From adjustable benches, to acquiring tightly controlled music scores and readjusting the choral repertoire, both organists Alice Smith and Amelia Parkin recognise that the world of the organ is highly restrictive despite recent progression. In a 2024/25 study, The Society of Women Organists found that women made up only 11% of all recitalists, presenting the extreme gender disparity in the organ world. To celebrate International Women’s Day, Smith and Parkin have organised a series of concerts on Sunday 7th March featuring the music of powerful female composers, and a specific 1pm recital at Trinity College with six female organ scholars playing.

“Many seemingly minute factors can largely influence female participation”

“This event is a celebration of women who have written for the organ,” Alice begins: “we are trying to show that there is such a wide variety of female composed music out there which should be played”. She states that many seemingly minute factors can largely influence female participation, such as the height of organ benches and the traditional route of coming through church/cathedral choirs which may only have boys singing.

She continues: “The organ gives the player the ability to make so much noise and be commanding – the instrument allows me to be dominant as a woman in any room”. Alice began her organ journey under the guidance of the prominent Anne Marsden Thomas MBE at St Giles-without-Cripplegate and attributes her enjoyment of the organ without any gendered concepts to being “lucky enough to be around a really prominent woman in the field”. Amelia notes that even within summer organ courses – a key way for young people to access specific organ mentoring – she became aware these courses were mainly accessed by boys as they had the opportunity to learn organ through progression from a larger number of choral choirs. “International Women’s Day encourages people to recognise misogyny as an active issue that needs solving”, adds Amelia: “we hope our event helps people ask those larger questions”.

“The traditionally male-centric music of the choral world can be diversified greatly”

Featuring in their event are many inspirational female composers, such as Elsa Barraine, Elfrida Andree and Florence Price. The programme aims to prove that “there isn’t an excuse to not be playing music by woman, as there is much out there”. The wide range of music from different time periods and contexts demonstrates that the traditionally male-centric music of the choral world can be diversified greatly.

Elsa Barraine was a 20th century composer who combined “rhythmic drive” (James Briscoe) with intricate musicality, all fuelled by a strong passion for social movements. Barraine composed her works in support of the French Resistance to German occupation of France in 1940-1944 as a member of the Font National des Musiciens, who put on concerts of contemporary and banned music to raise money for Jewish musicians and wider rebellion. Barraine’s aim was to “create and promote a living music”, whereby "living" represents the whole of humanity, is echoed in Amelia and Alice’s choice of composers which aim to increase acknowledgement of the living female occupation within composing and performing.

Florence Price is one of the most strikingly inspirational out of all the female composers in Alice and Ameilia’s selection. Born in Arkansas in 1887, Price is known for being the first African American woman to have her composition performed by a major orchestra and composer of over 300 works. Leaving Arkansas amidst the Great Migration and moving to Chicago, Price became a member of the Chicago Black Renaissance and won a Wanamaker Foundation Award for music of critical acclaim, such as her powerful Concerto in D minor. A pioneer for female composers and musicians, Price also stood up against racial injustice: her song ‘My Soul’s Been Anchored in de Lord’ was featured in the infamous 1939 Easter Sunday held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The concert highlighted American racial prejudice to the world due to forced location change due to segregation, as black contralto Marian Anderson wasn't allowed to perform in segregated Washington DC. Alice and Ameilia’s concert seeks to represent the need not just for female liberation in choice of music, but in the performance world too.

“Andrée’s quick rise to fame […] serves as a reminder to all modern female musicians that to compose is so deeply linked to the values one stands for”

Also featuring amongst Smith and Parkin’s line-up of music is the Swedish organist and composer Elfrida Andrée. Involved in significant progression of gender equality, Andrée was the first woman in Sweden to graduate as an organist, and the first to become a cathedral organist. She worked with her father to enable women to hold organist appointments, and later for women to be able to be employed as telegraph operators. Andrée’s quick rise to fame, through beautiful lilting symphonies and soaring harmonies that promoted her aim for ‘the elevation of womankind’, serves as a reminder to all modern female musicians that composing is so deeply linked to the values one stands for.

International Woman’s Day remains highly vital within the field of classical and choral music to present the need to amplify female contributions. According to Alice, playing music composed by women feels like “a great responsibility as a representation of all women”. My conversation with Alice and Amelia emphasised the disparity in musical performance due to gender, and the extreme pressure placed on women when playing pieces as they feel need to represent a whole group of underrepresented women. Stretching far beyond a singular day to celebrate women, Alice and Amelia’s event points to a larger hope that through pioneering the importance of the female composer and player, all organ and general music performance can create daily celebration.