MUSIC by a Malvern composer, who almost destroyed her works, is being released on a new CD.

A pianist and writer of over 130 pieces of music, Dorothy Howell lived in Malvern Wells for over 30 years before spending her final few years in Perrins nursing home, Malvern where she died in 1982.

It was the end of an accomplished musical career, which began at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1914, when Dorothy was just 15.

One of six children, Dorothy was born in Birmingham's Handsworth in 1898. Her father, Charles Edward, married Viola, a great neice of Birmingham Post founder John Frederick Feeney and was director with Hingleys Iron and Steel in Netherton. Great-grandfather Henry had been sometime secretary to Birmingham's Triennial Music Festival.

In a time when women composers were held in low esteem, Dorothy devoted her life to music.

Niece Merryn Howell said: "In those days there was the feeling women were perhaps not up to that sort of thing. She was in no way a feminist but recognised, quite rightly, that she had a gift for music. She decided not to marry and to concentrate on music."

Dorothy entered public life after her first orchestral piece, Lamia, was performed.

Merryn said: "It's based on a poem by Keats and was performed at the Proms at Queen's Hall in London. She was 21 and she took London by storm."

After appointments as a professor with the Royal Academy and as a fellow with RAM, Dorothy taught at the Tobias Mattay Pianoforte School and was elected member of the Royal Philharmonic Society.

She moved to Malvern Wells in 1946 and sadly the following year, aged 49, was diagnosed with cancer.

She continued in her work, teaching locally, in London, Birmingham and Cheltenham, playing organ at St Wulstan's church and composing works for Stanbrook Abbey and St Richard's school, which has now moved from Malvern Wells to Bredenbury.

Merryn said: "Her musical character is very distinctive and easily recognisable to those of us who knew her.

"She was never sloppy. Her compositions are always very beautifully constructed and I'm told by pianists who've played her since that her music sits beautifully under the hand."

When it came time for Dorothy to move from Studley, now known as White Cottage, into Perrins she sunk into a deep depression.

"I was in the next room when she was having to move," Merryn said. "I heard her musing, saying 'nobody is going to want this stuff' and she started tearing papers up.

"Some instinct made me think 'golly this is important' and I gave her a big cardboard box to throw stuff away in. All of it was saved and the archive is here (in Bewdley, home of the Dorothy Howell Trust)."

Dorothy is buried near Elgar's grave, which she tended for many years, in St Wulstan's graveyard.

The CD, Dorothy Howell: Chamber Music is produced by Dutton Epoch. For details see www.duttonlabs. demon.co.uk.