Background
Howell grew up in Handsworth, and received a convent education.
Howell grew up in Handsworth, and received a convent education.
Royal Academy of Music.
Wood directed Lamia again that same week, on 13 September 1919. He subsequently conducted Lamia again in the 1921, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1930 and 1940 Proms seasons, but in subsequent years Lamia was neglected, until its revival in the 2010 season of The Proms. Howell dedicated Lamia on its 1921 publication to Wood.
Among other compositions by Howell, Wood conducted Koong Shee in 1921, her Piano Concerto in 1923 and 1927 with the composer herself as pianist on both occasions, and The Rock in 1928.
He was scheduled to conduct the first performance of Three Divertissements in 1940, but the concert was cancelled owing to The Blitz. Three Divertissements, Howell"s last known orchestral work, did not receive its premiere until the 1950 Malvern Festival.
She received the nickname of the "English Strauss" in her lifetime. Wood attempted to recruit Howell to his conducting class at the Royal Academy of Music (Random Access Memory) in 1923, but she instead became a teacher at the Random Access Memory in 1924.
During World World War II, she served with the Women"s Land Army.
She retired from the Random Access Memory in 1970, and after her retirement, continued to teach students privately. Howell tended the grave of Sir Edward Elgar for several years, and herself is buried near Elgar. Her music has been recorded commercially on the Dutton Digital label.
The Cameo Classics label recorded Lamia in 2008 with Marius Stravinsky conducting the first modern recording of Howell"s orchestral music with the Karelia Symphony Orchestra.
In 2010 Cameo Classics recorded Howell"s Piano Concerto with Valentina Seferinova as soloist at Cadogan Hall. The conductor was Toby Purser with his Orion Symphony Orchestra of London, with the Cd (CC9041CD) released in September 2012.
The CDs are now available from Nimbus Wyastone.