Anglo-Irish composer Elizabeth Maconchy may be one of the most underrated string composers the British Isles have ever produced. Coming from a non-musical family, she demonstrated compositional skills early in life. A adult bout with tuberculosis and the enforced isolation provided opportunity for her to develop an individual voice. Aside from strings, she wrote operas, vocal works, and various instrumental and orchestral pieces.

Maconchy's daughter Nicola LeFanu followed in her mother's compositional footsteps.