Page 115 - 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
P. 115
ir ish conservator ies dur ing the inter-war per iod
Cork School of Music
What is now known as the Cork School of Music started its life in 1878 as
the Cork Municipal School of Music, the first of its kind in both Great Brit-
ain and Ireland (two years ahead of London’s Guildhall School of Music). In
its first year it had 161 students who were taught by five staff members. These
numbers gradually expanded despite some mishaps – for example, wind in-
struments were mainly taught by army band members; these classes tem-
porarily collapsed during the Boer War, when the soldiers were transferred
to Southern Africa. The School has occupied five different premises dur-
ing the 140 years of its existence; currently it resides in an impressive, pur-
pose-built building opened in 2007. A Steinway employee in Hamburg once
told me that the order for 57 grand pianos for this new building was the
largest single order that Hamburg’s Steinway factory ever received; they
threw in a few free upright pianos for good measure.
On 1 January 1993 the Cork School of Music became a constituent
school of Cork Regional Technical College, which in 1997 was renamed
as Cork Institute of Technology. This association gave the School de-
gree-awarding powers; it has taught a BMus degree course since 1995, then
added taught and research Master’s degrees, and awarded its first PhD in
Musicology in 2008.20
One of the most important developments during the inter-war peri-
od was the School’s association with Carl Hardebeck. During the early de
cades of the twentieth century there was a desire to establish lectureships
and professorships of Irish Traditional Music in many places, often fund-
ed or partly supported by the local governments. Cork was no exception,
and on 3 June 1918 the minutes of the School’s Committee (the equivalent
of the RIAM’s Governing Body) note that the professors had not responded
to a request to outline “what was being done for Irish Music in the School.”21
The Committee clearly had the impression that the current professors (who
were art music specialists across the board) were not interested in further-
ing Irish music, and might even be blocking attempts to achieve progress
with this agenda. At the same meeting one member opined that “until the
Committee had seen fit to appoint a Director, having full control of the Pro-
20 Susan O’Regan, “Cork School of Music,” in Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland, eds.
Harry White and Barra Boydell (Dublin: University College Dublin Press, 2013), vol.
1: 251–256.
21 Cork, Cork City and County Archives, Cork School of Music, Minute Books of Com-
mittee, Meeting on 3 June 1918, Ref. VEC/SM/A/04, 54.
113
Cork School of Music
What is now known as the Cork School of Music started its life in 1878 as
the Cork Municipal School of Music, the first of its kind in both Great Brit-
ain and Ireland (two years ahead of London’s Guildhall School of Music). In
its first year it had 161 students who were taught by five staff members. These
numbers gradually expanded despite some mishaps – for example, wind in-
struments were mainly taught by army band members; these classes tem-
porarily collapsed during the Boer War, when the soldiers were transferred
to Southern Africa. The School has occupied five different premises dur-
ing the 140 years of its existence; currently it resides in an impressive, pur-
pose-built building opened in 2007. A Steinway employee in Hamburg once
told me that the order for 57 grand pianos for this new building was the
largest single order that Hamburg’s Steinway factory ever received; they
threw in a few free upright pianos for good measure.
On 1 January 1993 the Cork School of Music became a constituent
school of Cork Regional Technical College, which in 1997 was renamed
as Cork Institute of Technology. This association gave the School de-
gree-awarding powers; it has taught a BMus degree course since 1995, then
added taught and research Master’s degrees, and awarded its first PhD in
Musicology in 2008.20
One of the most important developments during the inter-war peri-
od was the School’s association with Carl Hardebeck. During the early de
cades of the twentieth century there was a desire to establish lectureships
and professorships of Irish Traditional Music in many places, often fund-
ed or partly supported by the local governments. Cork was no exception,
and on 3 June 1918 the minutes of the School’s Committee (the equivalent
of the RIAM’s Governing Body) note that the professors had not responded
to a request to outline “what was being done for Irish Music in the School.”21
The Committee clearly had the impression that the current professors (who
were art music specialists across the board) were not interested in further-
ing Irish music, and might even be blocking attempts to achieve progress
with this agenda. At the same meeting one member opined that “until the
Committee had seen fit to appoint a Director, having full control of the Pro-
20 Susan O’Regan, “Cork School of Music,” in Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland, eds.
Harry White and Barra Boydell (Dublin: University College Dublin Press, 2013), vol.
1: 251–256.
21 Cork, Cork City and County Archives, Cork School of Music, Minute Books of Com-
mittee, Meeting on 3 June 1918, Ref. VEC/SM/A/04, 54.
113
