Rebecca Clarke's "The first thing I think of every morning"

Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) once told a journalist: “I would sooner be regarded as a 16th-rate composer than be judged as if there were one kind of musical art for men and another for women.”  

Born in London to a German mother and American father, Rebecca began her musical studies at the Royal Academy of Music but her father withdrew her from the course when her composition teacher proposed to her.  She claimed both English and American nationality and had an active performing career in both countries, supporting herself primarily as a violist when her father cut her off financially when she criticized his extra-marital affairs.  She attended the Royal College of Music where she was a student of Stanford’s and sang in a student ensemble under the direction of Ralph Vaughn Williams.  

Musicologist Liane Curtis suggests that Rebecca may have suffered from chronic depression, making her output of music all the more remarkable.  The lack of encouragement, or sometimes outright discouragement she received for her work made her reluctant to compose.  In fact, Clarke did not consider herself able to balance her personal life and the demands of composition: "I can't do it unless it's the first thing I think of every morning when I wake and the last thing I think of every night before I go to sleep."

Rebecca’s talents were recognized when she tied for first place in a composition contest sponsored by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, a major American patron of the arts.  There were 72 entrants in the competition and the other winner was Ernest Bloch.  Coolidge later declared Bloch the sole winner.  Reporters speculated that “Rebecca Clarke” was a pseudonym for Bloch himself, or at least that Clarke couldn’t have written these pieces as it was socially inconceivable that a woman could write such a beautiful work. However, Clarke did eventually receive a commission from Coolidge, a rhapsody for cello and piano, making her the only female recipient of Coolidge’s patronage. 

Though her output was sporadic (only 10 compositions between 1939-1942) she has been described as the most distinguished British female composer of the interwar generation. She married James Friskin, one of the founding faculty members of the Juilliard School in New York when they were both in their late 50s. This marriage gave her a great sense of satisfaction and equilibrium.  Despite his encouragement of her writing, she stopped composing music after their marriage, although she did continue working on arrangements up until her death. 

Her songs are truly masterpieces of invention and beauty! “The Cherry-Blossom Wand” is an especially lovely song for soprano and piano, with blossoming vocal lines and interesting musical motifs suggesting images and colors.  The melancholy and wonder in the music reflect the text about the blossoms that “never grow old…never grow wise.”  The poetry is by Anna Wickham, a pioneer of modernist poetry. 

Learn more about Rebecca Clarke at the Rebecca Clarke Society’s website. The Society was established in 2000 to promote the study and performance of her works, many of which are still unpublished and owned by her estate.

If you would like to encourage the next generation of women who compose please consider supporting the Penelope Project, a collaboration of women artists that is creating a short musical film inspired by Cecilia Livingston’s song “Penelope.” Join the $30 in 30 Days Challenge on GoFundMe and receive access to the fully mastered audio for the film, and have your name listed in the film’s credits. Your support helps us bridge our funding gap and champion the work of women artists in the twenty-first century. Thank you.