Margaret Sutherland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret Sutherland
Born	Margaret Ada Sutherland (1897-11-20)20 November 1897 Adelaide, Australia
Died	12 August 1984(1984-08-12) (aged 86) Melbourne, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Known for	Music Composition
Spouse(s)	Norman Arthur Albiston ​ (m. 1927⁠–⁠1948)​

Margaret Ada Sutherland (born November 20, 1897 – died August 12, 1984) was a famous Australian composer. She is known as one of the most important female musicians from Australia.

Margaret Sutherland's Musical Journey

Margaret Sutherland came from a talented family. Her father, George Sutherland, was a writer. Her aunt, Jane Sutherland, was a painter, and her uncle, William Sutherland, was a scientist. Her sister, Ruth Sutherland, was also a painter and writer.

Margaret started learning piano from another aunt, Julia Sutherland. Julia was taught by Louis Pabst, a well-known piano teacher in Melbourne. Margaret later studied with Edward Goll in Australia and Sir Arnold Bax in London during the 1920s.

What Kind of Music Did She Write?

Margaret Sutherland wrote many different types of music. She especially liked writing chamber music. This is music for a small group of instruments.

Some of her major works include:

• A symphony called The Four Temperaments. A symphony is a long piece for a large orchestra.
• Concertos for different instruments, like the violin. A concerto is a piece for a solo instrument and an orchestra.
• A symphonic poem called Haunted Hills (from 1953). A symphonic poem tells a story or describes something using music.
• A short opera called The Young Kabbarli (from 1964). An opera is a play where the words are sung.

Sadly, Margaret stopped composing music after she had a stroke in 1969.

Her Famous Song

Even though she focused on music without singing, one of her most recognized pieces is "In the Dim Counties" (from 1936). This song is for a singer and piano. It is part of a collection called Five Songs.

Margaret set her music to poems by Shaw Neilson. He was an Australian poet known for his simple and calm style. Margaret captured this feeling in her music with clear rhythms and a gentle sound. Many Australian singers, like Helen Noonan, have recorded Five Songs.

Margaret's Life Outside Music

In 1927, Margaret Sutherland married Norman Arthur Albiston, who was a doctor. They had two children, a son named Mark (born 1928) and a daughter named Jennifer (born 1930). Jennifer passed away before her mother. Margaret and Norman later divorced in 1948.

Awards and Recognition

Margaret Sutherland received many important awards for her contributions to music:

• In 1969, the University of Melbourne gave her an honorary doctorate in music. This is a special degree given to honor someone's achievements.
• She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1970.
• She received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.
• In 1981, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. This is one of Australia's highest honors.

Other Works by Margaret Sutherland

Here are some more pieces Margaret Sutherland composed:

• 6 Australian Songs, for voice and piano, based on poems by Judith Wright (1950-1962)
  • Midnight
  • Winter Kestrel
  • The Old Prison
  • Woman's Song
  • The Twins
  • Bullocky
• Extension, for solo piano (1967)
• Four Blake Songs, for voice and piano (1957)
• Two Chorale Preludes on Bach's Chorales, for solo piano (1935)
  • Herzliebster Jesu
  • Jesu, meine Freude
• Suite on a Theme by Purcell, for orchestra (1938)
• Concertino for Piano and Orchestra (1940)
• Quartet in G minor, for clarinet, horn, piano and viola (1942)
• String Quartet No. 1 (around 1937)
• String Quartet No. 3 (1967)
• 6 Profiles, for solo piano (1947)
  • With Animation
  • Expressively
  • Cool and Detached
  • A Little Fussily
  • Quietly Flowing
  • Rhythmically
• Clarinet Sonata, for clarinet or viola and piano (around 1948)
• Concerto for String Orchestra (1953)
• Contrasts, for 2 violins (1953)
• Discussion (String Quartet No. 2) (1954)
• Violin Concerto, for violin and orchestra (1960)
• The World and the Child, for mezzo voice and piano or string trio, text by Judith Wright (1959)
• Chiaroscuro I & II, for solo piano (1967)