Emily Mary Lawrence 1854 - 1900

[giles.enders]

Emily Mary Lawrence  Born Rugby July1854  Died London  17.9.1900

She was born in Sherrif Street, Rugby, one of four* children.   Her father was a pianoforte dealer and her mother, Elizabeth was an organist (Rugby Parish Church 1842-77), teacher, and composer.  It was from her that Emily received her early music tuition.  She went on to study at The Royal Academy, London, under Sterndale Bennett, Manuel Garcia and Dr Reginald Steggall.  Having completed her studies at the RAM she returned to Rugby for a short period , and then returned to London. 

In Rugby among her musical activities she became the conductor of The Ladies Choral Society.  After her return to London she was active as an accomplished concert pianist, composer, choral conductor and organist at St John's Church, Wembly.  In 1888 she married Ernest Pelham Grubb and had two children, Enid Mary 1889-1966 and Lawrence Ernest 1892-1914.  neither had issue. Emily's children were left orphans after the death of her husband in 1905.  They went to live with her sister Louisa who was headmistress at a girls school.

Chamber

Violin Sonata in F sharp minor  Op.20  1888   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.

Piano

Four songs without words  Op.11  1881   pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
Album for piano
Evensong   Op.15   pub by Weekes & Co.
Romance in E major Op.16
Andante grave and Rondino in D major  1880   

Song

'A Lover's Song'  words by Frederick William H Myers  1883   pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
'Because'  words by Adelaide Anne Procter  1883  pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
'At Rest'  words by R B    pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
'Come what may'  words by Barry Cornwall  1885   pub. by Weekes & Co.
'Do I love thee'  words by John Godfrey Saxe   pub by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co  also Weekes & Co.
'In a Garden'  words by Algernon Swinburne   pub. by Weekes & Co.
'Looking out into the Night' words by John Godfrey Saxe  1880   pub. by Duncan Davidson & Co. also Ascherberg
'My Little Doll'  words by Charles Kingsley
'My Scottish Lassie'  words by John Moultrie   pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
'My true love hath my heart'  words by Sir Percy Sidney 1883   pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
'Only one home'  words by George Macdonald   pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
'Rest my loved one, rest'   1881
'Sarchedon's love song'  words by George Whyte Melville   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.
'Singing ion the Rain' words by F Percy   pub. by Weekes & Co.
'The Sleep' words by Elizabeth Barrett Browning   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.
'Sowing and Reaping'  words by Adelaide Anne Procter   pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co. also by Weekes & Co.
'The Truth of the Spirit'  words by Barry Cornwall  pub. by Boosey & Co.[/i]
'Songs for girls and boys'  book 1  pub. Weekes and co.
'Songs for girls and boys'  book 2  pub. Weekes and co.

'All deep things are song'  four part song for female voices  words by Barry Cornwall
'Flow heavenly blessings on him'  four part song for women's voices  words by Barry Cornwall
'Sleep beloved, the night has come'  four part song for women's voices words by F Percy   
'Sunbeams'  four part song  words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.
'Time long past'  four part song  words by Percy Bysshe Shelley
'A Well of Love'  for four voices  words by George Macdonald

'In manus taus, Domine'  sacred song   pub. by Weekes & Co.
'Let not your heart be troubled'  anthem  1875   pub. by Novello, Ewer & Co.
'The grass withereth, the flower fadeth'.   anthem   pub. by Novello, Ewer & C

Cantatas

'Bonny Kilkenny'  cantata for soloists, female choir and piano  words by James Hogg
'The Ten Virgins'  cantata for female choir  1893
'Dolly and Dick'  two part chorus


* Arthur H. born 1850, Louisa born 1852, Emily born 1854, Frederick born 1858.

[eschiss1]

Ms. Lawrence's violin sonata cannot have been composed (perhaps revised...) only as late as 1892, when it was performed in 1889 in Wembley. (Musical Times, Nov. 1 1889, p.686.) The British Library estimates its publication date even earlier still- 1886- though I don't give their estimates much credit, as a whole.

[eschiss1]

Hrm. I do think it (her violin sonata) was published by 1888- I see (tankyou, Google) a review of it (Novello/Ewer publication) in The Athenæum, Aug. 11, 1888, pp201-202. Since the publication uses her initials ("E.M. Lawrence"), the reviewer assumes "he"- "his sonata", etc. ...

[giles.enders]

Thank you, duly corrected.

[eschiss1]

Thank you, and sorry about general nudnikness. Cheers