About the author

The author
Anne Page, B. mus
in 1948

Anne Page (nee Murray) was born at Torquay, Devon, in January 1920. She began piano lessons at the age of four as she was always improvising and playing by ear.

Anne was educated at St Stephen's College, Folkestone and at the Royal College of Music in London where she held a composition scholarship and studied with Herbert Howells. During college vacations she had choir training lessons with Sir Edward Bairstow in York. She completed her B mus degree at Durham University in 1943.

There followed wartime service in the WRNS. On demobilisation in 1945 Anne was appointed organist and choir mistress at Chiselhurst (St Nicholas) Parish Church where she built up a large choir of boys and men. She was also the conductor of the Orpington Choral Society.

In 1951 Anne moved on to become Director of Music at Croydon High School for Girls. She left there in 1953 to begin a D mus course with Dr HK Andrews at  New College Oxford.

Anne married in 1954 and had four children, a girl and three boys. Sadly, her husband died in 1964. In the 1960s two of her boys became choristers at Salisbury Cathedral and one was for a time a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral. Also during this period she joined the music staff of the (then) Salisbury Teachers' Training College.

Her compositions include two string quartets, many songs and some church music.

She now lives in an old people's home in Milton Keynes.

Anne Page's farewell concert, 1951

Hosanna, Hosanna, in the highest heav'ns.

Hosanna in the highest heav'ns.

Hosanna, Hosanna, in excelsis Deo

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