Marian Arkwright 1863-1922

[giles.enders]

Marian Ursula Arkwright  Born 25.1.1863 Norwich  -  Died 23.3.1922 Newbury, Berkshire

The daughter of a Norfolk landowner, she was the eldest of three children ¹.  She was one of the first women in England to study music at a university. At Durham University she receivied her B.Mus. in 1895 and a Doctorate from the same university in 1913
She pursued a career as a composer and in later life as a conductor of The Newbury Orchestral Union.

Her eldest brother, was the musicologist Godfrey Edward Pellew Arkwright.

Orchestra

Symphony in A minor 'The Japanese'
Symphonic Suite 'Winds of the World'  1913
Concert Overture 'A Blackbird's Matins'
Variations on an air by Handel
Suite for strings 'Melbourne' (also for added wind)  1907
Easy March   pub. by Cary & Co.

Chamber

Quintet for piano, clarinet, oboe, horn and bassoon
Trio for piano, viola and oboe
Trio for piano, oboe and horn
Scherzo and Variations for piano, clarinet and bassoon
'Reveries' short pieces for piano, viola and oboe
Two concert pieces for viola and piano  pub. by Breitkopf & Hartel
Three volumes of piano and violin duets  pub. by A Cary & Co.
'A Retrospect' cello solo

Song

Bright is the ring of words   pub. by Cary & Co.
Children's song  pub. by Cary & Co.
Come, pretty wag  1897
In the midst of the woods - two part song
The Lark now leaves his watery nest words by Davenport pub. by Banks & Son, York
The Dragon of Wantley -  ballad for three treble voices with piano and string quartet accompaniment 1915 pub. by Cary & Co.
Renewal - two part song with piano

Vocal

Requiem Mass  for chorus and orchestra  1914 pub. by Cary & Co.
Atalanta in Calydon  - cantata for soloists, chorus and orchestra
Hymn of Pan - scena for baritone and orchestra
The Last Rhyme of True Thomas - for chorus with string quartet and piano
Psalm 'Up to those bright and gladsome hills  - two part canon
Psalm 'In convertendo'  three part canon
Carol  - 'Three Kings from out the Orient  with bassoon obligato

Operetta

The Water Babies'  after the book by Charles Kingsley

She died while residing at Highclere, Newbury, Berkshire.  Her estate was quite substantial for its time amounting to £18,755.  She remained unmarried.

¹

Marian Ursula Arkwright  25.1.1863 - 23.3.1922
Godfrey Edward Pellew Arkwright  10.4.1864 - 16.8.1944
Walter George Arkwright  1865 - 20.11.1936

[Simon]

Some of her papers are held at the Berkshire Record Office.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=005-dex10301100&cid=48-7#48-7

I wrote them a few months ago, but unfortunately they didn't seem to have any music manuscripts by Arkwrigt, according to the searchroom assistant who answered me. If anybody knows where could those manuscripts be found, I would be very glad to learn more about her music.

[Simon]

There is though, at Durham University, a collection named "Durham University Music exercises".

http://reed.dur.ac.uk/xtf/view?docId=ead/mus/dumusic.xml

Under "Mus. Bac. 1895", one can read :

Arkwright, M.N. (Sic!), Atalanta in Calydon.

I guess it must be a misreading of Miss Arkwright's first name.

[giles.enders]

Marian's brother Godfrey and a Walter Arkwright were her estate's administrators, so I wonder if some of her MS might be with Godfrey's effects?

[Simon]

Yes of course, it might be a possibility. Unfortunately, Godfrey Arkwright's effects seem to have been spread across the UK...

University of Birmingham
http://calmview.bham.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=Catalog&id=XMS443

University of Oxford
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/modern/arkwright/arkwright.html

And even France
http://www.royaumont-bibliotheque-francois-lang.fr/opacwebaloes/index.aspx?IdPage=261

So this might be a nice puzzle...

[Alison clarinet]

Following on from your thread from 2014, I was wondering if you'd had any luck in locating any of her manuscripts. I'm particularly interested in her chamber music (e.g. trio for piano, clarinet, bassoon), and it's come to my attention that this year it's the 100th anniversary year of her death. Did she have any of her music published?
Many thanks

[Simon]

Hello Alison! To the best of my knowledge, Marian Arkwright's music remains very elusive. Her chamber music for wind instruments was performed a number of times at John Parr's concerts in Sheffield, during the first half of the 20th century (Parr was a bassoonist and was eager to promote British music by his contemporaries).

In the last few years, I've been in touch with some institutions (including Durham University, where she studied) and some very knowledgeable musicians, among others Michael Bryant and Chris Nex. Both did extensive researches on Parr's life. Unfortunately, regarding the sheet music performed by Part and his colleagues, much seems to be lost. Arkwright's music is among this missing music. I really hope her estate will be located eventually...

On another note, I have been able to locate a picture of Marian Arkwright published in a British newspaper, The Gentlewoman, on March 1906. I believe it is one of the very few pictures of Arkwright known at the moment.

[eschiss1]

I see that about a dozen of her works show up in Worldcat... eg the viola concert pieces mentioned above, published in 1908, and the Requiem... (was she Mrs Robert Arkwright by whom other works are listed?...)
I think you meant middle name, M. Ursula, not first name, wrong in M. N. Arkwright...

[Simon]

I think you meant middle name, M. Ursula, not first name, wrong in M. N. Arkwright...

That's right, Eric! French being my first language, you will have to forgive me for this little mistake! Thanks for the correction!

[5thWaveAshley]

Hello all! I wanted to comment here to see if anyone might have anything new to report about finding any more of her works? I'm particularly interested in her chamber works for oboe/viola/piano - fingers crossed!

[Reverie]

The British Library has the following:

Two Concert Pieces for Viola and Pianoforte. [Score and part.] (1908)

[eschiss1]

and they have been @ IMSLP since 2016. https://imslp.org/wiki/2_Concert_Pieces_(Arkwright%2C_Marian_Ursula)

The 2nd one, Allegro moderato in C minor, with some bars in "9/8 6/8", looks neat.