Ethel Adelaide Parker

Ethel Adelaide Parker (21 July 1886 – 1 February 1971) was an English concert organist and composer. Parker composed under a number of pseudonyms including Etelka d’Arba, Bruno d’Arba, Joan d’Arba and Joan McLeod.

Education Between 1905 and 1909 Parker studied at the Royal College of Music in London, and one of her tutors was Sir Walter Parratt. At a later date Parker continued her studies in Germany with Dr Karl Straube in Leipzig, and also the composer Max Reger.

In the 1920s Parker became interested, through campanologist William Wooding Starmer, in carillon and bell music. It is believed that through the support of a Swiss millionaire, she continued her studies in performance under Antoon Nauwelaerts in Bruges. Around this time, she was known to travel Europe widely as a concert organist, often using the name Adelaide Parker.

As a composer, many leading publishers promoted the music of Parker including Novello & Co, J & W Chester, J. Curwen & Sons and Cramer Music. In writing music for the voice, she set texts by many poets including Christina Rossetti, Parker is often cited as being the first known women to have composed for the carillon, Danceries Harp Five Impressions Harp Fantaisie fugue Orchestra Variations sur un theme russe Organ J & W Chester Fantaisie fugue Organ Suite on the old London street-cry of the bellman Organ Irrlichter Organ Fugal Fantasy Organ Thème et Variations in G minor Piano Christmas eve Soloists and choir Cramer Music, 1957 Four graces from Herrick’s Noble Numbers Soloists and boys choir William Elkin & Co, 1948 Dainty rogues in porcelain

(3 duets) Soloists and piano J & W Chester, 1929 Two Swedish Legends after Selma Lagerlöf

(tone poems) String orchestra J & W Chester, 1958 Dream String orchestra Why fadest thou in death Voice and orchestra Four Songs Voice and orchestra Frolleclaloon Voice and piano A Fian lullaby Voice and piano J. Curwen & Sons, 1923 Russian lullaby Voice and piano J. Curwen & Sons, 1925 Clover Voice and piano J & W Chester, 1929 Laudate eum, elementa, Christus natus est Voice and piano Novello & Co, 1938 Carol Voice and piano J & W Chester, 1939 Two songs from Herrick’s Noble Numbers Voice and piano William Elkin & Co, 1954 Slumber Song Voice and piano William Elkin & Co, 1954 Wayfarers’ carol Voice and piano William Elkin & Co, 1957 December Voice and piano William Elkin & Co, 1957 Away with us he’s going Voice and piano Cold Voice and piano Ist ein Schloss Voice and piano The Lamb-Child Voice and piano Leuchtendes land Voice and piano Märchen Voice and piano The New-yeeres gift Voice and piano The Rune Voice and piano Slumber Song Voice and piano Zauber Voice and piano Wayfarers’ Carol Voice and piano Les deux enfant de roi Voice and piano