MINNA KEAL - UK
BORN 22 MARCH
An idealist, determined, and a believer in human beings, Minna Keal wrote all her major musical works over the age of 65, returning to composition after a break of 46 years; the shy girl who studied at the Royal Academy of Music in 1928, who was too scared to eat in the lunchroom, found herself on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall aged 80 years old.
In 1926 Minna begin studying at the Royal Academy of Music, yet with pressure from her family to carry on the family business, Minna sadly ended her studies at the conservatoire early. This caused her a great sadness, and only 46 years later did she have the confidence to begin composing once more.
Thankfully, Minna had continued her practice and piano studes during these years, and by the time she began composing again she remarked that she saw herself as being back at the beginning of her life; “I felt I was coming to the end of my life,” she said, “but now I feel as if I'm just beginning. I feel as if I'm living my life in reverse.” Certainly, for someone who studied in the days of Edward Elgar to suddenly produce works contemporary to the last years of the century was an astonishing feat.
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MARGARET GARWOOD - USA
BORN 22 MARCH
Margaret Garwood was primarily a composer of opera. Her stage works have received full productions in New York, Philadelphia and on the West Coast. Her song cycles have been widely performed in the United States, Canada and Europe. Her most recent vocal works are three pieces for chorus and orchestra; the first, Tombsongs, and the second, Rainsongs, were both commissioned and premiered by the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia. The third, Lovesongs, was commissioned by The Music Group of Philadelphia. She has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including three grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, five fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, and awards from ASCAP, AMC and the National Federation of Music Clubs.
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Six Japanese Songs by Margaret Garwood
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