May Summerbelle
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May Summerbelle | |
|---|---|
 May Summerbelle in 1924 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 1 January 1946 |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, journalist |
| Years active | 1890-1930 |
Annie May Constance Summerbelle (1867 – 1947) was an Australian composer of light classical and popular music.[1][2][3] She was the third daughter of Captain William and Honoriah Summerbelle of Double Bay.[4] Her sister, Stella Clare, married Francis Joseph Bayldon, a master mariner and nautical instructor.[5] From the late 1880s she was a student of Alice Charbonnet-Kellermann, with Summerbelle's earliest compositions appearing in the early 1890s.[6]
Among a hundred compositions, she had music selected for the British Empire Exhibition in London.[7] Her song So Long was played by the Australian Light Horse as the first wave embarked on the Gallipoli campaign.[8][9] The song was also selected by Australian entertainers despatched to entertain troops.[10]
She married Herbert Glasson in 1893[4] and wrote 'Love is a fadeless flower' while heavily pregnant with his child. The same year Herbert was convicted and executed for murder and robbery under arms.[11] Ms Summerbelle involved herself with repertory theatre groups via the Sydney Press-Women.[12]
