Emma Louise Ashford (born Hindle) (27 March 1850 – 22 September 1930) was an American organist, composer, and music editor. She wrote over 600 compositions. From 1894 to 1930 she was an editor at Lorenz Publishing Company, and at its periodicals The Choir Leader and The Organist.
Early life
Emma Louise Ashford (born Emma Louise Hindle) was born in Newark, Delaware, the only child of English parents. She received her first musical training at an early age from her father, James Hindle, who was a singing teacher. At eight years old she was admitted to her local Episcopal Church choir as an alto. She came to be known as "the best sight reader in the choir." From the choir director she also received instruction on piano and organ. In 1864, at age fourteen, her family moved to Ballard Vale, Massachusetts. Here she met and became acquainted with composer James Ramsey Murray (famous for his music to the Christmas carol Away in a Manger).
The following year her family moved to Connecticut, where she took the organist position at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Seymour, Connecticut. At that time she also studied piano with a Mrs. Street, and pipe organ with Dr. Anderson of St. Paul's Church, New Haven, CT.
Marriage
At one of her family's musical evenings, Hindle, now age seventeen, met John Ashford (1837–1930), a young engineer and amateur singer who had recently relocated to Connecticut from Bath, England. They married in 1867, and eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois. Mrs. Ashford was chosen out of twenty-eight applicants to fill the solo alto position at St. John's Episcopal Church, whose director was the renowned Dudley Buck. She also became the church's organist and harmony teacher. Emma considered the year she spent under the guidance of Professor Buck to be most significant and influential for her musical development.
In 1884, the Ashfords moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where John Ashford had been appointed the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds at Vanderbilt University. Here he founded the Vanderbilt Glee Club. living at 2105 Dixie Place.
Together the Ahfords lead the choirs of some of the largest churches in Nashville. She also put more energy into composing her own music. She had, from the time of her youth, studied harmony and counterpoint with a number of teachers, most notably Henri Weber and Dr. R. H. Peters, Mus.D., who noted her "deep and clear insight into things musical" and was impressed with her "intense musical temperament."
Later life and musical development
In Nashville Emma began to be noticed as a composer. The university's dean, Herbert Tolman (1865–1923) said of her: "Of the women of our town, some have distinguished themselves in literature and some in art, but in the field of musical composition there is one name par excellence. It is the name of Mrs Emma L. Ashford."
For many years Emma and John could be found directing the music at the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Ohabai Sholom Jewish Temple and for several years Emma filled the place of organist at various churches, including the First Baptist, Tulip Street (Methodist), and Christ Church (Episcopal).
All the while, Emma was also pursuing her own studies in harmony, counterpoint, canon and fugue with Christian Heinrich Weber (b.1812–d?), co-leader of the Nashville Academy of Music, and Dr R.H. Peters, Director of Music at Converse College. Spartanburg.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/worldswork18gard/worldswork18gard_djvu.txt The World's Work'] (May 1909). Online resource, accessed 24 May 2022.</ref> Peters would later remark: Her work was excellent in every respect, and showed unmistakably that behind it all there existed brains as well as intense musical temperament and appreciation. For Mrs. Ashford’s ability in matters musical I entertain a respect that borders on the profound. In 1894, 1897 and 1904 Emma made study trips to Europe.
Emma Ashford is buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.