Music in The Girl's Own Paper: An Annotated Catalogue, 1880–1910

Judith Barger

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9781315534916
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music

Nineteenth-century British periodicals for girls and women offer a wealth of material to understand how girls and women fit into their social and cultural worlds, of which music making was an important part. The Girl's Own Paper, first published in 1880, stands out because of its rich musical content. Keeping practical usefulness as a research tool and as a guide to further reading in mind, Judith Barger has catalogued the musical content found in the weekly and later monthly issues during the magazine's first thirty years, in music scores, instalments of serialized fiction about musicians, music-related nonfiction, poetry with a musical title or theme, illustrations depicting music making and replies to musical correspondents. The book's introductory chapter reveals how content in The Girl's Own Paper changed over time to reflect a shift in women's music making from a female accomplishment to an increasingly professional role within the discipline, using 'the piano girl' as a case study. A comparison with musical content found in The Boy's Own Paper over the same time span offers additional insight into musical content chosen for the girls' magazine. A user's guide precedes the chronological annotated catalogue; the indexes that follow reveal the magazine's diversity of approach to the subject of music.

Chronological listing of musical content: The Girl’s Own Paper

Volume 1 (3 January 1880–25 September 1880)

Number 1 (3 January 1880)

Zara; or, My Granddaughter’s Money Chs 1, 2 pp. 1–4

When Paul Tench finds Zara Meldicot Keith to give her the money left by her now deceased grandmother at his family’s lodging house long ago, Zara is a music-hall singer. Significantly, he hands over the fortune only after she has left that line of work and married a responsible man.

Varieties (An Intelligent Musician – Schumann) p. 11

Our Cooking Class: Roasting (Phillis Browne) pp. 12–13

Makes analogy between girls expecting to play piano without musical training and expecting to prepare dinner without cooking education.

A Winter Song (poem) p. 16

Number 2 (10 January 1880)

Zara Chs 3, 4 pp. 17–19

Number 3 (17 January 1880)

Varieties (How to Become an Intelligent Musician – Schumann) p. 32

Zara Chs 5, 6 pp. 33–5

Number 4 (24 January 1880)

Zara Chs 7, 8 pp. 49–51

Home Accomplishments I. How to Sing a Song (Madame Mudie-Bolingbroke) pp. 54–6

Illustration ‘Domestic Music’ p. 56

Number 5 (31 January 1880)

Zara Chs 9, 10, 11 pp. 65–8

Under the Snow (music score) (John Farmer, Words Hannah F. Gould) pp. 70–1

Number 6 (7 February 1880)

Zara Ch. 12 pp. 82–3

Margaret: A Sketch on Board Ship pp. 94–5

Margaret Carter’s poignant singing of inspirational songs and hymns marks her last music making, for she dies from consumption at the end of her journey from England to Madeira to join her brother.

Varieties (Making Melodies – Schumann) p. 96

Number 7 (14 February 1880)

Zara Chs 13, 14 pp. 99–101

Answers to Correspondents p. 111

First column to include music-related replies.

Vixen (repertoire), Ella (practising)

Number 8 (21 February 1880)

Zara Ch. 15 pp. 113–15

Good Night (music score) (J. W. Hinton, Words Sarah Doudney) pp. 124–5

Answers to Correspondents p. 127

Effie (piano, music potential)

Number 9 (28 February 1880)

Zara Chs 16, 17 pp. 129–31

The Song of the Sewing Machine (poem) p. 136

Ballad Stories, Suggested by Popular Songs: Twickenham Ferry pp. 138–9

Varieties (Singing – Schumann) p. 143

Answers to Correspondents p. 144

Flora (repertoire), Mary Jones (repertoire), May (repertoire)

Number 10 (6 March 1880)

Zara Chs 18, 19 pp. 145–7

Number 11 (13 March 1880)

Zara Ch. 20 pp. 161–3

How to Play the Piano (Madame Arabella Goddard) pp. 164–6

Illustration ‘An Accompaniment’ p. 165

Answers to Correspondents p. 176

Fanciful Fan (voice, health), Rag Bag (repertoire)

Number 12 (20 March 1880)

Zara Chs 21, 22 pp. 177–9

The Blue Alsatian Mountains p. 183

Parting: A Trio for Female Voices (music score) (C. H. Purday) pp. 184–5

Answers to Correspondents pp. 191–2

Bella (voice), A Scraper (violin)

Number 13 (27 March 1880)

Zara Chs 23, 24 pp. 193–6

The Dress of the Month pp. 201–2

Illustration ‘Dress for Evening Wear’ shows young woman at an upright piano p. 201

Answers to Correspondents p. 208

Mariquita (voice), Poppy (harmonium, guitar), Tot and Tiny (voice)

Number 14 (3 April 1880)

Zara Ch. 25 pp. 209–11

Answers to Correspondents p. 223

M.M.G. (harp, piano, choosing instrument), G. E. (general)

Number 15 (10 April 1880)

Zara Chs 26, 27 pp. 225–7

How to Play the Violin (Lady Lindsay of Balcarres) pp. 232, 234–5

Answers to Correspondents p. 240

Catherine Henrietta (music education), Madge (theory), A Village Organist (organ)

Number 16 (17 April 1880)

Zara Chs 28, 29 pp. 241–3

My Work Basket (M. L.) pp. 244–5

Includes instructions for making a music ottoman.

Illustration Fig. 5 Music Ottoman p. 244

Morning (music score) (Gordon Saunders, Words Lewis Novra) pp. 248–9

Answers to Correspondents p. 255

Mahala (piano), Forget-Me-Not (voice, nuisance)

How to be Happy: A Poem for Girls (C. I. Pringle) p. 256

Number 17 (24 April 1880)

Zara Ch. 30 pp. 257–9

‘Won’t You Buy My Pretty Flowers?’ pp. 266–7

Answers to Correspondents p. 272

E. L. (piano, practising, nuisance)

Number 18 (1 May 1880)

Zara Ch. 31 pp. 273–5

Answers to Correspondents pp. 287–8

Mouse (general), Wilhelmina and Bertha (repertoire, pronunciation), A North Country Lassie (voice, practising), E. A. (repertoire), Excelsior (general), Magie (repertoire), Mary (organ)

Number 19 (8 May 1880)

Zara Chs 32, 33 pp. 289–91

Musical Composers p. 291

Describes composing habits of Haydn, Gluck and others.

Feeding the Deer (music score) (James Russell, Words John Huie) pp. 296–7

The Song of the Needle; or, The Girl’s Own Compass (poem) p. 300

Answers to Correspondents p. 304

Charlie (voice), Sally in Our Alley, Minnie, Jane S., S. E., etc. (voice), Eliza (general), Wild Cat (general)

Number 20 (15 May 1880)

Zara Chs 34, 35 pp. 305–7

The Dress of the Month pp. 316–17

Illustration ‘Indoor Costume’ shows a young woman at an upright piano p. 316

Answers to Correspondents pp. 319–20

Pussie (theory), Ruby (voice, health), Xena Rosckma (performance etiquette)

Number 21 (22 May 1880)

Zara Chs 36, 37 pp. 321–3

Outline Embroidery pp. 323–5

Illustration ‘Fig. 7’, a musical design for a figure screen, shows a young woman playing a harp p. 325

How to Play the Organ (John Stainer) pp. 328–30

Varieties (Bridal Hymn) p. 334

Answers to Correspondents pp. 334–6

Pattie (piano, performance nerves), Mabel (voice), Petite (terms)

Number 22 (29 May 1880)

Zara Chs 38, 39 pp. 337–9

Turnham Toll p. 343

Answers to Correspondents p. 352

Rachel L. M. (voice), Bonn (voice)

Number 23 (5 June 1880)

Three Years of a Girl’s Life Ch. 1 pp. 353–5

For after-dinner music with friends, pianist Cora Forest plays a Schubert symphony and Cherubini overture, closing with an evening hymn. Clara Henderson’s singing voice is like a peacock’s pitched an octave too high; her sister Alice’s contralto is reminiscent of a bird with a cough.

Zara Ch. 40 pp. 357–8

Birds of a Feather pp. 360–1

Entranced by music she hears coming from a neighbour’s Nuremberg apartment, Fräulein Hilda von Oertzen falls in love with a young physician who is also a flutist.

Illustration ‘It is that serenade of Schubert’s he is playing’ p. 360

Number 24 (12 Ju...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of figures
• Acknowledgements
• General editor’s series preface
• Introduction: music lessons in The Girl’s Own Paper
• User guide to the annotated catalogue
• Chronological listing of musical content: The Girl’s Own Paper
• Topical listing of musical content: The Girl’s Own Paper
• Works cited