Elizabeth Maconchy

About the artist

Dame Elizabeth Maconchy DBE (b. March 19, 1907, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire - d. November 11, 1994) was an English composer, most noted for her cycle of thirteen string quartets. She began to compose at the age of six. After the First World War, her family moved to Ireland. Here she took piano lessons, but was advised by her teacher to study at the Royal College of Music, London, which she duly did from the age of sixteen. Her teachers included Arthur Alexander (piano) and Charles Wood and Ralph Vaughan Williams (musical composition).

Top songs

Nowell, Nowell, Nowell
Sirens' Song
Maconchy: Nowell Sing We Now All and Some
String Quartet No. 3: Lento-Presto-Andante-Presto-Poco Largamente
Maconchy: Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!: "Nowell sing we now all and some" (after a Christmas Carol from the 15th Century)
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Dialogue for Piano and Orchestra: II. Allegro moderato
Ophelia's Song (Arr. for Plucked String Instruments and Double Bass by Arianna Savall and Petter Udland Johansen)
String Quartet No. 1: Allegro feroce
Maconchy: Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!: "Nowell sing we now all and some" (after a Christmas Carol from

Show all 100 songs

Ophelia's Song
String Quartet No. 1: Scherzo (Allegro molto)
Five Sketches: III. Andantino
String Quartet No. 1: Andante sostenuto
Symphony For Double String Orchestra: I. Allegro Molto
String Quartet No. 1: Presto
String Quartet No. 2: Molto lento
In Fountain Court
Nocturne for orchestra
String Quartet No. 2: Poco presto
String Quartet No. 2: Lento sostenuto
String Quartet No. 2: Allegro
Music For Strings: I. Molto Moderato
String Quartet No. 4: Allegro-Lento Appasssionato-Allegro
Nocturne
String Quartet No. 4: Allegro molto
Proud Thames, Coronation Overture
String Quartet No. 4: Lento, molto espressivo
String Quartet No. 4: Presto
Symphony For Double String Orchestra: II. Lento
String Quartet No. 5: I. Molto Lento-Allegro molto
String Quartet No. 5: III. Lento espressivo
String Quartet No. 5: II. Presto
Symphony For Double String Orchestra: III. Allegro Scherzando
There is no Rose
There is No Rose of Such Virtue (Live)
String Quartet No. 5: IV. Allegro
Maconchy: Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!: "Nowell sing we now all and some" (after a Christmas Carol from t
Siren's Song
String Quartet No. 6: I. Passacaglia-lento modererato
Music For Strings: II. Scherzo
Five Sketches For Viola: I. Molto moderato
String Quartet No. 13 Quartetto Corto (1984): II. Lento
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell! (Arr. Sir David Willcocks)
Five Sketches For Viola: V. Presto
Music For Strings: III. Mesto
String Quartet No. 13 Quartetto Corto (1984): I. Allegro moderato
Five Sketches For Viola: II. Allegro deciso
String Quartet No. 9 (1968): I. Allegro
Symphony for Double String Orchestra: IV. Passacaglia: Lento sostenuto - Allegro - Lento
String Quartet No. 13 Quartetto Corto (1984): III. Allegro risoluto
Five Sketches For Viola: III. Andantino
The Sofa: Ah, my sweet consolation! (Dominic, Monique)
Have you seen but a bright lily grow
String Quartet No. 9 (1968): II. Scherzo Trio: Presto
Six Miniatures: V. Lullaby
String Quartet No. 6: III. Lento espressivo, rubato
String Quartet no. 6: II. Allegro scherzando
String Quartet No. 6: IV. Allegro molto, con brio
String Quartet No. 9 (1968): IV. Allegro
Sun, Moon and Stars
String Quartet No. 8: II. Scherzo- Allegro molto
String Quartet No. 8: III. Lento (Tempo libero senza misura)
String Quartet No. 12 (1979): IV. Molto moderato - Allegro moderato, vigoroso
Music For Strings: IV. Finale: Allegro
String Quartet No. 9 (1968): III. Mesto, tempo libero
Five Sketches For Viola: IV. Poco lento
String Quartet N0. 11 (1976)
Serenata Concertante: I. Lento - Andante con moto - Allegro ritmico
String Quartet No. 8: I. Lento- Allegro moderato, vigoroso
String Quartet No. 10 (1972)
String Quartet No. 12 (1979): I. Allegro moderato
String Quartet No. 12 (1979): III. Lento non troppo e flessibile
String Quartet No. 7: I. Allegro
String Quartet No. 8: IV. Allegro
String Quartet No. 12 (1979): II. Scherzo - Vivo
Serenata Concertante: II. Scherzo with Trio: Allegro molto
String Quartet No. 7: II. Scherzo I, prestissimo
Proud Thames
Serenata Concertante: III. Andante Con Moto
String Quartet No. 7: V. Allegro molto
The Sofa: Dominic, Casimir, Marie-Joseph, St. Just, Balthasar (Grandmother)
String Quartet No. 7: IV. Scherzo II, vivo
Overture, Proud Thames
String Quartet No. 7: III. Lento, tempo libero
Serenata Concertante: IV. Allegro Vigoroso - Andante Tranquillo
The Sofa: This time my patience cannot still endure (Grandmother, Dominic)
The Departure: Oh why did we leave the house that day? (Mark, Julia)
The Departure: Where is that Death they paint with the grinning skull and gaping eye holes (Julia, Chorus)
The Sofa: Lucille. Ah, Lucille? Stay I beg, I implore you! (Suitor, Lucille, Sofa)
Dialogue for Piano and Orchestra: I. Lento moderato
The Departure: But I hear nothing! (Mark, Julia, Chorus)
The Sofa: My mother says all girls grow sad and languish for love (Lucille, Yolande, Laura, 2 Young Men)
Dialogue for Piano and Orchestra: IV. Presto
The Departure: But our child lives still (Mark, Julia)
Concertino for Bassoon and String Orchestra: I. Moderato
Concertino for Clarinet and String Orchestra: III. Allegro
The Sofa: How light the grace (Dominic, Monique)
The Departure: I shall never be ready in time (Julia, Chorus)
The Departure: Don't leave me! (Mark, Julia)

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