A brief history of the Ina Boyle Society Ltd

The Ina Boyle Society was formally established as a limited company in 2020 and a registered charity in 2022 in the UK, though work really began on fostering the revival of interest in Ina Boyle’s music in 2015 when Katie Rowan convened what she called the ‘Ina Boyle Development Committee’ at a meeting in Dublin. 

This comprised a prestigious group of musicians and academics from both the UK and Ireland including the late Dr. Ita Beausang (a key figure in the Irish music education world and the biographer of Ina Boyle), Dr. Kerry Houston (Director of Academic Studies at the TUD Conservatoire, Dublin), Ian Fox (Author, Opera Critic and RDS and RIAM trustee), Jonathan Grimes (Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin), Kenneth Baird (Director of the European Opera Centre), the late Ronald Corp (British conductor and composer, responsible for the first commercial recording of Ina’s music with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra), Dr. Emma O'Keeffe (TUD), with vital support for its work provided by Roy Stanley (Music Librarian at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the Boyle family.   

The Development Committee embodied the Anglo-Irish partnership approach that has since informed the establishment of an Artistic Advisory Committee and underpinned the burgeoning worldwide renaissance of interest in Ina Boyle’s life and music.  

Early Milestones

  • The vesting of all Ina Boyle’s manuscripts and papers at the Library of TCD

  • Registration of IB’s music with the Irish Musical Rights Organisation (IMRO)

  • Premieres of key IB compositions at St Paul's Cathedral London and St Patrick's Cathedral Dublin

  • Performances of IB’s 1923 orchestral tone poem ‘The Magic Harp’ at events marking Ireland’s presidency of EU

  • Inclusion of IB’s music in the music festival ‘Composing the Island – a Century of Music in Ireland 1916-2016’ at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, in September 2016

  • First Orchestral Recording BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Ronald Corp 

Establishment of the IBSL as a UK Charity

In 2019, with the number of performances, broadcasts, and recordings of Ina’s music increasing rapidly around the world, and interest in her life and music, it became clear that establishing the IBSL as a legal entity was essential. The original intention was for this to be an Irish organisation, but despite considerable efforts in Ireland and the UK, this did not prove possible so, by necessity, the Ina Boyle Society Ltd was registered as a limited company in the UK in 2020 and a UK charity in 2022. 

Key Achievements 

  • Thanks to the work and support of John Gilhooly and Iain Burnside, a premiere recording of a selection of IB’s songs was made at the Wigmore Hall and released by Delphian 

  • The Ina Boyle Songbook was produced by the IBSL and launched at an Irish Heritage recital in November 2023 

  • The premiere recording of Ina Boyle’s String Quartet in E Flat by Piatti Quartet received a Presto Music Award in 2023 

  • On 10th March 2026, fifty-nine years to the day since her passing, Wigmore Hall staged a landmark concert, 'Ina Boyle: A Rediscovery,' showcasing the incredible works of Ina Boyle

IBSL Funding and Administration

The IBSL was founded and continues to be powered by the efforts of enthusiastic and committed volunteers, led by the redoubtable Katie Rowan as President and Dr Michael Boyle as Chair. Initially funded by individual donations, the work of the IBSL has largely been sustained over recent years by the generosity of the Boyle Family. Their decision to devote the income derived from royalties to support the IBSL has enabled us to employ a vital part-time coordinator.

The Future

The IBSL is about to enter a very exciting stage in its history. Faber Music has recently entered into a new publishing agreement with the Estate of Ina Boyle to represent over 80 works, taking on the responsibility for publishing and promoting her music. This partnership marks a significant milestone in the continued resurgence of interest in Ina's legacy. We are witnessing a wonderful shift as her music reaches a new generation of listeners, many of whom are discovering her distinctive music for the first time.

It is a transformation that brings to mind the words of her mentor, Ralph Vaughan Williams, who wrote to her in 1937:

"I think it is most courageous of you to go on with so little recognition. 

The only thing to say is that it sometimes
does come finally.”

As we look at the recent landmark performances at Wigmore Hall and the growing interest in Ina’s music, it is clear that this recognition has indeed arrived. We look forward to further exciting developments for Ina's legacy in the months to come.