Dorothy Silk

However she recognised that his training gave her a good vocal technique, and she relished the opportunities pre-First World War Vienna afforded to go to operas and concerts, also spending afternoons hearing Ferruccio Busoni playing the piano.

[1] Her singing won the admiration of the music editor and choral conductor William G. Whittaker, who in 1916 wrote to Gustav Holst warmly commending her as "a beautiful artist and woman" and urging him to send her any of his solo soprano works for her to study.

[4] Silk particularly built her reputation as a Bach singer, and gave pioneering chamber concerts (1921-6) in which she performed cantatas by Heinrich Schütz and Franz Tunder.

[7] She was much admired by the composer who expressed a preference for her as soloist for his Choral Symphony, which she sang with great success at its Leeds premiere on 7 October 1925.

"[11] Although Silk's voice, described as ‘light’ and ‘flexible’,[2] was considered ideal for Bach, she also made a fine impression singing the soprano solo part in Verdi's Requiem.