Joyce Howard Barrell was born in Salisbury, 26 Nov 1917, and died in Ipswich, 6 Dec 1989.

She studied harmony, composition and the piano with Benjamin Burrows, violin with his sister Grace and piano accompaniment with Harold Craxton.

In 1945 she married the composer Bernard Barrell and in 1946 they settled in Suffolk. She worked as a guitar teacher and piano accompanist from 1958 to 1985. From 1939 until her death she composed prolifically, particularly chamber music and music for children, writing judiciously for a diversity of instruments.

Her works include several pieces for string quartet (op.15, 21, 32 and 77); six songs for children entitled What am I? Op.68, for chorus and piano (1983); Serenade op.92, for saxophones (1989); and Nightmare op.93 (words by Stephen Coates), for soprano, clarinet and piano (1989). Her principal publishers are Anglian, MSM, Oecumuse/Barry Brunton, Thames, Schauer and May, and Wise Owl.

Some material is held at the British Music Information Centre in London.

 

Biography from Archives Hub