Ina Boyle was an Irish composer, born near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, who made regular trips to London to study with Ralph Vaughan Williams. She did receive a number of first performances in England in the 1920s and ‘30s. The music was well-received, but failed to gain any real traction. Family obligations kept her at home, but she continued to compose every day and was active in her correspondence and sending out scores. Yet performances were infrequent, and only one of her works (“Wildgeese”) was programmed twice in her lifetime. She died in 1967 at the age of 78.
Boyle wrote some really lovely stuff, and it’s only comparatively recently that much of it has been recorded. Even so, there’s still plenty that hasn’t made it before the microphones (including two of her three symphonies).
Here’s one of her works that I had never heard before:
Website of the Ina Boyle Society Limited:
This is highly recommended, if you can find it. If you can’t, some of the pieces have been posted on YouTube.
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2018/May/Boyle_orchestral_CDLX7352.htm
More Ina Boyle, please!
