THE RESONANCE ATLAS
Doreen Carwithen
Biography
Doreen Carwithen (1922–2003) was an English composer born in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where William Alwyn taught her composition, and went on to write orchestral, chamber and film music. She composed scores for numerous films and documentaries, alongside concert works including two prize-winning string quartets. Her Five Diversions (1951), written for the Virtuoso Wind Quintet, is a practical entry into her wind writing. She later founded the William Alwyn Foundation and promoted his musical legacy.
Why this music interests us
Carwithen's Five Diversions offers Resonance a direct route into neglected mid-twentieth-century British wind music. Its standard wind-quintet scoring makes it practical to investigate and programme, while its place within Carwithen's wider output provides a valuable context for exploring composers whose concert works have not always received the attention they deserve.
Selected works & listening
Five Diversions (1951; flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon)
Further information