Mary Anne Virginia Gabriel (7 February 1825 – 7 August 1877) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

singer and composer. She was also known as Mrs. George E. March.

Life

Virginia Gabriel was born in

Banstead Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England. It is south of Sutton, London, Sutton, south-west of Croydon, north of Reigate, south-east of Kingston-upon-Thames, and south of Central London. On the North Dow ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, the daughter of Major-general "Archangel" Gabriel. She studied piano with Johann Peter Pixis, Theodor Dohler,

Sigismond Thalberg Sigismond Thalberg (8 January 1812 – 27 April 1871) was an Austrian composer and one of the most distinguished virtuoso pianists of the 19th century. Family Thalberg was born in Pâquis near Geneva on 8 January 1812. Thalberg asserted that he ...

and Bernhard Molique and composition with opera composer

Saverio Mercadante Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante (baptised 17 September 179517 December 1870) was an Italian composer, particularly of operas. While Mercadante may not have retained the international celebrity of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti or Gioa ...

. In 1870 Gabriel went for an extended stay at

Glamis Castle Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis (, ) in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public. Glamis Castle has been the home of the Clan Lyon, Lyon family since the 14th cent ...

in the Scottish Lowlands, and was reportedly responsible, among others, for later accounts of the castle's "secret" having to do with a mysterious occupant, the Monster of Glamis. Gabriel wrote popular ballads which established her reputation as a songwriter and composer. Although women songwriters were well accepted in the 19th century, and she had no problems in getting her songs published, she struggled to get publishers for her more serious compositions. For example, she had to pay for self-publication of her cantata ''Dreamland''. Although her songwriting style was Romantic, her songs always reflected ability and inventiveness because of her strength as a serious composer. Gabriel married her librettist George March in 1874, who was employed by the Foreign Office. The ''Times'' reported that she died in 1877 from "injuries sustained by a fall from a carriage". Her ''Evening Post'' obituary described her as being "much liked in Society" and as possessing "...a kindness of heart."

Works

Gabriel was known for cantatas and operas and she also wrote songs. Selected works include: *''Evangeline'' (1873) cantata *''Graziella'' (1870) cantata *''Dreamland'' (1870) cantata *''Widows Bewitched'' (1865) opera *''A Quiet Chateau'' (1867) opera *''Who's The Heir?'' (1868) opera *''Lost and Found'' (1870) opera *''Grass Widows'', opera *''The Shepherd of Cornouaille's'', opera *''The Follies of a Night'', opera *''A Rainy Day'', opera *''The Lion's Mouth'', opera bouffe *''Change upon change'' (Text: Elizabeth Barrett Browning) *''Du bist wie eine Blume'', op. 1, no. 3 (Text: Heinrich Heine) *''Oh, wilt thou have my hand, Dear'' (Text: Elizabeth Barrett Browning) *''Orpheus With His Lute'' (Text: John Fletcher) *''At the Window'' (Text: Robert Browning) song *''A Mother's Song'', song *''Don't Forget Me Quite'' (Text: Mrs Francis Anne Kemble) song *''Ruby'', song *''Beryl'' (Companion Song to Ruby) *''Brighter Hours'', song *''Asleep'', song *''Pearl'', song *''Emerald'', song *''The Opal Ring'', song *''When Sparrows Build'' (Text: Jean Ingelow) song *''List'ning Mother'', song *''The Door Ajar'', song *''A Song to Lay at the Feet of my Love'' *''Little Golden Hair'', song *''Corra Linn'', song *''O Spare my Boy at Sea'', song *''Slumber, Mine Own'', song *''At my Feet'', song *''Light through Darkness'' (from the cantata: Dreamland) song *''Dreams of Those who loved me'' (from the cantata: Dreamland) song *''Chloe sat beside the River'' (from the opera: Widows Bewitched) song *''Love is gone a Maying'' (from the opera: Widows Bewitched) song *''Sweet Seventeen'', song *''The Golden Wedding Day'', song *''Under the Trellised Vine'' (from the cantata: Graziella) song *''Farewell my Bark'' (from the cantata: Graziella) song *''You came to me with winning smile'', song *''The Fisherman's Widow'', contralto song *''I will arise'', sacred song *''What will you do?'' sacred song *''The Lord is my portion'' church anthem *''Lily Graeme'', song *''A Dead Past'', song *''The Choice'', song *''Thoughts!'' song *''Spirit Love'', song *''Twilight'', song *''Three Lilies'', song *''Friends'', song

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gabriel, Virginia 1825 births 1877 deaths 19th-century English classical composers English women classical composers English opera composers Road incident deaths in England People from Banstead Musicians from Surrey 19th-century English musicians British women opera composers 19th-century English women composers