ABSTRACT
Life as an organ recitalist in nineteenth-century England was precarious, subject to the whims of society and its critics regarding location of performance, suitability of instrument, and choice of repertoire and audience reaction. Building a career was difficult enough for woman who had no monetary concerns; it took on added significance when money was by necessity an issue. The organ clearly suffered an image problem in the ears of listeners not accustomed to hearing its music played in recital. Organs were heard in church, where organists played sacred music for the benefit of congregations of worshippers, where organ grinders cranked out secular tunes to the amusement and annoyance of people within earshot. The most publicized female organ recitalists in England during the last quarter of the nineteenth century were Theresa Beney and Emily Edroff. At the end of the nineteenth century, female organists in England still seemed only gradually to be making a name for them in the recital world.
