[Sheena Tennant, niece of Margot Asquith.] Large collection of original autograph sheet music by 'one of the first women composers' (she studied under Nadia Boulanger), together with eight printed piano pieces by her.

The collection comprises a large collection of autograph sheet music, together with copies of nine published piano pieces. Accompanying the collection is an autograph note by Sheena Tennant's son Hugh Kendall: 'These books, with accompanying score sheets, represent something rather unusual - the compositional examples of my mother, aspiring as she did to be what she saw herself as - one of the first women composers. She studied under Nadia Boulanger in Paris, and subsequently in Munich (1904-1907).' Sheena Lilian Grant Tennant (hereafter ST) came from a privileged Scottish family, being the youngest of the six children (five daughters and a son) of the wealthy industrialist James Tennant of Fairlieburne, Fairlie, Argyllshire, a nephew of Sir Charles Tennant of the Glen (father of Margot Asquith, wife of British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith, who was hence James Tennant's cousin). Beginning as a partner in the Glasgow chemical manufacturers Charles Tennant & Co., James Tennant became director of companies including United Alkali Co, North Eastern Electric Supply Co, and Eastern Paper Mills Co. ST was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College, studied music composition in Paris under Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), published at least nine piano pieces (including songs by W. E. Henley and W. B. Yeats) between 1908 and 1929, worked during the war and until her marriage as assistant to Major William Byam (1882-1963), Royal Army Medical Corps, at the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Euston, and in Hampstead. On 31 July 1919 she married Herbert Moorhouse Kendall (1881-1941) of the P & O, previously of the 3rd Duke of Cornwall's Light Infrantry. SECTION A: A collection of autograph sheet music by ST. In fair condition, aged and worn, on printed score paper. Comprising: ONE: Book of scores of various pieces, bound in green buckram with green leather label on front cover, with 'SHEENA TENNANT' in gilt. Totalling 48pp., 4to, and comprising 12 pieces: 'My Garden | Words by T. E. Brown', signed 'J. G. T. 1916'; 'Prayer for a Little Home | Words by Florence Bone', 'S. G. T. 1919'; '"I will make you brooches . ." | Words by R. L. Stevenson', 'S. G. T. 1913'; 'A Cradle Song | Words by Padraic Colum', 'S. G. T. 1921'; 'The Cloths of Heaven. | Words by W. B. Yeats', 'S. G. T. 1921'; 'Prayer for a Little Child | Words by W. M. Letts', 'S. G. T. 1922'; 'Come my little Children | Words by R. L. Stevenson', 'S. G. T. 1920'; 'Three Songs from "Puck of Pook's Hill" | Words by Rudyard Kipling', 'S. G. T. 1913?'; 'From a Shropshire Lad [by A. E. Housman]', undated; 'The Country Faith | Words by Norman Gale', 'S. G. T. ['? 1916' added in pencil]'; 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree | Words by W. B. Yeats', 'S. G. T. 1916 [added later]'; 'Cargoes John Masefield', 'S. G. T. 1923'. TWO: Score of 'String Quartet | Sheena Tennant | (Fairlieburne Fairlie Ayrshire) | Allegro moderato | Andante non troppo | Allegro molto'. 41pp., 4to. In volume with blue cloth printed wraps with 'MUSIC' on cover. Undated. THREE: Score of 'Two Short Pieces' by 'Sheena Tennant | Fairlie, Ayrshire'. With 36 separate 'Orchestra Parts of "Two Short Pieces" by Sheena Tennant (Fairlie, Ayrshire', with autograph list. Separate scores for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, kettledrums, violins, violas, violoncellos, double basses. The 37 items wrapped in a brown paper package. FOUR: Collection of musical compositions, mostly on loose 4to leaves of sheet music. Among a packet of untitled fragments, on paper in a variety of formats are titles including: 'Thanksgiving. Words & Music by Sheena Tennant', dated August 1902; 'Dance. | Sheena Tennant' ('Played at the Court Theatre - London - November 1913'); 'Two Duets | by Sheena Tennant' (at head of first page: 'Written for Hugh - 1933 | (Mrs H. Kendall | 34 Fowlers Road | Salisbury)'; 'Prelude | Incidental Music written for the Folk song entertainment with the Longmans - Fairlieburne'; 'Connecting Music for Somerset Folk Songs - entertainment given at Fairlieburne with the Longmans 191-?'; 'Trio | pour piano, violon et violon celle | S. G. Tennant | 1911'; 'Felicity's Garden' (four parts); 'Prayer for a Little Child' (words by W. M. Letts, music by ST); 'Trio'; 'Quatuor'; 'Sonate'; 'My Garden'; 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree'; 'Prelude | Sheena Tennant'; 'Les Ruisseau. Fairlie Burn', 'Nocturne'. SECTION B: Printed sheet music of piano pieces. Collection of nine items (including two variants), in fair overall condition, on aged and worn paper, with the wraps of two items (One and one copy of Three, below) detached. All but Item One published by The Frederick Harris Company, London (either 85 or 89 Newman Street, Oxford Street; or 40 Berners Street). All excessively scarce, with no copy of Item Eight traced, with COPAC only recording one copy (at the British Library) of each of Items One to Five and Seven; two copies (British Library and Trinity College Dublin) of Item Six; and no copy of item Eight. ONE: 'Novellette for the Pianoforte' London: Augener Ltd, 6 New Burlington Street, W. [1908.] 7pp., folio. TWO: 'Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal. Song . Words by Alfred, Lord Tennyson'. [1912.] 5 + [1]pp., folio. Back cover carries advertisements for works by Carrie Jacobs-Bond. THREE: 'Two Short Pieces for Pianoforte'. [1912.] Two variants: one in brown wraps and the other in blue (front and back cover detached). FOUR: 'An Irish Cradle Song. Words by W. B. Yeats. From Poems by W. B. Yeats, published by T. Fisher Unwin'. [1914.] 5 + [1]pp., folio. Title page carries the gaelic motto: 'Goth yani me von gilli beg," | "'N heur ve thu more a creena"'. Back cover carries the first page of music of Item Two above. FIVE: 'An Echo. Song. Words by W. E. Henley'. [1914.] 6 + [1]pp., folio. Cover printed in red. Back cover carries the first page of music of Item Four above. SIX: 'A Song of Friendship. Song. Words by David Boyle'. [1916.] 5 + [1]pp., folio. Dedicated 'To D.H.M.B.' Back cover carries the first page of music of Item Five above. SEVEN: 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree. Words by W. B. Yeats'. [1917.] 5 + [1]pp., folio. Illustration of tree on bank of lake on cover. Back cover carries the first page of music of Item Two above. EIGHT: 'Two Capriccios for Piano'. [1929.] 11pp., folio. In blue covers, with list of 'Other Compositions by Sheena Tennant' on the back cover.