Minerva Scientifica Birthday Celebration: Lady Dufferin

“The Charming Woman” by Helen Blackwood, Lady Dufferin, Countess of Gifford (1807 – 1867), an English poet and composer is performed by Samantha Houston (mezzo), Gwion Thomas (baritone) and Frances M Lynch (piano) for the Electric Voice Theatre.

The song was chosen as a little light relief as part of our programme – “Songs and Stories from the Somerville Connexion” both because of the friendship which existed between the composer and the astronomer and mathematician, Mary Somerville, and because the song includes references to Mary’s young life – including the rather unflattering portrayal of her mother’s neglect and Somerville’s fascination with Euclid. The song has many verses but we have chosen only those which we feel most pertinent to this connexion!

The song is one of many from “A Selection of the Songs of Lady Dufferin, (Countess of Gifford), Set to Music by Herself & Others, Edited by her Son, THE MARQUESS OF DUFFERIN AND AVA” which was published by John Murray in 1895.
Her son also had a collection of her poems and verses published which he prefaced with a short history of his mother’s life and family history.

You can find out more about her life on our Minerva Scientifica website click here 

Helen Blackwood, Lady Dufferin, Countess of Gifford (1807 – 1867)
The image of Helen Blackwood, Lady Dufferin is by an unknown author – Public Domain CC