Antoinette Kirkwood

Antoinette Kirkwood (26 February 1930 - 28 January 2014) was an English composer born in London.[1] She studied piano and composition with Dorothy Howell at the Royal Academy in London and often accompanied her mother, who was a lieder singer.[2] For four years beginning in 1969, she was a member of the Executive Committee of the Composers’ Guild of Great Britain, now the British Association of Composers and Songwriters. Radio Éireann broadcast her Symphony, op 8, composed in 1953. This “very notable achievement” established that Kirkwood “can write a memorable tune in a definite key” that will captivate the listener[3]

Antoinette Kirkwood
BornLondon, England
Occupation(s)Composer

Kirkwood married writer Richard Phibbs in 1961.[4] Caring for her mother and husband through their terminal illnesses led to a complete cessation in her composition activity between 1961 and 1979.[1] She died on 28 January 2014, aged 84.[5]

Works

Kirkwood composed for ballet, symphony, ensembles and for solo instruments. She composed two ballets, symphonic and orchestral works, chamber music and instrumental works.[2] Selected works include:

  • Symphony No. 1 op. 8 (1953, recording at the British Music Collection[6]
  • Alessandro op. 12 - (Music Drama after the book by Gerard McLarnon)
  • Musa the Saint op. 16 - (Ballet after the book by Antoinette Kirkwood)
  • Fantasia No. 1 op. 13
  • Fantasia No. 2 op. 14
  • Fantasia No. 3 op. 18
  • Suite for Strings op. 5
  • The Empty Stable op. 10 - Incidental Music
  • Unhallowed op. 4 - Incidental Music
  • Sonata op. 6 for Violoncello and Piano
  • Petite Suite op. 20 No. 2 for Guitar
  • Rapsodie No. 1 op. 21 No. 4 for Viola and Guitar
  • Soliloquy op. 19 No. 3 for Guitar
  • Largo op. 17 No. 1 for Flute and Piano
  • Rapsodie op. 19 No. 2 for Harp solo
  • Sleepy Waters in the Moonlight for 2 Violins and Violoncello
  • Sonatina op. 2 No. 1, piano
  • Nocturne op. 2 No. 2, piano
  • Carol SATB and piano
  • The Fly op. 7 No. 1 (William Blake)
  • The Barrel Organ op. 7 No. 5 (Michael Ashe)
  • Must she go? op. 9 No. 1 (James Forsyth)
  • Morning in Bengal op. 9 No. 2 (Anthony Hayward)
  • The Tourney op. 9 No. 3 (Anthony Hayward)
  • Remorse op. 9 No. 4 (Michael O'Hagan)
  • The Song of the Fisherman of Cacru op. 11 No. 3 (James Forsyth)
  • The Oyster-Catcher’s Song op. 11 No. 4 (James Forsyth)
  • Der Schiffbrüchige op. 15 (Heinrich Heine)
  • Krönung op. 17 No. 2 (Heinrich Heine) High Voice and Strings[2][3][7]

Her works have been recorded and issued on media, including:

  • Six Intermezzi - A Potpourri of Piano Music
  • Sonata for Violoncello and Piano
  • Women Composers - Vol. I CD
  • Women Composers - Vol. II CD[3]

References
  1. Halstead, Jill (June 1997). The woman composer: creativity and the gendered politics of music composition. Scolar Pr. p. 300. ISBN 1-85928-183-4. ISBN 978-1-85928-183-3
  2. Lazarus, Emma; Heine, Heinrich (1881). Antoinette Kirkwood biography. New York: Worthington/University of Massachusetts Amherst. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  3. "Antoinette Kirkwood". Bardic Music. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  4. Sadie, Julie Anne; Samuel, Rhian (1994). The Norton/Grove dictionary of women composers. New York: W.W. Norton. p. 250. ISBN 0-393-03487-9.
  5. "Antoinette Kirkwood". www.bardic-music.com.
  6. "Symphony no. 1". British Music Collection. 17 April 2009.
  7. "Scores by Antoinette Kirkwood". The Collection. Arts Council England. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.


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