MacDowell Colony
English composer
Definition
An artists' retreat in Peterborough, New Hampshire founded in 1907. Beach was a frequent summer resident from 1921 onward, and the colony's natural surroundings directly inspired several of her late piano works, including the Hermit Thrush pieces (Op. 92) and the Three Pianoforte Pieces (Op. 128), whose programme notes specify particular chipmunks, birches, and hummingbirds observed on the grounds.