Subject: RE: Origins: All Among The Barley From: Mick Pearce (MCP) Date: 27 Sep 09 - 02:44 PM

I've finally managed to have a look at Judith Barger's Elizabeth Stirling and the Musical Life of Female Organists in Nineteenth-Century England (thanks Google books). It devotes a large section to the song (as Stirling's most well-known) which tells us some things about the origin of the song.

The question of the prize-winning is, however, dealt with in detail. The prize was in fact for publication by Novello in a Part-Song Book. Novello provided texts to be set in an open competition (1850) and monthly prizes were awarded (seven prizes were awarded in all). The three judges originally awarded the first, second and third prizes to the same composer, Walter Macfarren.

Rather than compromise the scheme in its very infancy, they came to an understanding whereby Miss Elizabeth Stirling was allowed to take the second of the prizes and according to Macfarren's own autobiography and after I had been fortunate enough to win the third prize, I was requested by the publisher not to compete again!