Ethel Barns facts for kids
Ethel Barns (born December 5, 1873 – died December 31, 1948) was a talented English musician. She was a skilled violinist, pianist, and composer. Ethel was born in London and started her musical journey at the Royal Academy of Music when she was a teenager. There, she learned violin from Emile Sauret, composition from Ebenezer Prout, and piano from Frederick Westlake.
Ethel Barns first performed as a violinist at The Crystal Palace in London in 1896. She then went on tours in England and the United States. Sometimes, she performed with the famous opera singer, Adelina Patti. In 1911, Ethel became a member of the first council of the Society of Women Musicians. Later, she became a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. Ethel Barns passed away in Maidenhead on December 31, 1948.
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Ethel's Early Life and Music
Ethel Barns was born in London in 1874. (Some old records mistakenly say 1880). When she was thirteen, in 1887, Ethel joined the Royal Academy of Music. She began taking violin lessons with Emile Sauret. She also studied piano with Frederick Westlake and learned composition from Ebenezer Prout.
One of her first public performances was in 1890. She played two parts of a violin concerto by Louis Spohr at the Royal Academy's St. James's Hall. In 1891, she sang and played the violin at Cadogan Gardens. That same year, she published one of her first pieces, Romance, for violin and piano. After finishing her studies in 1895, Ethel became a substitute teacher at the Royal Academy of Music. She also continued to study with Emile Sauret.
During this time, Ethel proved she was a "versatile musician." This means she could do many things well. She was a regular violinist, playing pieces by Gabriel Fauré and Martin Sarasate. She also performed works like Beethoven's piano concerto. Many people wanted Ethel to perform. She played her own music and others' works in concert halls across London. This included the Crystal Palace in 1896. She also started publishing her compositions. Many of these she performed for the first time herself. Her early published works included pieces for violin, piano, and voice, such as "A Fancy" and "Waiting for Thee."
Later Career and Compositions
In 1899, Ethel Barns married Charles Phillips, a singer. They had met eight years earlier at one of her concerts. Ethel kept her own name and continued her music career. This was common for professional women back then. The couple started the Barns-Phillips Chamber Concert Series at Bechstein Hall. This series helped promote Ethel's own musical pieces.
After her 1900 performance of her Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, a reviewer compared her work to famous composers. They mentioned Edvard Grieg, Anton Rubinstein, and Johannes Brahms. Ethel's Violin Concerto in A Major was published in 1904. She performed it for the first time at a Barns-Phillips concert that same year. Sophie Fuller, an expert on Barns, described the concerto as "tempestuous and lyrical." It had rich piano sounds and a challenging but playable violin part.
Other musicians also performed Ethel's compositions. Joseph Joachim played her Second Sonata and her Violin Concerto. Her teacher, Emile Sauret, performed the Barns Fantasy.
Other pieces played in the Barns-Phillips series included her Piano Trio in F Minor and her Third Violin Sonata in 1908. The Third Violin Sonata marked Ethel's return to the stage after a serious illness. Also in 1908, her Suite for Violin and Piano was first performed. In 1909, her work for violin and orchestra, Concertück, premiered at the Queen's Hall Promenade Concerts.
Between 1907 and 1928, a publisher named Schott released at least 35 of Ethel's works. These included Chant Elegiaque (1907) and Hindoo Lament (1907). They also published Eight Pieces (1910), a collection for music students. In 1911, Schott published her Violin Sonata No. 4 in G Minor, Op. 24. Ethel had performed this piece the year before at a Barns-Phillips concert. Also in 1911, W. W. Cobbett asked Ethel to write a piece for the Musician's Company. This piece was Fantasy Trio for Two Violins and Piano. Ethel performed it for the first time with her teacher, Sauret.
Ethel Barns continued to compose, publish, and perform music into the late 1920s. In 1927, she performed her Fifth Violin Sonata. A year later, she published three more pieces for violin and piano.
Selected Musical Works
Here are some of Ethel Barns' musical compositions:
For Orchestra
- Violin Concerto in A Major (1904)
- "L'escarpolette" (1908)
Chamber Music
- Romance (1891)
- Polonaise" (1893)
- Mazurka (1894)
- Tarantella (1895)
- Chanson gracieuse (1904)
- Danse characteristique for violin and piano (1907)
- Hindoo Lament (Chanson indienne) (1908)
- Concertück (1908)
- L'Escarpolette (Swing Song) for violin and piano (1908)
- Humoresque (1909)
- Andante grazioso (1911)
- Fantasy Trio for 2 Violins and Piano, Op. 26 (1912)
- Crépuscule (1913)
- Pierrette (1917)
For Piano
- Piano Trio in F Minor (1904)
- 2 Dances (1907)
- Valse gracieuse (1908)
- Humoreske (1910)
- Scénes villageoises (1911)
- An Impression (1912)
- Monkey Land (1916)
- 4 Landscapes (1919)
For Violin
- Valse Caprice for Violin & Piano (1894)
- Sonata 1 in D Minor, performed 1900
- Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 9 (1904)
- Sonata 3, performed 1906
- Sonata No. 4 in G-Minor, Op. 24 (1911)
- Sonata No. 5 (1927)
Vocal Music
- A Fancy (1892)
- Waiting for thee (1892)
- Twas Never Thus (1901)
- Remembrance (1903)
- Remember or Forget (1904)
- A Ransom (1907)
- Sleep, Weary Heart (1911)
- Berceuse (1912)
- For Thee (1914)
- Out on Deep Waters (1918)
- Idylle pastorale (1909)
Recordings of Her Music
Ethel Barns' music has been recorded and released. Here are a few examples:
- "Violin Recital: Howick, Clare," British Women Composers: Ethel Smyth, Elizabeth Maconchy‚ Ethel Barns‚ Irena Regina Poldowski‚ Phyllis Tate. Naxos 8.572291 (2008)
- You can listen to a recording of Barns' La Chasse here: Barns: La Chasse
- "Swing Song," Collection of works by Ethel Barns, performed by Cary Lewis (piano) and Nancy Schechter (violin). Aca Digital (2005)
- "Idylle – May Mukle" (April 13, 1915) Victor
See also
In Spanish: Ethel Barns para niños
