Margery Moore

Margery Moore is the professional name of Lilian/Lillian Margery Moore (1907 – 1993 ). She was a British musician – composer, pianist, pedagogue – who flourished in London in the 1930s and 1940s. The majority of her works were published by the London firm of Novello, with some published by other London firms: Boosey and Hawkes, Curwen, and Stainer and Bell.

Biography Margery Moore was born in the UK town of Birkenhead, the daughter of Thomas Moore (b. c. 1868), originally of Shenley in Hertfordshire, a 'railway employee', and his wife Catherine (b. c. 1877) originally of Beverley, East Yorkshire. By 1911 the family were living in Plymouth at 6 Green Bank Avenue.

In Plymouth Margery took piano lessons from a Miss F. Faull, under whose aegis in January 1918 she took to the platform in a concert in Devonport, Plymouth to raise funds for the Red Cross. One reviewer described her as "a clever young pianist".

In 1924 she passed the Royal Academy of Music licentiate examination (LRAM) in piano performance.

In 1929, on 14 September, she was awarded Durham University's Mus. Bac. degree as an external (corresponding) student. Her examination 'exercise' was a string quartet in D-minor. The university records show that by this date she had moved from Devon to Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street, London.

In 1935–36 Margery Moore was recorded as a member of the Union of Music Graduates, which aimed to oppose the granting of spurious music degrees.

In 1936 Margery Moore published a series of four polemical essays in The Musical Times on the subject of piano teaching under the general title Some Problems of the Young Piano Teacher: 1. Children; 2. Adult Beginners; 3. Parents; 4. The Teacher.

From October to December 1936 a short series of advertisements appeared in The Musical Times in which Margery Moore offered her services as an editor for amateur composers at the cost of 1s per manuscript.

In July 1938 Margery Moore published another article in The Musical Times concerning piano pedagogy entitled Concerning the Piano Class.

The period 1933–38 was when Margery Moore was most active in having her compositions published, much of it focussed on music for schools.

In 1939, already a lecturer with the London County Council, she found time to teach piano to a teenage German émigré called Helmut Kallmann (1922–2012), prior to his emigration to Canada (1940) where he became a pioneering music historian.

At some point before 1939 and until at least 1960 Margery Moore lived at 34 Claremont Square, Islington. At first she lived there with her parents – Thomas aged 68 and Catherine aged 67 – and Roland DeRougemont, then a member of the Auxiliary Fire Service aged 27 and whom she married in 1940.

In September 1944 Margery was appointed to teach a musical appreciation class at the Technical Institute, Richmond, Surrey.

At some point before 1953 Margery and Roland divorced; he remarried in 1953 to Valerie Rampton.

The last mention of Margery Moore living in Claremont Square is found in the 1960 electoral register in which she appears as the sole occupant of number 34. She is also listed at 34 Claremont Square in the 1960 London telephone directory; the only Margery Moore in the directory. In 1961 the only Margery Moore in the London telephone directory is listed at 11 Canfield Gardens NW6. After this date and until the end of printed directories (after 1984) - as well as electoral registers - there is no identifiable reference to the musician Margery Moore until 1993.

In 1993 Margery Moore was living in residential care at The Chestnuts, Cambridge Park Road, Wanstead. She died in Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone on 19 March 1993 resulting from 'myocardial infarction'. On her death-certificate she is described as 'Music Teacher (retired)'.

BBC broadcasts 1924, Friday 3 October 1924, 19:30 on 5PY Plymouth Margery Moore and Marion Clingan, piano duet - Spanish Dance [from op.12?] by Moritz Moszkowski; Polonaise [in Eb B.100?] by Antonin Dvorak. 1925, Friday 6 Mar 1925, 20:45 on 5PY Plymouth Margery Moore, piano - "Play of the Waters" [Jeux d'eau] by Maurice Ravel. 1929, Tuesday 9 October, 19:45 on 5PY Plymouth. A Chamber Music Concert. The Margery Moore Quartet (Sylvia Hill, vioiin 1; Christina McCleod (violin 2; Margery Moore, viola; Margor Read, 'cello.

Composing Choral 1933 – Ceremonies of Christmas, Words by Robert Herrick. 1935 – Laughing Song. (Three-part song. S.S.A.), Words by William Blake. There are still pretty words to be found in poets some of whose work has been over-set. Margery Moore has taken Blake's 'Laughing Song' (' When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy'), and fitted it with S.S.A. music that, thrown off at the right speed, and with real mirth in the 'Ha ha' bits (so many singers get solemn, and forget to smile), would make a charming short item. C is the lowest note in the alto part, but for one A . "The Musical Times", January 1936. 1935 – Teach me, my God and King. (Hymn-Anthem for unison singing. Series: Novello School Songs No. 1729), words by G. Herbert. 1936 – A Little Child's Song (S.S), words by Muriel Rodney. Series: Novello's Music for Sunday School Festivals No. 121. A tuneful work for two voices. The second voice is sometimes singing above the first, and both are of equal interest. There is a contrasted middle verse and the freely written accompaniment is well varied . "The Musical Times" January 1937. 1936 – For ever England : unison song for massed choirs. 1936 – The Unkind Maid : S.A.T.B.

Organ 1932 - Allegretto. Novello's Selected Pieces for the Organ. Vol. 4 (1932) NB Mo.5 of "Five Little Organ Studies" 1934 – Five Little Organ Studies: 1/ Allegretto; 2/ Andante; 3/ Allegro; 4/ Presto; 5/ Allegretto. 1934 – Herzliebster Jesu; Vater unser : two chorale preludes. 1936 – Two pieces for the organ : Pastoral [and] Paean.