Amy Horrocks 1867-1916

[giles.enders]

Amy Elise Horrocks   born 23.2.1867 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - died 1916 

Born to English parents, her father Francis J. Horrocks was in Brazil on business. Amy was subsequently brought to England. 
She studied piano and composition under Adolf Schloesser and Francis W. Davenport at the Royal Academy, London. 
She won the Potter exhibition prize in 1888 and the Bennett prize in 1889.  She married Nicholas Paramythioti in 1903.  They later moved to France where their two children¹ were born.
Her brother James also composed a few pieces.

Orchestral

Legend 'Undine'  Op.16 1897
'Romaunt of the Page'  orchestral ballade  1899
'An Idyll of New Year's Eve'  incidental music 1890
Variations for piano and strings  Op.11  1895 ( version of piano quartet)

Chamber

Piano quartet - Eight variations on an original theme  Op.11 1893
Piano trio in B flat  1897
'Cradle Song and Scherzo la mazurka for violin and piano  Op.12  1893   pub. by Joseph Williams Ltd.
'Rigaudon' for violin and piano  1900   pub. by Augener Ltd.
Sonatina in G for violin and piano
Three pieces for violin and piano - Barcarolle, Elegie, Masjurka  Op.34 1900   pub. by Schott & Co.
Cello Sonata  1889
Cello Sonata  in G  Op.7  1896   pub. by Joseph Williams Ltd.
'Irish Melody' for cello and piano  Op.17/1  1894   pub. by Joseph Williams Ltd.
'Country Dance' for cello and piano Op.17/2  1894   pub. by Joseph Williams Ltd.
'Twilight'  reverie for cello and piano  1901 (taken from 'Songs for Children)  pub. by Joseph Williams Ltd.

Piano

Berceuse Op.4/1, Waltz Op.4/2   pub. by Augener  Ltd.
Two pieces for piano - 'Tale of the Sea'  and 'Valse'  1915   pub. by Chappell.
Six pieces for piano - Boat Song, Minuet, Romance, Spinning Song, Waltz, Mazurka  Op.14  1894

Cantata

'The Winds'  for treble voices  Op.22  1898 words by M C Gillingham   pub. by Joseph Williams Ltd
'The Wild Swan'
'Spring Morning'

Song

Bonnie wee Thing  words by R Burns
The Bird and the Rose for bass voice and orchestra  words by R S Hitchens  1895
Amoret 1898 words by Lord Byron  pub. by Boosey & Co.
Ashes of Roses two part song  words by E Goodall
At Peep of Dawn  three part song  words by C Scollard1891
Blow, blow, though Winter Wind  three part song  words by W Shakespeare
The Blackbird - two part song for womens voices  words by M C Gillington
The Cuckoo -  duet for female voices  words by M C Gillington 1905  pub. by Augener & Co.
The Nightingale  words by F E Weatherly1897   pub. Boosey & Co.
Says the Nightingale  duet  words by M C Gillington
A Skylark's Wooing  two part song  words  by M C Gillington
Constant Love  1890   pub. by Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co.
Cottage Cradle  words by Lord Byron
The Daisy, lullaby  two part song  words by Lord Byron 1908
The Dancers  two part song  words by M C Gillington  1905 pub. by Augener & Co.
Dead Hope two part song  words by Christina Rossetti1913
The Dustman  words by Lord Byron 1904   pub. by Boosey & Co.
The Fairy Cobbler  two part song for womens voices  words by M C Gillington1898   pub. by Augener & Co.
The Forest Slumber  duet for female voices  words by M C Gillington
Golden Eyes  words by A Lang1899   pub. by Boosey & Co.
Harebell Curfew duet for female voices  words by Lord Byron 1899   pub. by Augener & Co.
The Hotspur  words by Lord Byron 1900   pub. by Boosey & Co.
An Indian Lullaby  words by M C Gillington  1899   pub. by Houghton & Co.
Two lyrics: Forget-me-not , An Idle Poet words by H Robertson
To Althea, from Prison  words by R Lovelace
If I had a Court and Castle  words by M C Gillington  1913   pub. by J. Williams & Co.
July the Pedler  vocal duet  words by N Hopper  1899 pub. by Chappell & Co.
Lady Moon  words by Lord Byron   pub. by Boosey & Co.
Love's Requiem - with cello obligato  words by M C Gillington  1894   pub. by J Williams & Co.
A Lullaby  words by Mrs G Byron  1895   pub. by J Williams & Co.
Mayday Morn  words by M C Gillingham  1905   pub. by Augener & Co.
Prithee, Maiden  words by S Lever
Six songs; Op.10/1. When I see you,  /2. The Winter is past,  /3. First Love,  /4. Forget-me-not,  /5. The Answer,  /6. Oh! Bonny was yon rosy briar!
Two Fairy Songs for soprano female chorus, strings, harp and triangle  Op.13 1. Elfin Sleep song, 2. The Fairy Threall  words by M C Gillington
The Return of May  choral trio for female voices  words by Mrs Hemans
Eight two part canons; To Music to becalm his fever  Op.15/1, A Spring Day Op.15/2, A Garden Op.15/3, Summer Changes Op.15/4, When Mortals are at rest  Op.15/5, Rose Op.15/6, Christmas Carol Op.15/7, Dirge of the Year  Op.15/8
Bloom, O my Rose words by W S Landor Op.18/1, Summer words by Christina Rossetti  Op.18/2, Bitter for Sweet Op.18/3, Hate words by H M Waithman Op.18/4, Another Spring words by Christina Rossetti Op.18/5, On the Pond words by F Schloesser Op.18/6
The Lady of Shalott for voice, piano, violin and cello  words by Tennyson 1899 ( also for voice and piano only)   pub. by Boosey & Co.
Child's Talk in April words by Christina Rossetti - duet for female voices  pub. by Augener & Co.
The Daisy - duet for female voices with piano  words by W Wordsworth
A Midsummer Song  words by M C Gillington  1891   pub. by Stanley Lucas & Weber & Co.
My Little Home  words by Lord Byron  1914   pub. by Chappell & Co.
My Love is a slumb'ring Flower  words by M C Gillington  1913   pub. by J Williams & Co.
My Love will ne'er forsake me  words by Mrs G Byron  1895  pub. by J Williams & Co.
The Night has a thousand eyes   canon  words by F W Bourdillon  1899
On a Nankin Plate  words by A Dobson  1896  pub. by Chappell & Co.
Philomel and the Aloe Flower   words by A Webster   pub. by J Williams & Co.  1902
The Ragged Robin  two part song  words by Lord Byron
The Recompense  with cello obligato  words by Lord Byron   pub. by Boosey & Co.  1898
The Rigadoon  words by Lord Byron ( also version for violin and piano)  1901
A Roman Spring Song  words by Lord Byron  1896  pub. by Boosey & Co.
The Season for Wooing  words by G S Aspinall
A Serenade  three part song   words by H M Waithman   1891
Sing Heigh-ho !  words by C Kingsley
Slumber song of the year  two part song words by Lord Byron
A Spanish pastorale with flute obligato  words by Lord Byron
A Summer Wish  words by Christina Rossetti   1913
Spring in the Forest  two part song  words by Lord Byron
The Sun's the heart of the Sky  words by A Webster  1902   pub. by J Williams & Co.
Sweet Dreams - cradle song duet  words by W Blake  1900  pub. by Augener & Co.
The Sweet Spring  words by T Nash  1904  pub. by Augener & Co.
To Violets  words by Lord Byron duet   1899   pub. by Chappell & Co.
Weep you no more, sad Fountains  duet  1904  pub. by Augener & Co.
Tragedy  two part song  words by M C Gillington
A Skylark's Wooing  23/1,  April Showers   Op.23/2, Hill Tops two part song.  words by M C Gillington Op.23/3
The Baby Child of Mary - Spanish lullaby  1914
Six Greek Love songs  1899  pub. by Boosey & Co.
Six action songs; 1. The Marching Song, 2. The Blue Room, 3. The Weathercock, 4. The Flowers frocks, 5. Old Jack Frost, 6.The Soldier's Return
Nine action songs; 1. A Birdie's Plans, 2. The Fan Folk, 3. The Sleep Fairy, 4. Dolly's Distress, 5. Impecunious, 6. The Beetle and the Dormouse, 7. The Flower Circus, 8. The Town mouse and the Country mouse, 9. The Butterfly's Wedding
More action songs: Picture Story Books  The Discontented Bunny, Travellers Tales  words by M C Gillington
Four songs; 1. My Lady Wind,  2. The Shepherd,  3. The Babes in the Wood,  4. The Lamb
Four songs; 1. The old woman and her broom,  2. Sleep, baby sleep,  3. Cock Robin's serenade,  4. Up in the morning early
Four songs: 1. The Flower's Mother,  2. A little Spring song,  3. Queen Mab,  4. Adventure


1.
John Paramythioti  1904
Pamela Paramythioti 1906

[Gareth Vaughan]

Do we know whether any of her orchestral music has survived?

[eschiss1]

1916 - I see after 1915-ca.1920 (by April 1920 or so, in Paris), when her obituary appeared in Etude Magazine) from sundry sources, is 1916 now more certain?
Is op.7 a cello sonata (as it was published by Williams ca.1896), a violin sonata, or both?
Re orchestral music- doing  a quick check of my own sources before I go to do some work...
I only see the voice and piano version of the 1917? The Bird and the Rose (which may have also been published with orchestra, according to Wikipedia. A version with piano is scanned online.)
Correction- Bird and the Rose (by "Amy Elise Horrocks", a sometimes-used variant of her name) published by Boosey as a voice/piano song (3 voice types) prob. in the 1890s (published by White, Smith in the US in 1894, so that's a good estimate), scored for orchestra and performed in 1917 in that form it would seem... don't know where the whereabouts of the orchestral parts are, just now.

Three of the cello pieces (Twilight and the opus 17 pieces) have been recorded, fwiw (ASV CD) (along with The Bird and the Rose on a 1918 Victrola record and something else in 1923.)

[Gareth Vaughan]

Quite a lot of her songs, other vocal items, solo piano and chamber pieces were published, and copies are in various libraries (see: www.copac.ac.uk), including, of course, the British Library, which has a copy of the piano 4-hands reduction of "Undine", but no orchestral scores that I can see,,, which makes me think they remained in MS and may have perished.

[eschiss1]

Hrm. Maybe copies of the parts (of Undine) were preserved by the orchestra that performed it (in February - 6th I think - 1897, at the Proms?) I don't know how likely, but...
(not listed in the Proms archive online, though 3 other works of hers are, one of them orchestral - "The Romaunt of the Page" conducted by Henry Wood on October 6 1899.). 

This report on Undine in The Athenaeum, Feb.13 1897, page 222 and a few other sources I think seems to refer to a different series of "Promenade Concerts" as has been mentioned if I recall...)

That said, how about "The Romaunt of the Page" too...

[giles.enders]

With the anniversary of her death next year, I am wondering if members have any biographical information about her.  I have only the most basic information about her.

[Jefferson1776]

The Wikipedia page for Amy Horrocks has been updated

[Alan Howe]

Thanks - and welcome to UC!

[giles.enders]

I have looked at the Wikipedia entry and sadly it adds very little to my original post.  My questions are:
Where did she receive her early music education before entering the RA ?
Where did she perform as a pianist ?
What did she win the Potter and Brinsmead prizes for ?
Where and when did she die ?

Most of her compositions were written before she married 

[Wheesht]

The 1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription lists her father, Francis J Horrocks, born Dover 1830, as: Retired Brazil Merct
- that would explain why her parents were in Brazil and why she was born there. She herself is also listed: Amy E Horrocks, Daughter, Single, Female 34, Birth: 1867 (No birthplace given), Occupation: Professor Of Music