NATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR MUSIC.
June 15th, 1875.
The need for extending musical education, and for improving musical taste in England, has long been felt. That there is no lack of musical genius or skill in our country is sufficiently attested by the great array of eminent composers and distinguished performers, whether in vocal or instrumental music, both in former and in recent times. Nor has the love of the art, and delight in its exercise, ever been wanting. There was a time when what we now call "old English" rounds and catches, glees and madrigals, and all kinds of choral compositions, were popular, in the widest sense of the word. The love of orchestral harmony has also been great in England, where Handel found his home, and the best field for his wonderful powers. In those days Ireland was truly one with England, in appreciation of high classical music. It was in Dublin that the Messiah was first heard, and best appreciated. Even in the depressed period of music, in the early decades of this century, there were always competitions of well-trained choirs and bands, which showed the love and practice of musical art to be still widely diffused and ardently cultivated.
Notwithstanding all this, it had come to be necessary to take some measures for advancing musical art throughout the country, where great towns and busy centres of industry had multiplied, without the civilising influence of music being to a corresponding degree diffused. No one felt this more strongly than the Prince Consort, but the opportunity of carrying out his ideas did not arise in his lifetime. The Royal Academy of Music, founded in 1822, and incorporated in 1830, did good service in its limited way, for training its pupils and awarding a few scholarships; but some institution was needed, with larger expansiveness, and capable of diffusing the love and the practice of music more widely among the people.
It was in furtherance of this national purpose that the Prince of Wales, who put himself at the head of the movement, held a conference at Marlborough House, on the 15th of June, 1875.
The immediate object was to promote the establishment of free scholarships, to be held in the National Training Schools for Music, then being erected, close to the Royal Albert Hall, at Kensington Gore. The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Christian and the Duke of Teck were present; and representatives of many public bodies in Church and State, including the Archbishops and several Bishops, the Lord Mayor of London and the Mayors of many provincial towns, the Masters or Prime Wardens of the City Companies, the head masters of public schools, the Chairman and members of the London School Board, the Parliamentary representatives of the Metropolitan boroughs, and a very numerous company, of the most distinguished name and position.
The Prince of Wales, in opening the proceedings, expressed his gratification at the large attendance, which augured well for the object they all had in view. He then called on the Duke of Edinburgh to move the first resolution, in introducing which he gave a lucid and interesting statement of the history of the movement.
In 1854, the Royal Academy of Music made an application to the Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851 to grant a site upon their estate for a building in which they could carry on their labours. The negotiations were not successful, and matters remained in abeyance until 1865, when the Society of Arts appointed a Committee to consider and report on the whole subject of musical education in this country. Of this committee the Prince of Wales consented to act as chairman. Inquiries were made as to the methods employed in the management of musical academies in Paris, Berlin, Munich, Milan, and other Continental schools. Reports were drawn up, one of the main points in which dealt with the necessity for instituting scholarships to be competed for openly, so as to draw out the best musical talent throughout the country. Assistance should be given in cases where the scholars were unable to provide education for themselves.
In 1872 negotiations were reopened with the Royal Academy, with the idea of removing the head-quarters of the Academy from Tenderden Street to South Kensington. It became more evident that the purposes contemplated by the Committee of the Society of Arts could be better accomplished by the establishment of a new and independent institution as a National Training School for Music. The foundation-stone of the new institution had been laid in 1873, at which time a member of the Council, Mr. Freake, had liberally offered to undertake the whole cost of the building. At first Mr. Freake intended to give the use only of the building for some years, but he now requested the acceptance of it as a free gift. It was further stated by the Duke of Edinburgh that there was ample accommodation for above 300 students. It only remained to obtain the foundation of Scholarships in sufficient numbers for the appointment of a permanent Staff of Professors, and other arrangements for efficiently carrying on the new training school.
The Duke of Edinburgh then moved a resolution for the appointment of a Committee for taking steps to found Free Scholarships for the City of London and the Metropolitan districts. This resolution was seconded by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and supported by the Lord Mayor and the Archbishop of York.
The Prince of Wales, in responding to a vote of thanks for having convened and presiding over the meeting, said, "he thought the initiative in this matter was really due to his brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, who had taken great interest in music since his childhood. The same was the case with their father, the late Prince Consort, whose name would always be remembered with gratitude for the powerful influence he had exercised on the intellectual advancement of the country, and to whose efforts might be traced in great measure the important place which music now held in the estimation of all classes.
"On the whole, they had reason to congratulate themselves on the success of the meeting, and he was glad to have the opportunity of returning his thanks to the Lord Mayor and to all the gentlemen representing the great City Companies for their co-operation on this occasion, feeling that that meeting would be the commencement of a movement which he trusted would be a success. In conclusion, he wished to move a resolution conveying a vote of thanks to Mr. Freake for the handsome and liberal manner in which he had so kindly behaved in giving the building for the National Training School of Music. It was already a great exercise of liberality to offer the use of it rent free for five years, and certainly he was sure none present could have expected that he would have made them a present of it. He was therefore anxious that they should on that occasion record a unanimous vote of thanks to him for his great liberality, and for the interest he had taken in the welfare of that which they had so much at heart."
The Duke of Edinburgh seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously.