Celebrating Women Composers at Salisbury Cathedral

On Sunday 5 March at 18:00 Salisbury Cathedral’s organists are marking Women Composer Sunday with a performance of three organ pieces composed by women.

Held on the Sunday nearest to International Women’s Day (8 March), Women Composer Sunday coincides with the Cathedral Choir’s pre-tour concert, ahead of them visiting the Channel Islands.

Featured in the programme are:

Nocturne, one of only two organ pieces written by Germaine Tailleferre, the only female member of Le Six, a celebrated music group including Poulenc that drew its inspiration from the poetry of Jean Cocteau and the music of Erik Satie.

Attende, Domine by Jeanne Demessieux, one of the few women to achieve stardom in the male dominated early twentieth century organ world, and the first woman to receive a recording contract.

Air from Organ Suite by the American composer Florence price, the first female black composer to have a symphony performed by a major US orchestra. The Air was one of the pieces played by the music team during the vaccination sessions at Salisbury Cathedral in 2021.

Organ soloists for the concert will be Assistant Director of Music John Challenger and Christopher Too, Salisbury Cathedral’s Organ Scholar.

Other works featured in the concert include Allegri’s Misere Mei, Deus with its soaring top Cs, God So Loved The World by Stainer, Parry’s Lord Let Me Know Mine End and the Latin Magnificat by Stanford. the Choir will be conducted by David Halls, Director of Music.

Tickets for the Cathedral Choir’s Pre-Tour Concert on Sunday 5 March are available online or by calling 01722 656555.