Amy Elsie Horrocks


Amy Elise Horrocks was an English music educator, composer and pianist. She was born to English parents and Hannah Horrocks in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and in 1882 studied piano and composition at the Royal Academy of Music with Adolf Schlösser and Francis William Davenport. She won the Potter Exhibition prize in 1888 and the Bennett Prize in 1889. After completing her studies, she performed as a pianist and taught music in London. There are claims that she was proposed to by Sir Henry Wood, whom she turned down. One of her compositions, Romaunt of the Page, had its premiere at one of the Promenade Concerts on 6 October 1899.
She eventually married Nicholas Paramythioti a businessman from Corfu, on 22 August 1903, one of many lodgers at the house in Hampstead that the family used to let rooms to. Around this time she and Nicholas moved to France and she divided her time between France and Margate.
She kept a diary, which she wrote as a sort of ‘life-guidance manual’ for her two children. These few entries give an insight into her opinions about music and composition.
October 24, 1907
“I’m afraid my composing days are practically over. I worked too hard once upon a time, & now I can only do very little without feeling my head spin round. And as regards the opera it really does not matter; these light things are usually written & composed by half a dozen different people; they have no consistency whatever, but nobody minds.”
March 21, 1908
“I have been filling up my time with composition I have from past songs in hand; because expenses are heavy & I want to help. I hope neither of my dears will want to take up music as a profession, by the way! Their Mummy should serve them as an awful warning. If you put aside prima donas, infant prodigies, & a very few composers who happen to be momentarily the sage, there is no profession worse paid; & certainly there are very few more injurious to the health.”
May 23, 1908
“All those things – hysterical religion, sentimental poetry, sad music – all, as Ruskin says “waste your strength in artificial sorrow” – that strength which God gave you to bear your real troubles, to control your own nature, & to fight the battle of life.”
Her daughter, Pamela described Amy as a committed pacifist and the obituaries in The Stage and The Vote announcing her death both report that "shortly before her death a jury of musicians and literary men in Paris had awarded her the prize, open to the world, for a song in honour of the 'Drapeau Bleu' - the ensign of the League of Nations". The book, 'The Blind Horse of Corfu' a memoir of Amy's daughter, Pamela Morris told to Anne Norrington, refers to Amy's composition "of a 'Song for Peace' which had apparently won an important prize."

Works

Horrocks composed music for orchestra, chamber ensemble, choral and solo voice. Some of her works have been recorded and issued on CD, including:
Copies of many of her compositions are held at the British Library. Selected works include :
Amoret. Song, the words by M. Byron, 1898
Another Spring. Words by C. Rossetti. Op. 18. No. 5, 1896
April Showers. Words by M. C. Gillington... Op. 23. No. 2, 1895
Ashes of Roses and a Love Song of the 17th Century ... With a Primrose and a Cradle Hymn. , 1890
At Peep of Dawn. Words by C. Scollard, 1891
The Baby Child of Mary. Spanish Lullaby, etc., 1914
Berceuse. Op. 4. No. 1. , 1890
The Bird and the Rose. Song, words by R. S. Hichens, 1895
Bitter for sweet. Words by C. Rossetti. Op. 18. No. 3, 1895
The Blackbird. Two-Part Song for female voices, with Pianoforte accompaniment, the words by M. C. Gillington, 1905
Bloom, O my Rose. Words by W. S. Landor. Op. 18. No. 1, 1894
Blow, blow, thou Winter Wind. Words by Shakespeare, 1891
Bonnie wee Thing. Song, words by R. Burns, 1895
Child's Talk in April. Words by C. Rossetti, 1908
Christmas Carol. Words by J. Milton, 1893
Constant Love. Song, etc., 1890
Cottage Cradle Song. Words by M. Byron, 1908
Cradle Song and Scherzo à la Mazurka for violin and piano. Op. 12, 1893
The Cuckoo. Words by M. C. Gillington, 1905
The Daisy. Two-Part Song for female voices, with Pianoforte accompaniment, the words by Wordsworth, 1900
Dead Hope. Words by C. Rossetti, 1913
The Daisy Lullaby. Words by M. Byron, 1908
The Dancers. Two-Part Song for female voices, with Pianoforte accompaniment, the words by M. C. Gillington, 1905
A Dirge for the Year. Words by P. B. Shelley, 1893
The Discontented Bunny. Action Song, words by M. C. Gillington, 1911
The Dustman. Song, the words by M. Byron, 1904
Eight Variations on an original Theme for pianoforte, violin, viola and cello. Op. 11, 1893
Elfin Sleep Song , etc., 1899
The Fairy Cobbler. Two-Part Song for female voices, words by M. C. Gillington, 1898
The Fairy Thrall , etc., 1899
Forest Slumber Song. Words by M. C. Gillington, 1908
A Garden. Words by P. B. Shelley, 1893
Golden Eyes... The Words by A. Lang, 1899
Harebell Curfew. Words by M. Byron, 1899
Hill-Tops. Words by M. C. Gillington... Op. 23. No. 3, 1895
The Hotspur. Song, the words by M. Byron, 1900
If I had a Court and Castle. Irish Love Song, words by M. C. Gillington, 1913
An Indian Lullaby. Song, words by M. Gillington, etc., 1899
An Indian Lullaby, etc., 1904
Irish Melody and Country Dance for violoncello and piano. Op. 17/1, 1894
July the Pedlar. Vocal Duet. Words by N. Hopper, 1899
Lady Moon. Song, the words by M. Byron, 1900
The Lady of Shalott, - Tennyson -... with pianoforte accompaniment, 1899
The Lady of Shalott. Tennyson... With musical accompaniment for Violin, Violoncello and Pianoforte, 1899
Love's Requiem. Words by M. C. Gillington. , 1894
A Lullaby, words by Mrs. G. Byron, 1895
Mayday Morn. Words by M. C. Gillington, 1905
A Midsummer Song. Words by M. Gillington. , 1891
My little House. Song, words by M. Byron, 1914
My Love is a slumb'ring Flower. Song, words by M. C. Gillington, 1913
My Love will ne'er forsake me. Irish Love Song, words by Mrs. G. Byron, 1895
The Night has a Thousand Eyes. Canon, words by F. W. Bourdillon, 1899
The Nightingale. Song. The Words by F. E. Weatherly, 1897
On a Nankin Plate. Song, words by A. Dobson, 1896
On the Pond. Words by F. Schloesser. Op. 18. No. 6, 1896
Philomel and the Aloe Flower. Words by A. Webster, 1902
Picture Story Books. Action Song, words by M. C. Gillington, 1911
Prithee, Maiden. Song, words by S. Lever, 1896
Ragged Robin. Words by M. Byron, 1897
The Recompense. Song, the words by M. Byron. With Violoncello accompaniment, 1898
The Return of May. Choral Trio for female voices, with Pianoforte accompaniment. Words by Mrs. Hemans, 1886
The Return of May. Choral Trio for female voices, with Pianoforte accompaniment, etc., 1901
The Rigadoon. Song, words by M. Byron. , 1901
Rigaudon for Violin with Pianoforte accompaniment, 1900
A Romany Spring Song. The words by M. Byron, 1896
Rose-Song. Words by P. B. Marston, 1893
Says the Nightingale. Words by M. C. Gillington, 1905
The Season for Wooing. Song. Words by G. S. Aspinall, 1899
A Serenade. Words by H. M. Waithman, 1891
Sing Heigh-ho! Song. The words by C. Kingsley, etc., 1898
Six Action Songs. Words and Actions by M. C. Gillington... No. 1. A Birdie's Plans. No. 2. The Fan Folk. No. 3. The Sleep Fairy. No. 4. Dolly's Distress. No. 5. Impecunious. No. 6. The Beetle and the Dormouse. No. 7. The Flower Circus. No. 8. The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. No. 9. The Butterfly's Wedding, 1902–04
Six Greek Love Songs, 1899
Six Pieces for piano... No. 1. Boat-Song. No. 2. Minuet. No. 3. Romance. No. 4. Spinning-Song. No. 5. Waltz. No. 6. Mazurka, 1893
Six Songs. Op. 10, 1892
The Skylark's Wooing. Words by M. C. Gillington... Op. 23. No. 1, 1895
Slumber Song of the Year. Words by M. Byron, 1897
Sonata in G for Pianoforte and Violoncello. Op. 7, 1896
A Spanish Pastoral. Spanisches Schäferlied. Words by M. Byron. Deutsche Uebersetzung von O. L. Sturm. , 1899
A Spring Day. Words by Wordsworth, 1893
Spring in the Forest. Two-Part Song for female voices, with Pianoforte accompaniment, the words by M. Byron, 1899
Summer Changes. Words by P. B. Marston, 1895
A Summer Wish. Words by C. Rossetti, 1913
The Sun's the Heart of the Sky. Words by A. Webster, 1902
Sweet Dreams. - Cradle Song. - The words by W. Blake, 1900
The Sweet Spring. Words by T. Nash, etc., 1904
A Tale of the Sea, and Valse. Two light pieces for the pianoforte, 1915
To Althea, from Prison... English words by R. Lovelace... Deutsch von W. A. Kastner, 1900
To Music, to becalm his Fever. Words by R. Herrick, 1893
To Violets. Vocal Duet. Words by M. Byron, 1899
Tragedy. Two-Part Song for female voices, the words by M. C. Gillington, etc., 1898
Travellers' Tales. Action Song, words by M. C. Gillington, 1911
Trois Pièces faciles pour violon avec accompagnement de piano. Op. 34. 1. Barcarolle. 2. Élégie. 3. Masjurka, 1900
Twilight, - Rêverie - for Violoncello and Pianoforte... Taken from ♯Songs for Children', 1901
Two Fairy Songs, for... treble voices. 1. Elfin Sleep Song. 2. The Fairy Thrall. Words by M. C. Gillington. Op. 13, 1892
Two Lyrics... No. 1. Forget-me-not... No. 2. An Idle Poet. Words by H. Robertson, 1903
Waltz. Op. 4. No. 2. , 1890
Weep you no more, sad Fountains. Words anonymous, etc., 1904
When Mortals are at Rest, etc., 1893
The Winds. A Cantata for treble voices, words by M. C. Gillington. Op. 22., 1898
4 Songs... My Lady Wind. The Shepherd. The Babes in the Wood. The Lamb, 1900
4 Songs... The Old Woman and her Broom. Sleep, Baby, sleep. Cock Robin's Serenade. Up in the Morning early, 1900
4 Songs... Voice Part in Tonic Sol-fa notation, etc., 1901
4 Songs. The Flowers' Mother. A Little Spring Song. Queen Mab. Adventure. , 1904
6 Action Songs. The words by M. Gillington... In Staff and Tonic Sol-fa Notation. The Marching Host. The Blue Room. The Weathercock. The Flowers' Frocks. Old Jack Frost. The Soldier's Return, 1901