Page 5 - Fyne Times Spring 2014
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LGBT History Month
February is officially LGBT History Month. The first LGBT History
Month was instigated by Schools Out co-founder Sue Sanders
and took place in 2005. Since then it has gone from strength to
strength and has covered many themes. This year, it
’
s all about music. LGBTs have
historically had strong links with the arts and music has been a strong part of the
community
’
s history. To mark this, four
‘
faces
’
have been selected to represent the
role of LGBTs in musical history.
Ethel Smyth
Against her family’s will, Ethyl studied
music at the Leipzig Conservatory in
1877. She then became one of the few
notable female composers in history
and her Mass in D was premiered at
the Royal Albert Hall. She became
involved in women’s rights after
meeting leader of the suffragettes
Emmeline Pankhurst. Her most
famous piece of work was March of the
Women, which became the anthem
of the Suffragettes. She was honoured
with Dame Commander of the British
Empire in 1922. Ethel was open about
her sexuality for most of her life.
Benjamin Britten
One of Britain’s best loved composers,
Benjamin was born in Suffolk and
discovered his musical talents at
an early age. After attending the
Royal College of Music he went on
to complete a diverse range of work
including orchestral pieces, opera and
ecclesiastical music as well as scores
for documentaries. He met his partner
Peter Pears through music and the two
spent most of their lives together.
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