maconchy (who was refused a prize at the Royal College of Music on the basis that she would “only get married and never [write] another note”), and Florence Price (the first African-American woman to have a piece played by a major orchestra). The concert will also feature a world premiere of an exciting new piece by Amy Bryce.

In ‘This is the House that Man Built’, Bryce sets the words of suffragettes describing their experiences in Royal Holloway Prison. She describes the piece as a “provocative, theatrical work for soprano and ensemble to commemorate 100 years since women won the vote. It deals with the complexities of the movement and asks us what the work of these women means to us today, one century forward.”

Programme

Bryce, Amy This is the House That Man Built (World Premiere)
Maconchy, Elizabeth (1907-1994) String Quartet no. 13 (Quartetto Corto)
Farrenc, Louise (1804-1875) Nonet, Op.38
Price, Florence (1888-1953) Swing Low Sweet Chariot

About Scordatura Women’s Music Collective

Formed in March 2017, Scordatura Women’s Music Collective is a mixed chamber ensemble which celebrates and promotes music composed by women. We aim to bring historically neglected composers to a wider audience; to support young and emerging female composers by commissioning and performing their work; and to inspire women and girls to compose by providing them with role models of who a composer can be.