Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)

[Sydney Grew]

A broadcast of her Second Symphony will be found here for those who may wish to sample it before jumping into a purchase:

    http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2480&artikel=4973424

The "listen again" link above her photo-graph should remain available for a few weeks more.

[albion]

On the download requests board ...

Ruth Gipps symphony 1

... unlikely.



The Symphony was a student work written in 1942 and first played by the City of Birmingham Orchestra under George Weldon (with Ruth on cor anglais) on 25th March 1945 - the first half of the programme consisted of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol (Ruth on oboe and cor anglais), Bach's Suite in B minor for flute and strings (during which she changed her dress) and Glazunov's Piano Concerto No.1 (Ruth as soloist).

A reviewer for the Birmingham Mail (26th March 1945) was impressed ...

The basic ideas are original and the orchestral treatments outstanding. The woodwind is superbly handled with interchanges of phrase which compel the liveliest attention.

The Symphony was extremely interesting: not a positively great work, but one by a young musician who may reach considerable distinction among composers - and I refuse to qualify this by saying among women composers.

... but when submitted to the BBC for broadcast shortly afterwards, the score was rejected out-of-hand and hasn't been performed since.

[Gareth Vaughan]

but when submitted to the BBC for broadcast shortly afterwards, the score was rejected out-of-hand and hasn't been performed since.

Well, well! You do surprise me!