Clara Angela Macirone (20 January 1821 – 1914) was an English pianist and composer who published her music as C. A. Macirone. Born in London, she was the daughter of Italian musicians; her mother was also a pianist (a pupil of Charles Neate) and her father was an amateur tenor.[1] She began her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in 1839 under Cipriani Potter, W H Holmes, Charles Lucas and others. She later took a position teaching at the Academy.[2]
Her first concert was given at the Hanover Square Rooms on 26 June 1846, at which the baritone Johann Pischek performed her sacred song Benedictus, a composition later praised by Mendelssohn. She was active as a performer until 1864. After that, Macirone turned to teaching and composing. Her Te Deum and Jubilate were sung at Hanover Chapel and claimed to have been the first service by a woman ever used in the Church.[2]
Macirone was a pioneer in the musical education of women as both a teacher and writer. She held teaching positions at Aske's School for Girls in Hatcham (1872-8) and at the Church of England High School for Girls, Baker Street. She contributed articles to The Girl's Own Paper[3] and The Argosy. Macirone died in London in 1914.[4][5]
Works
Selected works include:
Suite for piano and violin in E minor
Rondino in G for piano
By the Waters of Babylon, anthem (sung at Canterbury, Ely and elsewhere)
^ abBrown, James Duff; Stratton, Stephen Samuel. British musical biography: a dictionary of musical artists, authors and composers, born in Britain and its colonies (1897) - but note the competing claim for anthems by Alice Mary Smith first performed in February 1864.
