Elizabeth Poston 1905–87
Composer; Arranger; Editor ; Pianist; BBC
A Settled Rest
An English Day-Book
Christmas Selection (1)
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
Lemady: Maying Song
Running Set: Spring
Salve Iesus, Little Lad!
Sweet Suffolk Owl (1967)
From An English Day-Book
Sing unto the Lord (SATB and organ)
Te lucis ante terminum (S (& S semi-chorus) A & harp or piano)
The Noonday Heat
Elizabeth Poston (1905–87)
Elizabeth Poston was born in rural Hertfordshire, where she lived for most of her life. She studied composition and piano at the Royal Academy of Music in the mid-1920s and throughout her life she frequently performed in premieres of her own works, including live broadcasts.
Her skills as a multi-linguist (especially of European languages) enabled her to create her own translations and editions of texts and many of these were published within anthologies for which she was editor, composer and arranger, including The Children’s Song Book and the Penguin Book of Folksongs.
Her compositional output was varied, encompassing dramatico-musical plays, chamber works, secular and sacred choral settings, and solo songs which were often inspired by her love of folksong and the countryside. She was widely commissioned by amateur and professional choirs alike encompassing local schools, choral societies and the BBC Singers with whom she had a particular association through her employment as Director of Music for the BBC European Service during World War II and afterwards as a regular contributor to the BBC Third Programme (Radio 3) as advisor, composer, arranger and biographer.
©MoV 2025 Elizabeth Poston’s music remains under copyright until the end of 2058. For all enquiries please contact Multitude of Voyces