Elna Sherman Explained

Daisy Elna Sherman (12 October 1888 - September 1964)^[1] was a composer,^[2] musicologist, and teacher with a special interest in Thomas Hardy.^[3]

Sherman was born in Massachusetts^[4] to Alice M. “Daisy” Fairchild and Sidney Algernon Sherman. Her mother Alice was a music teacher^[5] who also composed at least one song.^[6] Sherman earned two degrees at the Institute of Musical Art^{[7] [8]} and also studied with Helen Hopekirk^[9] and in London.

Sherman taught at the Institute of Musical Art and Boston University College of Music.^[10] In 1936, Sherman was able to interview Hardy’s second wife, Florence Dugdale, who told her that Hardy had always wanted to be a musician.^[11]

Sherman belonged to The American Composers Alliance of New York, the Musical Association in London, and the Society of Women Musicians. Her works were published by Associated Music Publishers, Oxford University Press, and E. C. Schirmer.^[12] Her publications include:

Articles

• Music in Thomas Hardy’s Life and Work (Musical Quarterly, vol 26 no 4 Oct 1940)^[13]
• Ravenscroft’s Psalter, 1621; and Its Place in the Early New England Scene (Bulletin of the American Musicological Society no 11/12/13 Sep 1948)^[14]
• Thomas Hardy: Lyricist, Symphonist (Music & Letters, vol 21 no 2 Apr 1940)

Chamber music

• For an Oriental Bazaar (three recorders)^[15]
• Sonata Lyrica (clarinet and piano; originally for viola and piano)^[16]
• St. Francis and the Birds (three recorders, cello and harpsichord)^[17]
• Ten Anglo-American Folksongs and Ballads (two recorders)
• Three Dance Movements (five recorders; by Antony Holborne and Robert Parsons; edited by Elna Sherman)^[18]
• Wessex Tune Book vol 1 & 2 (descant and piano; compiled by James Hook; arranged by Elna Sherman)^[19]

Piano

• Country Wedding^[20]

Voice

• “Evening Song, opus 36”^[21]
• “Yuletide in a Younger World”

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sherman . Elna . www.ancestry.com . 2022-05-26 . Ancestry.com.
2. Book: Hixon, Donald L. . Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography . 1993 . Scarecrow Press . Don A. Hennessee . 0-8108-2769-7 . 2nd . Metuchen, N.J. . 28889156.
3. Sherman . E. . 1940-04-01 . Thomas Hardy: lyricist, symphonist . Music and Letters . en . 21 . 2 . 143–171 . 10.1093/ml/XXI.2.143 . 0027-4224.
4. Book: Heinrich, Adel . Organ and harpsichord music by women composers : an annotated catalog . 1991 . Greenwood Press . 978-0-313-38790-6 . New York . 650307517.
5. Web site: Sherman . Alice . 9 Feb 1945 . The Boston Globe . 2022-05-26 . Newspapers.com . 22 . en.
6. Book: Thrasher, Herbert Chandler . 250 Years of Music in Providence, Rhode Island, 1636-1886 . 1942 . Rhode Island Federation of music clubs . en.
7. Book: Music Clubs Magazine . 1939 . National Federation of Music Clubs. . en.
8. Book: The Juilliard Review . 1956 . Juilliard School of Music . en.
9. Book: Roberts, Hannah . A stylistic and performance analysis of selected solo piano compositions by Helen Hopekirk . 1315756736.
10. Book: Statistical Report . 1950 . The Trustees . en.
11. Book: The Musical quarterly . 1979 . en. Sonneck . Oscar George Theodore .
12. Web site: Sherman, Elna - Ten Anglo-American Folk-Songs and Ballads for 2 recorders . 2022-05-26 . www.boosey.com.
13. Yeo . Douglas . May 2011 . A Good Old Note: The Serpent in Thomas Hardy's World and Works . The Hardy Review . 13 . 1 . 32–48 . 10.1179/193489011x12995782188211 . 1934-8908.
14. Book: Germer, Mark . American Musicological Society: Index to the Papers, Bulletin, and Journal 1936-1987 . 1990 . The AMS . en.
15. Book: Cohen, Aaron I. . International Encyclopedia of Women Composers . 1987 . Books & Music (USA) . 978-0-9617485-2-4 . en.
16. Book: Heim, Norman M. . The Clarinet Sonata in Outline . 1995 . Norcat Music Press . 978-0-9630793-2-9 . en.
17. Book: Clavier: A Magazine for Pianists & Organists . 1980 . Instrumentalist Company . en.
18. Book: The American Recorder . 1962 . American Recorder Society. . en.
19. Book: Making Music . 1964 . en.
20. Book: Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions . 1925 . Library of Congress, Copyright Office. . en.
21. Book: Stewart-Green, Miriam . Women composers : a checklist of works for the solo voice . 1980 . G.K. Hall . 0-8161-8498-4 . Boston, Mass. . 6815939.