ABSTRACT
Westminster Cathedral had become an important locus for Lucy who, though not a practising Catholic, nevertheless found its choral offerings and atmosphere comforting, particularly during the war years. It was her first destination on Armistice Day (she had already gone with Leo the previous day) before visiting the Abbey for a service at noon. She returned to the Cathedral with Leo in the evening to hear ‘a gorgeous ancient Te Deum’. Crowds continued to throng Buckingham Palace, and St Paul’s where she noted ‘a terrifying crowd’.1 But, despite all the delirium and relief, the aftermath of war left Lucy feeling restless and disturbed, mourning the deaths of Hubert Parry in October and of friends and family during the war itself. The McInnes affair had slammed the door on her prewar past. Once again, the family firm was going through a crisis, with financial implications for everyone. Her ‘delightful and true friend’, Annie Ritchie, died at Freshwater in February 1919, but Lucy was too ill to attend the funeral. Constant strikes and unrest made daily life difficult. But friendships remained: Lucy still saw much of Fanny Davies, who had resumed her concerts at her studio in Holland Park, exploring new territory with her Tschudi harpsichord and playing duets with Hélène Dolmetsch, who was still playing her viola da gamba. Fanny’s birthday in March was marked by a concert in which the pianist and her friends performed a programme of Bach. Davies played the piano rather than the harpsichord, and the tenor Gervase Elwes sang arias. The performance was crowned by a performance of the ‘Peasant’ cantata accompanied by a quartet; Lucy provided introductory remarks. Musical life was beginning to return to normal.2
