In praise of pioneering female composer Alice Mary Smith, on the 180th anniversary of her birth

Alice Mary Smith

Alice Mary Smith, who was born 180 years ago today, was a prolific and talented Victorian composer, whose accomplishments have, sadly, largely been airbrushed from history.

She wrote the first symphony to be completed by a British woman, in 1863, at the age of just 24, helping to dispel the then widely held view that women were incapable of composing large-scale works. Her other compositions included another symphony, written in A minor, two large choral works with soloists, four large-scale cantatas, as well as an extensive collection of 40 songs. Novello & Co published her four secular cantatas, which were some of the first brought out by a female .

During her lifetime, she gained a favourable reputation. She showed a talent for music from a young age and took lessons privately and published her first song in 1857, aged just 18. In 1867, she was elected Female Professional Associate of the Royal Philharmonic Society.

A review in The Illustrated London News of her symphony in C minor, which was performed by the Musical Society of London in 1863, read: “... Miss Smith’s symphony especially, coming from the pen of a young lady, was a striking proof of sound studies and high attainments of the female votaries of the art in this country”.

Smith was born in London on May 19, 1839, the third child of a wealthy lace merchant, Richard Smith, and his wife Elizabeth. Well educated, she started to learn Latin at age six, Greek at eight, and Hebrew at 10. Her wide knowledge of poetry was evidenced by her choice of texts for her songs and the subjects of her concert overtures.

In 1867, Smith married Frederick Meadows White, a lawyer who later became a judge. Meadows White actively supported and defended his wife’s musical activities, using his influence and money to promote her performances. It was symptomatic of the times that he assured her critics that her composing in no way detracted from her “good management of domestic affairs”.

After giving birth to two daughters, Smith penned two of her most significant works, her String Quartet in A major, and her Clarinet Sonata in A major. The New Philharmonic Society performed the String Quartet on March 17, 1870; a review in The London Standard called it “perhaps the best of the numerous compositions of its clever authoress”.

As with other female composers of the time, Smith was sometimes forced to adopt a male pseudonym - Emil Künstler - to submit compositions for publication, as a female name often caused immediate rejection.

On December 4, 1884, Smith died of typhoid in London, aged just 45. The Musical Times ran an obituary that praised her accomplishments, saying: “She has gradually achieved a fame which places her name at the head of female creative artists; no other, as far as we are aware, having written for the orchestra, both alone, and in combination with voices.”

The New York Times and The Boston Evening Traveller also carried obituaries. Another, in The Athenaeum, of December 13, 1884, which we publish in full in our book Maestros, Original Obituaries of 101 Great Composers, states: "Her music is marked by elegance and grace... power and energy. Her forms were always clear and her ideas free from eccentricity; her sympathies were evidently with the classic rather than with the romantic school."

Sadly, as with too many female composers in history, her music was mostly forgotten within a decade of her death. But we at Blue Magpie Books, along with a few other stalwart champions, do not believe that should continue to be the case. In Maestros, our recommended recording for Smith is her Symphony in C minor. Thank goodness, there are some places where her legacy lives on. Take a listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAHwGeDrs9c

You can read more about Alice Mary Smith and other inspiring women in our book Maestros, Original Obituaries of 101 Great Composers.