Maconchy, (Dame) Elizabeth (b Broxbourne, 1907; d Norwich, 1994). Eng. composer of Irish parentage. While she was studying in Prague, her pf. concertino was perf. by Prague PO, 1930. In the same year her suite The Land was played at the London Proms. Her ob. quintet won Daily Telegraph chamber mus. prize, 1933. She concentrated on chamber mus., inspired by Bartók's example. Her mus. is contrapuntal and tends to have short concise thematic material, but a freer, more passionate style developed in later works. Cobbett Medal for chamber mus. 1960, CBE 1977. DBE 1987. Nicola LeFanu is her daughter. Prin. works:OPERAS: 3 1-act operas, The Sofa (1956–7), The Departure (1960–1), The Three Strangers (Hardy) (1958–67) (1st perf. as trilogy, Middlesbrough 1977); The Birds (1967–8); The Jesse Tree, masque (1970); The King of the Golden River (1975).ORCH.: Suite, The Land (1930); ov. Proud Thames (1953); Concertino, pf., orch. (1930); Dialogue, pf., orch. (1940); Concertino, cl., str. (1945); Serenata Concertante, vn., orch. (1963); Concertino, bn., str. (1959); Variazioni Concertante (1965); Music, brass, ww. (1965); 3 Cloudscapes (1968); 3 Poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins, high v., chamber orch. (1964–70); Ariadne (C. Day Lewis), sop., orch. (1970); Epyllion, vc., 15 str. (1975); Sinfonietta (1975–6); Romanza, va., small orch. (1979); Little Symphony (1980); Tribute, vn., ens. (1982–3); My Dark Heart, sop., ens. (1982); Music for Strings (1983); Concertino, cl., small orch. (1985); Life Story, str. (1985).CHORAL: cantata, Samson and the Gates of Gaza (1964); And Death Shall Have No Dominion, ch., brass (1969); Prayer Before Birth, women's vv. (1972); Sirens' Song, unacc. (1974); 2 Epitaphs, unacc. women's ch. (1975); 4 Miniatures, unacc. (1978); The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo, ch., alto fl., va., hp. (1978); Héloise and Abélard, dramatic cantata, sop., ten., bar., ch., orch. (1978); Creatures, ch. (1979); There is no rose, ch. (1984); O Time, turn back, 16 vv., ens. (1984); Still Falls the Rain, double ch. (1985); The Bellman's Carol, unacc. ch. (1985).SONGS & SONG-CYCLE: The Garland, sop., pf. (1938); 3 Donne Songs, ten., pf. (1966); Sun, Moon, and Stars, sop., pf. (1978); My Dark Heart, sop., ens. (1982); L'Horloge, sop., cl., pf. (1983); In memory of W. B. Yeats, sop., pf. (1985); Butterflies, mez., hp. (1986).CHAMBER MUSIC: Str. Qts. No.1 (1933), No.2 (1937), No.3 (1938), No.4 (1939–43), No.5 (1948), No.6 (1950), No.7 (1955–6), No.8 (1966), No.9 (1968–9), No.10 (1971–2), No.11 (1976), No.12 (1979), No.13 (1984); ob. quintet (1933); Reflections, ob., cl., va., hp. (1961); Notebook, hpd. (1965–6); 3 Bagatelles, ob., hpd. (1972); 3 Songs, ten., hp. (1974); 3 Pieces, hp. (1976); Contemplation, vc., pf. (1978); Colloquy, fl., pf. (1978–9); Fantasia, cl., pf. (1979); Piccola Musica, str. trio (1980); wind quintet (1980); Trittico, 2 ob., bn., hpd. (1981); Tribute, vn. and 8 wind (1982); 5 Sketches, va. (1984); Excursion, bn. (1984); Narration, vc. (1985).