In Search of Miss Boyd Steven – The Glasgow Orpheus Choir – Miss Boyd Steven’s Choir

One of the most exciting aspects of undertaking research, is finding information about people and organsiations

that are all-but-forgotten today. One of the singers who had a fascinating and significant career, is Miss Boyd

Steven. She was a member of the internationally-acclaimed Glasgow Orpheus Choir, and one of its soloists.

 

When I began to see her name recurring in newspaper articles and advertisments for concerts, I searched for

more details online. About three years ago, there were a few entries on google, and I am pleased to note that

the number has increased in 2022.

 

The first entry I read is on the IMDb website, in the cast list of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1945

film, I Know Where I’m Going! Boyd Steven is one of three named  members of The Glasgow Orpheus Choir,

in the list, and is one of the singers in the scenes with the cèilidh. The other two are Maxwell Kennedy and

Jean Houston.

 

Miss Steven sings the title-song at the end of the film, and is named in the end credits, along with Kennedy and

Houston, as “Members of the Glasgow Orpheus Choir”. IMDb gives her year of birth as 1875 and notes that she

died in Glasgow on the 25th of December, 1967. I have checked the Glasgow Herald, for any death notice or

obituary, but found no information.

 

Other entries on google include: genome.ch.bbc.co.uk, for a concert with The Glasgow Orpheus Choir, relayed

from the Queen’s Hall, London, on Saturday the 12th of April, 1930; an extract from Hugh S. Roberton’s

Prelude to the Orpheus, 1946, on electricscotland.com/history/orpheus; secondhandsongs.com; and

wikipedia’s entry for the Powell and Pressburger film, under ‘Music’.

 

If you have any information about the life and work of Miss Boyd Steven, I would be delighted to hear from you.

My contact address is: glasgows_cultural_history@btinternet.com

 

 

George Fairfull-Smith, March 2022.