Information about composers of music to Amy Carmichael’s songs

Rev Kenneth S. Procter
His brother, Ronald, was the first engineer to work in Dohnavur. Kenneth had twice stayed in Dohnavur in the 1920s on his travels out to and back from an appointment in Rangoon. He was so delighted with the Family’s children that he began setting to music what became their manuscript called Forest Songs. He had to decline Amma’s invitation to join the work himself, but from England down the years, until 1945, he contributed a wealth of serious tunes of his own, specially composed for her verse. He also arranged favourite tunes by others in Dohnavur.

Mary E. Dobson
Daughter of the English poet H. Austin Dobson, 1840 to 1921.

Dr T. Howard Somervell
Surgeon at Neyyoor (who in 1924 lent his pocket camera to Mallory and Irvine on Everest for a photo at the summit, and he himself stayed up very high hoping for their return).

Edgar H. Fewkes
Sometime organist at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Bangalore.

Edith Phillips-Jones
Amy Carmichael's first secretary, but had to leave Dohnavur after six years due to poor health in 1937.

Peggy Spencer Palmer
Dr. Kinnear met her in 1935 at the home of the Bible teacher Harold St John of Malvern Link, Worcestershire, and recognised the quality of her work. She was exceptionally gifted as a pianist, and had every reason to expect a future as a solo performer at concerts but after becoming a Christian, she found it difficult to reconcile secular success with the kind of humble service she thought God was wanting her to do. However, she was delighted to be asked to be the Music Editor for the collection of Amy Carmichael’s songs with music published as Wings by SPCK in 1960, She revised arrangements by other composers as well as contributing some of her own to the publication.

Mabel Wade
Came from Yorkshire and trained as a nurse at The London Hospital. The matron there referred to her as “the best nurse we ever had”. She joined Amy Carmichael in 1907 as the first nurse to work with her. She was chief carer of babies for many years and until the early 1920's the only member of the Dohnavur Community with any medical knowledge or training. So her responsibilities were very great. She was musical and became the children’s first music teacher. She taught the children to sing. One senior remembers “She was very correct about the way Dohnavur Fellowship boys and girls sang Amma's songs. Any new song composed by Amma was put to music by folks in the U.K. and then sent to Dohnavur for us to learn. After that we sang it to Amma." She remained in Dohnavur after she ceased nursing or helping in the baby nurseries and died there on June 13th 1961.