Page 112 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2020. Konservatoriji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela ▪︎ The conservatories: professionalisation and specialisation of musical activity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 4
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konservator iji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela

stroyed during the fighting). The “Emergency” that was the Second World
War is reflected in an entry like this one:

The Governors definitely decided that during the present emergen-
cy orchestral parts were not to be loaned except to the Broadcasting
Orchestra but that scores might be loaned for the purpose of study.12

More openly political is a motion put to the vote during the early days of the
war on 28 February 1940 which proposed

to amend the Scheme under which this institution functions to the
extent that the title thereof be amended henceforth to read ‘The
Irish Academy of Music’ or some such other name as the Governors
may decide on.13

Removing the “Royal” from the institution’s name would have been a
highly visible slap in Albion’s face, and it was a very close-run thing in-
deed: The initial vote was 8:8, until the Chairman’s casting vote made it
9:8 against the motion. John F. Larchet is recorded as having abstained on
this occasion.

Another remarkable motion that captures something of a certain zeit-
geist was announced at the meeting of 9 December 1936 for discussion at
the subsequent meeting (as was common with all motions):

That all married ladies now on the salaried staff of the Academy
be informed by Registered Letter Post, that any contract or Agree-
ment they may hold will become null and void on June 30th. 1937;
and that the Governors in the meantime take steps to appoint men
or unmarried ladies in their places, so that the successful candi-
dates may be prepared to take up their duties on the re-opening of
the Academy in September 1937.14
The motion must have engendered some secret discussions behind the

scenes, as it was withdrawn at the next meeting. Yet its thinking was in line
with the “Marriage Bar” introduced by Eamon de Valera’s new government
in Ireland in 1932; this measure required women working in the public ser-
vice to give up their jobs when getting married. It remained in place for sev-
eral decades before being gradually abolished (for primary school teachers
in 1957; for other public servants in 1973).

12 Meeting on 13 October 1943, Minute Books (1120/1/29), no pagination.
13 Meeting on 28 February 1940, Minute Books (1120/1/29), no pagination.
14 Meeting on 9 December 1936, Minute Books (1120/1/29), no pagination.

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