ABSTRACT
The early twentieth century witnessed immense change in British society, especially the emancipation of woman’s place within it. The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and the coronation of Edward VII ushered in a new era characterised by developing technology, a shifting class structure and social unrest. The British Empire, while diminishing, still included a quarter of the world’s population.1 1910 then marked a transition not only with the coronation of George V but the increasing disintegration of Liberalism, the rising intensity of the suffrage campaign, the issue of Irish home rule and strikes in a number of industries.2 As Historian Kate Caffrey notes, ‘For all its hindsight atmosphere of tranquil sunset glory, the Edwardian period was jumpy with disaster’.3 What aspects of society and politics, therefore, affected the lives of women musicians in general and more specifically women composers? This chapter considers the issues of generation, class, education, career and patronage, sexuality, marriage and motherhood, politics and war, and how they would have impacted on a woman in her development as a composer.
