Herbert was born in 1897, in Sheffield, and grew up in Liverpool, England. She was the youngest child and only daughter. Herbert grew up singing and playing music in her home, as her mother was the churchchoir director. Her older brother, Percy, was also a musician and encouraged Herbert to study music, for which she had a natural ability. Herbert began writing down songs for voice and piano at a young age. Her father died in 1909, and the Herbert family struggled with poverty. Hugh Farrie, a journalist for the Liverpool Post, encouraged Herbert to become a concert pianist, but her interest was in composition.
Education
In 1917, Herbert received the Liverpool scholarship and attended the Royal College of Music in London. She studied with Irish composer, Charles Stanford, and when World War I ended she stayed near London, taught at Wycombe Abbey School for girls, gave private lessons, performed recitals, and continued developing her musical abilities. In the early 1920s she met Roger Quilter, who viewed her works favourably and recommended them to the publisher Augener, who even signed the contract as a witness. Augener published the songs "Beauty", "Cradle Song", "Loveliest of Trees", "Renouncement", and "When Death to Either Shall Come" in 1923, and "Autumn", "Most Holy Night", and "Have you seen but a white lily grow" in 1926. Later, Robert Elkin published some of Herbert's other art songs and two works for violin and piano.
Marriage and Paris
In 1925, after marrying a young French academic, Emile Delavenay, Herbert traveled to Paris for her honeymoon. Here she was introduced to James Joyce by Emile's friend, the Irish poet Tom McGreevey. Herbert played and sang her versions of Joyce's poems, "I hear an army charging" and "Lean out of the window". Later, Joyce gave her inscribed copies of his poetry collections, Chamber Music and Pomes Penyeach, as well as permission to publish her settings of his texts.
Later career and rediscovery
Although Herbert had received an honorary A.R.C.M. by the Royal College and had given occasional broadcasts of her vocal music for the BBC, much of her music has remained rarely performed. Through the efforts of a former student, Bill Lloyd, and Herbert's daughter, Claire Tomalin, Herbert's music has begun to be performed and recorded. In 2008, James Gilchrist, tenor, Ailish Tynan, soprano, and David Owen Norris, piano recorded 36 of Herbert's art songs with Linn Records. Her songs are being republished by BiblioFox Music Publishing.
