Before the first note, the room was full of a quiet, energetic anticipation. This was more than a recital; it was a celebration of the women who have shaped the music of today and those who will lead us into new melodies tomorrow.
From composers to performers, women’s contributions to music have been a powerful yet often overlooked force. And tonight, their stories will be told not with words, but with melodies.
The ‘Women and Music’ recital took place on Sept. 25 in the Performing Arts Hall, featuring performances by distinguished members of the University’s music faculty. Among the performers were Maribeth Crawford, director of musical theatre, Ashley Cumming, professor of horn and music theory, and Tana Field, voice professor. Joining them as a special guest was Christy D’Ambrosio, education abroad adviser, who accompanied the musicians on piano.
The ensemble performed diverse works, ranging from a contemporary Scottish ballad to a modern American tango, each piece composed by women.
As the concert celebrated the contributions of women composers throughout history, it also highlighted the progress made in the music world. Cumming reflected on the importance of recognizing these achievements.
“It’s interesting to see what women were able to accomplish despite some of the challenges and obstacles that might have been in their path in those times, and what women can accomplish today now that they have more opportunities and more chances for equality,” Cumming said.
Around the midpoint of the concert, John Dressler, professor emeritus of horn and musicology, gave a presentation on Phyllis Tate (1911-1987), a female composer about whom he is currently writing a book.
Tate had an unconventional approach to composition. With few commissioned works, she explored an array of contrasting melodies and instruments. The unusual arrangements in her pieces led to sparse professional performances of her work. However, thanks to modern composition software, her works can be appreciated and replicated.
“Had we not had that, we would not hear the performance,” Dressler said. “It’s just too difficult to really pull off conveniently.”
The recital concluded with a faculty ensemble bringing life to Tate’s composition, ‘Morality,’ marking its North American premiere and only the second performance of the piece in history.
The piece is an interpretation of a Victorian poem by Matthew Arnold and features a unique melodic clashing of syllables and instruments.
At the end of the recital, the audience was truly left in awe and enlightened to pieces they had never heard before. Avery Bryant, junior vocal music education major felt she had been missing out on these pieces she never knew existed.
“I tend to see concerts where people perform the most famous pieces instead of digging for cool niche ones,” Bryant said. “Seeing that they took the time to work with such a complicated piece like ‘Morality’ by Phyllis Tate really added to the experience.”
The faculty ensemble will be performing the works of Phyllis Tate again at the ‘Music by Women’ festival at Mississippi University in Spring 2025. They will also be creating the first professional recording of the piece, further contributing to creating equality within the music industry.
“Unfortunately, it is true that there is still gender inequality in music and inequality based on race and ability…” Cumming said. “We are as a whole much more progressive and open-minded than ever before… so we’re getting better, but we still have a ways to go.”