Dorothy Strutt facts for kids

Dorothy Ada Lucy "Dal" Strutt (born May 18, 1941 – died June 14, 2019) was a talented English musician. She played many instruments, including the cello, piano, and violin, and was also a singer. Dal Strutt was also a self-taught composer, meaning she wrote her own music without formal lessons in composition. Sometimes, she used the name Dorian Carl Munday for her work.

About Dal Strutt's Life

Dal Strutt was born in Essex, England. From a young age, she studied cello, piano, violin, and singing. She became a professional musician, sharing her skills in many ways.

Her Musical Journey

Dal Strutt worked as a pianist for the Music Theatre at Morley College. She was also part of a musical group called the Barnard-Strutt-Owen trio. Later, she joined a multimedia trio with Malcolm Dedman and Martin Vishnick, combining different art forms.

She often performed and gave talks at public schools. This helped to share her love of music with young people. Dal Strutt also took on leadership roles. From 2006 to 2009, she was a director at the Buddhist Society in London. She also conducted a choir in London.

Where Her Music Lives

Dal Strutt's music is published by the British Music Collection. This organization is now known as Sound and Music. Her orchestral music can also be found at the Edwin A. Fleisher Collection. This collection is part of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

You can find more about Dal Strutt's life, her musical scores, and recordings of her work at Heritage Quay. This is the archive of the University of Huddersfield. It holds her work as part of the British Music Collection archive.

Dal Strutt's Compositions

Dal Strutt wrote many different kinds of music. Here are some examples of her compositions:

Chamber Music

Chamber music is written for a small group of instruments.

• Quartet on Haiku (for flute, clarinet, guitar, and violin; with words by Charles Ford)
• Sonata (for oboe and clarinet)
• Three Haiku (for clarinet and cello)

Dance Music

These pieces were created to be performed with dancers.

• Circle (for three dancers and piano)
• Words at Castlerigg (for dancers and cello)

Orchestra Music

This is music written for a large group of instruments, like a symphony orchestra.

• Sinfonia

Organ and Piano Music

These pieces were written for either the organ or the piano.

• Lumen de Lumine (for organ)
• Sonata on Six (for piano)
• Sonorities (for piano)
• Wilderness (for organ)

Theatre Music

This piece was likely written for a play or stage performance.

• External Mind

Vocal Music

This music was written for a singer.

• "A Flower was Offered Me" (with words by William Blake)