Four Centuries of Great Music July 19, 2026 American Women Composers of the 19th Century

Earlier this month,  I attended and online course offered by Boulanger Initiative entitled America 250: Balancing the Narrative.   During this course Dr. Caiti Beth McKinney spoke about women composers from the musical history of the United States who have gone unrecognized in the music history textbooks and in the concert halls of the United States.  

Boulanger Initiative is a non-profit organization that advocates for women and all gender marginalized composers. They foster inclusivity and representation to expand and enrich the collective understanding of what music is, has been, and can be. They promote music composed by women through performance, education, research, consulting, and commissions.

On Four Centuries of Great Music, I have regularly programmed music  by women and other marginalized composers and so to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on today’s episode, I will be sharing the  music and the stories of some of the  the women who were in Caiti Beth’s course.  By the way, Boulanger Initiative’s database has 639 American women composers, so we will only be touching on a small percentage of American women composers on today’s episode.

Songs dominated the compositions of women composers from the early part of the 1800s. As I was told by Caiti Beth McKinney,  the first known “hit song” written by a women was “The Blue Juniata” which was written by Marion Dix Sullivan in 1844.  She was born on 17 Apr 1802 in Boscawen, New Hampshire.  Little is known about her life except that she was married to John Whiting Sullivan in 1825 and had two daughters and  a son , She wrote many songs, but the only songs I could find references to came after the writing of “The Blue Juniata”.  "The Blue Juniata," which was referenced by Mark Twain in his autobiography and again with the full lyrics by Laura Ingalls Wilder in her book Little House on the Prairie. The Blue Juniata was the basis for variation sets by other well-known 19th century American composers, such as Charles Grobe and J. Edgar Gould.  The song was first recorded in 1937 by Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers.  Sullivan died on July 16 1860 (aged 58) in Brookline, Massachusetts, and  is buried in the Old Burial Ground Cemetery on Walnut Street in Brookline.


Let’s listen to two of Marion Dix Sullivan’s songs - first is "The Blue Juniata,” here performed by Mara Sindoni, Soprano and Susan Bishov, Pianist from their album “A Quilt of Songs for Parlor Music Hall and Church by American Women Composers (1790-1890)” American Antiquarian  Society

The second is an piano and electronic instrumental version of her song The Field of Monterey dedicated to the soldiers of the Mexican-American war written in 1846 which is from recordings associated with the book Joe Mitchell Chapple “Heart songs:  dear to the American people”

The Lyrics to The Field of Monterey are:

When sweet church bells are pealing out a chorus wild and free
And everything rejoicing for the glorious victory 
But bitter tears are gushing  for the the gallant and the gay
Who now in death are sleeping on the field of Monterey on the field of Monterey
Who now in death are sleeping on the field of Monterey
 
When spring was here with opening flower and I the proud May queen
And all the young and gay were met to dance upon the Green
The noblest and the manliest  was by my side that day
Who now in death is sleeping on the field of Monterey on the field of Monterey
Who now in death is sleeping on the field of Monterey
 
 
The flowers of spring are faded now  the woods are sear and cold  
The persimmon’s cheek is flushing  And the papaw shines in gold
But he in earliest manhood has sadly passed away
And now in death is sleeping on the field of Monterey on the field of Monterey
And now in death is sleeping on the field of Monterey
 
The bugles well their wildest notes    And loud the cannon roar  
And madly peel the sweet church bells For holy rest no more
But lonely hears are bleeding upon this glorious day
For the loved in each are sleeping on the field of Monterey sleeping on the field of Monterey
Who now in death are sleeping on the field of Monterey

Yo’ve been listen to two of Marion Dix Sullivan’s songs - first was "The Blue Juniata,” here performed by Mara Sindoni, Soprano and Susan Bishov, Pianist from their album “A Quilt of Songs for Parlor Music Hall and Church by American Women Composers (1790-1890)” American Antiquarian  Society

The second was an piano and electronic instrumental version of her song The Field of Monterey dedicated to the soldiers of the Mexican-American war written in 1846 which is from recordings associated with the book Joe Mitchell Chapple “Heart songs:  dear to the American people”

The next women composer introduced to me by Caiti Beth McKinney was Augusta  Browne.  As Caiti Beth pointed out Augusta  Browne was born in 1820 in Dublin, Ireland, but was brought to the the United States at the age of 8 so truly an be considered an American composer.  Judith Tick in her book “American women composers before 1870”. notes that Browne was known as one of "the most prolific woman composer in America before 1870.”  She composed over 200 works for piano and voice, along with numerous a acapella hymns and secular pieces.  Many of these were published in print versions and are available at various archives around the United States including the  Levy Sheet Music Collection of  Johns Hopkins University and the Library of Congress. But just try and find recordings of her work.   In addition to writing songs Browne published two books; “The Precious Stones of the Heavenly Foundations” and “Hamilton, the Young Artist”. She also wrote numerous essays, religious tracts, poetry, and short stories. Rather than writing on issues such as home or family life, she wrote on the subjects most important to her; music, literature, the fine arts and the Christian faith.  She died on January 11, 1882, and was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.

Let’s listen to the one work I could find of hers that has been recorded. Augusta  Browne’s  “Song of New England,” here performed by Mara Sindoni, Soprano and Susan Bishov, Pianist from their album “A Quilt of Songs for Parlor Music Hall and Church by American Women Composers (1790-1890)” American Antiquarian  Society


You’ve been listening to Augusta  Browne’s  “Song of New England,” here performed by Mara Sindoni, Soprano and Susan Bishov, Pianist from their album “A Quilt of Songs for Parlor Music Hall and Church by American Women Composers (1790-1890)” American Antiquarian  Society

As Caiti Beth McKinney reminded us during her course - we should include the women hymnodists  when we think about women composers of the 19th century.  So let me include two of these women - Matilda Durham and Fanny J. Crosby

Matilda Durham was born in Spartanburg County South Carolina on January 17, 1815.  Her father was an ordained deacon in their local Baptist Church.  I found nothing about her musical training but was probably in her church.  She began writing hymns and contributing them to the William Walker's “Southern Harmony”, which was a shape note hymnal and tune book first published in 1835.  Shape note is a musical notation designed to facilitate congregational and social singing. The notation became a popular teaching device in American singing schools during the 19th century. Shapes were added to the noteheads in written music to help singers find pitches within major and minor scales without the use of more complex information found in key signatures on the staff.   She moved with her husband to Cobb County Georgia and in addition to her writing of hymns she also worked as a singing teacher, and in addition produced Baptist articles and tracts.  Durham died in Cobb County on July 30, 1901 and was buried in the Fowler-Hoy family cemetery along side her husband, Andrew Hoy.

Let’s listen two of her hymns, first her most famous hymn “The Promised Land” and then her hymn “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks”
Matilda Durham: The Promised Land (Live)
The Allegheny Choirs
Reunion Choir 2018 (Live)
Chaffee Sound Productions
 
Matilda Durham:  On Jordan's Stormy Banks (Arr. K. Berg) [Live]
Texas All-State Small School Mixed Choir, LuAnn Lane & Janwin Overstreet-Goode, conductors
2015 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA): All-State Small School Mixed Choir [Live]
Mark Records
 
Next is Fanny J. Crosby who was an American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer. She was born on March 24, 1820 in Brewster, New York.  She became blind within the first 6 weeks of life.  She began music lessons at 12 and by the time she graduated from the New York Institution for the Blind she had learned to play the piano, organ, harp, and guitar, and became a good soprano singer.  Her early career in the 1840s was writing poetry and being a political activist for the education of the blind.  She used her musical and composition skills to play for politicians and her skills in poetry to speak to politicians in Washington.  She was the first woman to speak in the United States Senate when she read a poem there. She also appeared before the joint houses of Congress and recited her poetry.  And she became friends with President James K. Polk and his wife. 
 
She began composing by writing popular songs in the early 1850s, wrote at least 60 secular "people's songs" or parlor songs between 1851 and 1857. But her growing faith moved her in the direction of writing hymns in the early 1860s. And she became a very prolific hymnodist,  writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, with more than 100 million copies printed.  She is also known for her teaching and rescue mission work. By the end of the 19th century, she had become a household name.  Crosby was known as the "Queen of Gospel Song Writers" and the "Mother of modern congregational singing in America", with most American hymnals containing her work. Some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, so Crosby used nearly 200 different pseudonyms during her career. Crosby died in Bridgeport , CT of arteriosclerosis and a cerebral hemorrhage on February 12, 1915, after a six-month illness, aged 94.  She was buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, CT

Some of Fanny J. Crosby's best-known hymns include "Blessed Assurance",  "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour", "Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home", "Praise Him, Praise Him", "Rescue the Perishing", and "Safe in the Arms of Jesus".  Let’s listen to these hymns performed by the Harding College Concert Choir from their album “Song of Fanny J. Crosby – This is My Story” Dallas Christian Sound
 
You have been listening to some of Fanny J. Crosby's best-known hymns including "Blessed Assurance",  "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour", "Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home", "Praise Him, Praise Him", "Rescue the Perishing", and "Safe in the Arms of Jesus" performed by the Harding College Concert Choir from their album “Song of Fanny J. Crosby – This is My Story” Dallas Christian Sound
 
The next composer Caiti Beth introduced to me was Susan McFarland Parkhurst. 

Susan McFarland was born in Leicester, Massachusetts June 5, 1836. She married E.A. Parkhurst and had a daughter, Effie. Her husband died in action in 1864 during the Civil War. She took a job at Waters's Music Store where she met Stephen Foster and began to write popular songs and parlour piano solos, mostly on topical and religious themes. These were published under the name Mrs. E.A. Parkhurst.  She and her daughter performed her song "Father's a Drunkard and Mother is Dead" in concert and it became a standard at temperance meetings in New York. Parkhurst died in Brooklyn, New York on May 4, 1918.   Stephen Foster's New York publisher Horace Waters printed a Select Catalogue of Mrs. E.A. Parkhurst's Compositions in 1864 which lists 33 songs and 16 instrumental tunes. She also provided songs for Horace Waters' hymnals. Original prints of her songs are housed in the Music Division of the New York Public Library, her instrumental works are archived at the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts and the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) has 7 of her songs available online.

Let’s listen to two versions of her most famous song – the temperance song
E. A. Parkhurst: Father's A Drunkard, And Mother Is Dead
Cincinnati's University Singers
The Hand That Holds The Bread: Progress and Protest in the Gilded Age Songs from the Civil War to the Columbian Exposition
Anthology of Recorded Music, Inc.
 
And 5 Variations on a Temperance theme arranged by Juan Carlos Ribelles for piano and solo instrument – in this case the euphonium.  You-Tube
 
You have been listening to two versions of the Susan McFarland Parkhurst temperance song E. A. Parkhurst: Father's A Drunkard, And Mother Is Dead
Cincinnati's University Singers
The Hand That Holds The Bread: Progress and Protest in the Gilded Age Songs from the Civil War to the Columbian Exposition
Anthology of Recorded Music, Inc.
 
And 5 Variations on a Temperance theme arranged by Juan Carlos Ribelles for piano and solo instrument – in this case the euphonium.  You-Tube


Let’s open this second hour of this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music with the next American woman composer brought to my attention by Dr. Caiti Beth McKinney in her Boulanger Initiative online course entitled America 250: Balancing the Narrative, Emma Louise Ashford

Emma was born in Newark, Delaware on March 29, 1850 into a musical family and learned to sing at an early age. She began learning to play the guitar, organ, and piano.  At around the age of 14 she began learning how to compose and at age 16 she took her first church organ position after her family had move to Connecticut.   At 17 she met and married John Ashford, a young engineer and amateur singer who had recently relocated to Connecticut from Bath, England.  Her husband took a teaching position in Nashville, TN at Vanderbilt University. Emma's husband encouraged her musical development and it was in Nashville that her talents were discovered. Vanderbilt University’s Dean of the College of Arts and Science, Herbert Tolman, said of her: "Of the women of our town, some have distinguished themselves in literature and some in art, but in the field of musical composition there is one name par excellence. It is the name of Mrs Emma L. Ashford."  She wrote a lot of music for Vanderbilt University events and ceremonies.  Much of her time in Nashville Emma taught piano, organ, and harmony but later in life concentrated her efforts on composing.   Throughout her lifetime she composed over 600 works including anthems, sacred and secular cantatas, piano pieces, and song cycles. Her work was highly regarded during her lifetime throughout the world.  She also wrote articles for publications such as "Etude Magazine, " and "The Organist".  She died in Nashville on September 22, 1930.
 
Let’s listen to two works by Emma Louise Ashford
Emma Louise Ashford:  Postlude in g minor
Johannus Live III organist
Live on a Sauer – Leipzig organ
 
Emma Louise Ashford:  At Sunset...
Bramwell Bourne, organist
Live on a Hauptwerk organ - Friesach, Austria
 
Let’s listen to two more organ works by Emma Louise Ashford performed by organist Rien Schalkwijk,
 
Emma Louise Ashford: Meditation
Rien Schalkwijk, organist
Live on a Hauptwerk organ, St. Nikolauskirche, Strassburg, Austria.

Emma Louise Ashford: Evening Hymn
Rien Schalkwijk, organist
Live on a Marcussen organ from the Grote or Saint-Laurens Church in Rotterdam, Netherlands (Hauptwerk). 
Let’s listen to two more organ works by Emma Louise Ashford performed by organist Marko Hakanpää,,

Emma Louise Ashford: Autumn Reverie
Marko Hakanpää, organist
Live on a  Grönlund organ of St. Michael's Church in Turku, Finland.

Emma Louise Ashford: Fanfare in G Minor
Marko Hakanpää, organist
 
And let’s lose this exploration of Emma Louise Ashford’s music with two piano pieces 
 
Emma Louis Ashford:  Siciliano
Emma Louis Ashford:  Barcarolle
Pianist: Erica Sipes
 
Emma Louise Ashford:  By the River | Reflection
The Singing Organist
Live on a Steere organ of the First Baptist Church in Owatonna, Minnesota
 

We will be ending this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music with composer Helen Hopekirk.  Yes, she was Scottish born and European trained but did get American citizenship so if Dr. Caiti Beth McKenny calls her American and Wikipedia called her a Scottish-born American pianist and composer, I can call her an American woman composer.  Hopekirk was born on May 20, 1856 in Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland, a daughter of music shop owners.  She studied music with George Lichtenstein and Scottish composer Alexander Mackenzie, and made her debut as a soloist in 1874 with the Edinburgh Amateur Orchestral Society. After other successful performances she relocated to study composition with Carl Reinecke in Leipzig. After successful debuts in Leipzig and London, she began regular concert tours of Europe. In 1897 she accepted the invitation of Director George Chadwick to take a teaching position at the New England Conservatory. In 1901 she left the Conservatory and became a private teacher, also continuing her composition and performance career. In 1900 she gave the world premiere of her Piano Concerto in D major (now lost)  and the American premiere of her Concertstück  in 1904 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Hopekirk and her husband became American citizens in 1918. Her last performance was at Steinert Hall, Boston, in 1939. She died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on November 19, 1945 of a cerebral thrombosis and was buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery.
 
Let’s listen to her Iona Memories.  It is in 4 movements
 
Helen Hopekirk: Iona Memories - I. Wandering
Helen Hopekirk: Iona Memories - II. Crònan (A Hushing Song)
Helen Hopekirk: Iona Memories - III. in the Ruins
Helen Hopekirk: Iona Memories - IV. A Twilight Tale
Gary Steigerwalt, piano
Hopekirk: Piano Works
Toccata Records
 
And we will close with two movements from Helen Hopekirk: Suite for Piano - Sarabande and  Minuet
Adrian Connell. Piano
British Piano Music by Frank Bridge, Harry Farjeon, William Lloyd Webber, Granville Bantock, Helen Hopekirk, Frederick Delius
Self-released- CD Baby
 
If you are impressed by how much I learned from Dr. Caiti Beth McKenny’s course, Boulanger Initiative is offering another course this Summer entitled “Orchestrating  Gender: The Forgotten Symphonists” from August 3 to August 6, 5:30-6:30 each evening.  For more information go to www.boulangerinitiative.org