Edith Swepstone

Edith Mary Swepstone (4 January 1862 – 5 February 1942) was an English composer and music teacher. She was born in Stepney, London, the daughter of a London solicitor. She studied music at the Guildhall School and later worked as a lecturer at the City of London School. She died in Tonbridge, Kent.

She studied music at the Guildhall School in London, England and later worked as a lecturer at the City of London School. in 1895 she was giving music lectures at the City School of London.

As a composer, Swepstone wrote early 20th century orchestral music, chamber music, and songs. During the first quarter of the 20th century she had many of her orchestral works performed by the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, the most by a single composer. Though the music is not located, 14 of Swepstone’s orchestral works were presented in a total of 24 performances, between 1899 and 1933. There are only two recorded instances of her orchestra music having been performed elsewhere; in March 1887 at Leyton (a movement from Symphony in G minor), and in February 1897 at Queen’s Hall in London (Les Tenebres). Source: Norton Grove Dictionary of Women Composers

At the South Place Concert Series, a weekly chamber music concert series in London, between 1887–1987, 1,121 works were performed and women composers make up for only 13 of those compositions. Swepstone’s piece, Piano Quintet in E minor, was performed a total of four times at the concert series. Swepstone’s influence is apparent in that, of all the pieces played at the series and written by women, over half were her compositions. In total, seven of her chamber music compositions were performed at the series. In addition to Piano Quintet E Minor, played four times, the following works were each performed once: Quintet D Hn & String Quartet, Quintet Eflat Pf and Wind, String Quartet Lyrical Cycle, Piano Trio D minor, Piano Trio G minor, Piano Trio A minor. Source: British Women Composers and Instrumental Chamber Music in the Early 20th Century