Allitsen, Frances

Contemporary English composer and a teacher of singing. Was born in London, but passed her childhood in a little English village, where she amused herself by composing ballads. She expected to study singing but lost her voice. Was discouraged by her family in her idea of a musical career, but finally went to London to the Guidhall School of Music. She taught by day to earn money to study evenings, and after great difficulty was finally successful. She has set to music many poems by Browning, Shelley, Tennyson, Heine and other great poets and is best known by these songs, but she has composed several orchestral works as well; notably, the overtures Slavonique and Undine.