Songs for the Drawing Room

Part of an ongoing series of vocal music from female composers, this volume presents ten art songs from English composers Harriett Abrams and Mary Ann Pownall. This collection represents songs that were popular in 17th- and 18th-century English drawing-room gatherings where live music was performed. Although these art songs are from a generation earlier than Jane Austen's lifetime, compositions from these composers and many others can be found in the preserved musical books of the Austen family that include collected music from three generations of Austen women.