# Muriel Foster

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Muriel_Foster
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Muriel_Foster.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muriel_Foster
> Source revision: 1186324791
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|British opera singer (1877–1937)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
thumb|Muriel Foster, from a 1905 publication.
'''Muriel Foster''' (22 November 1877{{spaced ndash}}23 December 1937) was an English [contralto](/source/contralto), excelling in oratorio. ''[Grove's Dictionary](/source/Grove_Dictionary_of_Music_and_Musicians)'' describes her voice as "one of the most beautiful voices of her time".<ref name=grove/>

Muriel Foster was born in [Sunderland](/source/Sunderland%2C_Tyne_and_Wear) in 1877.  She was one of twin daughters; her sister was Hilda Foster.  Muriel and Hilda studied at the [Royal College of Music](/source/Royal_College_of_Music) in London.  Muriel's oratorio debut was in [Hubert Parry](/source/Hubert_Parry)'s ''King Saul'' in 1896.  The Foster sisters performed at the Popular Concerts in 1899 in duets, Hilda retiring in 1900 upon marriage. Muriel Foster performed in [Edward Elgar](/source/Edward_Elgar)'s ''[The Dream of Gerontius](/source/The_Dream_of_Gerontius)'' under [Julius Buths](/source/Julius_Buths) in [Düsseldorf](/source/D%C3%BCsseldorf) in May 1902, of which the [Manchester Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) wrote: "The part of the Angel was given by Miss Muriel Foster with the wonderfully beautiful and genuine voice ..."  She had previously sung in Elgar's ''[Sea Pictures](/source/Sea_Pictures)''.  She was also memorable in [Brahms](/source/Johannes_Brahms)' ''[Alto Rhapsody](/source/Alto_Rhapsody)''.

She was a personal friend of Elgar and sang in the first performance of his ''[Coronation Ode](/source/Coronation_Ode)'' of 1902; ''[The Apostles](/source/The_Apostles_(Elgar))'' (1903); ''[The Kingdom](/source/The_Kingdom_(Elgar))'' (1906); "[The River](/source/The_River_(Elgar))" (1910) and ''[The Music Makers](/source/The_Music_Makers_(Elgar))'' (1912). Elgar dedicated his song "[A Child Asleep](/source/A_Child_Asleep)" to Muriel Foster's son Anthony Goetz 'for his mother's singing'. In January 1914 she sang at a Royal Philharmonic concert the aria 'Aus der Tiefe des Grames' from ''Achilleus'' by [Max Bruch](/source/Max_Bruch), under the baton of [Willem Mengelberg](/source/Willem_Mengelberg), and achieved the distinction of the Gold Medal of the [Royal Philharmonic Society](/source/Royal_Philharmonic_Society).<ref>R Elkin, ''Royal Philharmonic'' (Rider, London 1946), 135, 140. At least 11 gold medals were awarded to singers between 1871 and 1914, but none from 1915-1944.</ref>

She also performed in lieder recitals, her regular accompanist being [Anthony Bernard](/source/Anthony_Bernard).

Muriel Foster performed regularly in [London](/source/London) and the provinces, as well as in Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and the USA. She had a command of a number of languages.

In 1906 she married Ludovic Goetz, and later both changed their surname to Foster.<ref name=grove>[Eric Blom](/source/Eric_Blom), ed., [Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians](/source/Grove_Dictionary_of_Music_and_Musicians), 5th ed, 1954, Vol. III, p. 455</ref>

== Quote ==
[Charles Villiers Stanford](/source/Charles_Villiers_Stanford) wrote about her
:"She has not got the whopping voice of [Clara Butt](/source/Clara_Butt), but she has more poetry and is musical to her fingertips" <ref>Percy Young, ‘’Elgar O.M.’’</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}
''Miss Muriel Foster'' [https://www.jstor.org/stable/903613] ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 45, No. 733 (1 March 1904), pp.&nbsp;153–155
*{{cite book | last=Young | first=Percy M. | title=Elgar O.M.: a study of a musician | location=London  | publisher=Collins| year=1973 | oclc=869820}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Muriel}}
Category:1877 births
Category:1937 deaths
Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Music
Category:English contraltos
Category:Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists

{{UK-opera-singer-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Muriel Foster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muriel_Foster) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muriel_Foster?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.