Fifth Generation

73. Susan Spain DUNK [109140] (Catherine Ann MAJOR¹⁹, Martha F TAYLOR⁴, Thomas Fuller², William¹) was born 228-Feb 1880 in Folkestone Kent England, was baptised on 17 Mar 1880 in Christ Church Folkestone Kent England, and died on 1 Jan 1962 in London England.

General Notes: In a Document received from Jane Elizabeth Marshall in August 2016, she included the following:
London WCLRAM presented by HRH Princess Henry of Battenburg.
Violinist and viola-player, studying violin and, with Stewart Macpherson and Richard Walthew composition, and where she earned sundry prizes and, later in life, taught harmony and composition. She won a Cobbett competition with her Violin Sonata No. 1 in B Minor and played viola in Cobbett's own quartet. Other chamber works included a Piano Trio in A Minor, also a Cobbett prize winner, a Wind Quintet and a Phantasy Quartet for strings in D minor. The latter, also obviously Cobbett-inspired, was described by Cobbett himself as "full of poetry and charm", It begins with a sonata exposition followed by a slow section introducing a "third subject", the development treats all three subjects and there capitulation leads to a coda based on the slow interlude. Other instrumental pieces (she appears to have published little, if any, vocal music) included the Spanish dance Junbar, Opus 57, for violin and piano(six other Spanish Dances appeared for piano solo in 1936 and at least four of these came out for orchestra as well), Two Pieces for violin and viola a Petite Serenade for flute and piano and Winter Song for cello and piano, published in 1938.
Orchestral music and its performance carries greater fame and prestige, however, and it was no doubt a highlight of her career when she conducted her own works at the Henry Wood Proms. in the four successive summers1924-27. In 1924 it was a Suite for Strings, after which Wood invited her to write a piece especially for the concerts, with the result that in1925 her Idyll, also for strings, and a Romantic Piece, for flute and strings, were both premiered. In 1926 the overture Kentish Downs received its first airing and 1927 the Symphonic poem after Tennyson, Elaine. Also in 1927 she conducted two of her compositions (including Kentish Downs)at the Bournemouth Festival. Other orchestral Compositions included The Water Lily Pool for flute, harp and strings, premiered by the British Women's Symphony Orchestra, an overture The Farmer's Boy, scored for just flute land strings and played at the 1929 Eastbourne Festival, the Two Scottish Pieces (K By St. Mary's Loch and Kerrera) for small orchestra, the symphonic poem Stonehenge, the Cantilena for Clarinet and orchestra, the Four Spanish Dances for small orchestra, already mentioned, and two others with a flavour of her native Kent: the "fantasie" Weald of Kent, for an unusual orchestra of single woodwind (plus a second clarinet),three saxophones, two horns, two trumpets, trombone, timpani, percussion and strings; and the overture Andred's Weald, broadcast in 1927 and later conducted by her in the Royal Artillery Theatre, Woolwich, she apparently being the first woman to conduct a military orchestra. It is not clear whether this connection brought about the two overtures she composed for military band. She died on 1st January 1962 aged 81.

Retained maiden name in professional work. 1914 changed name SPAIN-DUNK. She and Henry GIBSON separated 1927.

Noted events in her life were:

• Education: St Eanswythe School, Folkestone Kent England.

• Census: at 42 & 46 Tontine Street, 1881-1891, Folkestone Kent England.

• Confirmation: at Trinity Church bu Archbishop Benson, 13 Mar 1896, Folkestone Kent England.

• Education: Royal Opera House, 21 Jul 1905, Covent Garden Westminster London England.

• Education: Royal Academy of Music, 4 Dec 1906, St Marylebone London England.

• Election: to ARAM.

Susan married Henry GIBSON [109141] on 6 Jan 1908 in Folkestone Kent England. The marriage ended in divorce. Henry was born circa 1878 in Nottingham Nottinghamshire England and died after 1927.

Noted events in his life were:

• Military Service: an Officer on the "Western Front", 1814-1818, France.

The child from this marriage was:

   132 M    i. Rev., Henry GIBSON [109142] was born on 15 Nov 1911 and died in Oct 1999 at age 87.