Freda Swain

Freda Swain (1902 – 1985) was a British composer and music educator.

Biography

Freda Swain was born at Portsmouth, England. She studied with Dora Matthay and at the Royal Academy of Music with Stanford and Arthur Alexander. She earned awards including the Sullivan Prize in 1921.^[1]

In 1924 Swain began teaching at the Royal Academy, and in 1936 she founded the British Music Movement to help promote the efforts of young composers and artists. Swain married Arthur Alexander in 1921, and before World War II, the couple toured South Africa and Australia, lecturing, broadcasting and performing recitals.^[2]

Works

Swain composed a one-act opera Second Chance, but never finished a second opera, The Shadowy Waters. She also composed a piano concerto, a concertino for piano and strings and other orchestral pieces, songs and song cycles, choral and church music, two string quartets, a Suite for Six Trumpets, and a number of other chamber and instrumental pieces.^[2]

Selected works include:

• Second Chance, (opera) premiered at Bath in 1955
• Clarinet Concerto
• A Pastoral Fantasy, tone poem for violin and orchestra
• The Harp of Angus
• Breathe on Me, Breath of God
• A Gaelic Prayer
• A Country Pastoral (1957)
• The Windmill, for piano
• Mimosa
• The Lonely Dove
• The Sea
• Fantasy Suite for Oboe and Piano
• Sonatina
• Scherzo for three pianos
• Sonata in F minor
• Sonatas for violin in C minor
• Sonata for violin in B minor, subtitled The River
• Cello Sonata in C
• English Reel for viola
• Song at Evening for viola
• Danse Barbare for violin and cello
• The Willow Tree (1948) for clarinet and piano
• Contrasts (1953) for clarinet and piano

Songs:

• Blessing
• Experience
• The Lark on Portsdown
• The Green Lad From Donegal
• Winter Field^[1]

References

1. "THE DISTAFF SIDE: SOME BRITISH WOMEN COMPOSERS". Retrieved 21 September 2010.
2. Barnett, Rob. "British Composer Dictionary:Freda Swain (1902-1985)". British Music Society. Retrieved 21 September 2010.