Media FAQs

Why is this project needed?

Composeher is an exciting and ambitious project which aimed to focus attention on choral music written by female composers.

The inequality of opportunity and under-representation of female music writers is hugely disappointing within choral music and, indeed, the wider music industry. A wave of recent studies has revealed the scale of the problem, with one such piece of research from 2018 highlighting that only 5% of classical music performances featured any works composed by women in that year. There have been repeated calls from across the industry for action to tackle this issue. While there are signs that the picture has been changing slightly for the better in the last few years, much still needs to be done.

By commissioning a suite of choral music written entirely by experienced female choral composers, this project aimed to shine a light on the high-quality of female-written music, providing a focal point for renewed attention on female compositions as well as wider discussion of the imbalances of representation within the music industry.

Who is involved in this project?

Composeher was devised by the Glasgow School of Art Choir. A non-auditioned amateur musical ensemble, the GSA Choir was established in 2012 by its Musical Director, Jamie Sansbury, then a third-year student at The Glasgow School of Art. The choir has grown to include over 110 singers of all ages and from all walks of life and has gained a reputation for outstanding musical discipline, performing works to a standard far higher than the typical amateur chorus.

As a registered charity its aims are to celebrate and encourage greater participation in choral music, and to reach new audiences. Additionally, the choir is dedicated to commissioning and performing new choral works, having worked previously with established and renowned composers including Ken Johnston, Shona Mackay, Jay Capperauld and Sir James MacMillan.

Where can we hear the final compositions?

The compositions were premiered by the GSA Choir on Saturday 27 May 2023, in City Halls, Glasgow. The works are now being recorded by the ensemble for release in 2024.

What are the workshops, and can anyone participate?

We held a series of four workshops at Glasgow Women’s Library, featuring the participating composers, throughout 2022 and early 2023, in the run up to the live performance by the GSA Choir in May 2023. These workshops were free and open to all.

The first three workshops acted as an informal setting for discussions with the composers about their professional experiences and work on Composeher. The fourth and final workshop featured four of the composers in a discussion forum which provided an ideal setting for further discussion of the challenges facing women working within the music industry, and of the wider issues of representational inequality within choral and classical music.

Who are the composers?

The seven selected composers were: Dee Isaacs, Cecilia McDowall, Pippa Murphy, Sarah Rimkus, Ailie Robertson, Rebecca Rowe and Jane Stanley.

Importantly, all seven brought experience as writers of music across a range of genres and were selected to fit with the GSA Choir’s own musical sensibilities and performance experience. While all are established composers, the group represents a diverse selection of composers, drawn from across Scotland, England, Australia and the United States.

Does the suite of compositions follow a specific style?

The participating composers were given freedom to draw from their own individual inspirations as the basis for their submitted choral works. Most pieces however are reflective of past poetry or writings by women (particularly from Scotland), or reflect on the stories of exceptional women who lived and worked though times of adversity, in keeping with the theme of the overall project. You can read more about each of the compositions here.

How is the project being funded?

Composeher was part-funded by Creative Scotland, through the Open Project Fund. This programme supports projects which set out to create new artistic works of high quality and creative ambition, which aim to connect to new audiences and encourage more people to participate in artistic and creative activities. The remaining project costs were met by the GSA Choir through existing funds, and through a Kickstarter campaign which was launched to raise funds for the lyrics for each commission.

Where are the composers based?

The majority of participating composers were based across the United Kingdom, with one composer based in the United States.