She Wrote the Songs

A collective biography of the forgotten female hit-makers of the Victorian parlour.

Parlour songs were the pop hits of the Victorian era – and some of the biggest hit-makers of the day were women. Barred from positions in universities, cathedrals and orchestras, this intimate, home-based musical genre was their only outlet. Sadly, their extraordinary contribution has largely been forgotten, overlooked by historians and marginalised in the timeline of music.

Now, British-Canadian singer Patricia Hammond is putting the record – or, rather, the sheet music – straight, telling tuneful tales of political reform, personal empowerment and the unique role women played in a fascinating period of British musical history.

• A companion CD is available here, featuring the author performing songs from the book.

• You can hear an interview with the author on BBC R4’s Woman’s Hour, here, from 11 min 25 secs in.