Page 208 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2023. Glasbena društva v dolgem 19. stoletju: med ljubiteljsko in profesionalno kulturo ▪︎ Music societies in the long 19th century: Between amateur and professional culture. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 6
P. 208
glasbena društva v dolgem 19. stoletju: med ljubiteljsko in profesionalno kulturo
direction of the organist, the late Mr Robert Turle; these concerts,
however, were not open to the public.45
Just like in Dublin and Belfast, these “concerts” were only accessible to
members. In 1845 an “Armagh Music Society” was founded yet didn’t sur-
vive long. The “Cathedral Music Society” (established in 1846) was to ope-
rate for about 80 years. In 1878 another “Armagh Music Society” emerged,
which changed its name to “Armagh Philharmonic Society” in 1887. To sol-
ve continuing financial difficulties subscriptions for the now public con-
certs were introduced:
one guinea and upwards annually [for members of the public
to subscribe to the concert series], seven shillings and sixpence
for performing members and five shillings yearly in advance for
non-performing members.46
The “Armagh Philharmonic Society” was finally disbanded in 1917.
Apart from these societies there were also an “Armagh Amateur Harmo-
nic Society”, an “Orchestral Society” and a “Cathedral Orchestral Society”
at one point or another. Leading members of the clergy often populated the
committees of these societies and acted as patrons.47
Overall music societies emerged in Armagh a bit later than in Dublin
and Belfast yet given its small size there was quite a bit of activity – fuelled
(at least initially) mainly by the musical personnel of the Protestant cathe-
dral and sponsored by the clergy.
Music and the Temperance Movement
In the middle of the century musical developments in Ireland were influ-
enced from an unexpected angle: the temperance movement, which was
at least temporarily enormously successful, probably more so than in oth-
er countries. Temperance movements had first arisen in Great Britain and
the United States in the 1820s and 30s, yet in Ireland the idea only took off
in a meaningful way in 1838 when Father Theobald Mathew, a Capuchin
priest, became President of the Cork Total Abstinence Society. Mathew
was a highly charismatic preacher whose influence quickly spread beyond
Cork. He spoke to thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of people,
convincing many to commit to “the pledge”, the formal promise to abstain
45 Ibid., 142.
46 Ibid., 144.
47 Ibid., 131.
206
direction of the organist, the late Mr Robert Turle; these concerts,
however, were not open to the public.45
Just like in Dublin and Belfast, these “concerts” were only accessible to
members. In 1845 an “Armagh Music Society” was founded yet didn’t sur-
vive long. The “Cathedral Music Society” (established in 1846) was to ope-
rate for about 80 years. In 1878 another “Armagh Music Society” emerged,
which changed its name to “Armagh Philharmonic Society” in 1887. To sol-
ve continuing financial difficulties subscriptions for the now public con-
certs were introduced:
one guinea and upwards annually [for members of the public
to subscribe to the concert series], seven shillings and sixpence
for performing members and five shillings yearly in advance for
non-performing members.46
The “Armagh Philharmonic Society” was finally disbanded in 1917.
Apart from these societies there were also an “Armagh Amateur Harmo-
nic Society”, an “Orchestral Society” and a “Cathedral Orchestral Society”
at one point or another. Leading members of the clergy often populated the
committees of these societies and acted as patrons.47
Overall music societies emerged in Armagh a bit later than in Dublin
and Belfast yet given its small size there was quite a bit of activity – fuelled
(at least initially) mainly by the musical personnel of the Protestant cathe-
dral and sponsored by the clergy.
Music and the Temperance Movement
In the middle of the century musical developments in Ireland were influ-
enced from an unexpected angle: the temperance movement, which was
at least temporarily enormously successful, probably more so than in oth-
er countries. Temperance movements had first arisen in Great Britain and
the United States in the 1820s and 30s, yet in Ireland the idea only took off
in a meaningful way in 1838 when Father Theobald Mathew, a Capuchin
priest, became President of the Cork Total Abstinence Society. Mathew
was a highly charismatic preacher whose influence quickly spread beyond
Cork. He spoke to thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of people,
convincing many to commit to “the pledge”, the formal promise to abstain
45 Ibid., 142.
46 Ibid., 144.
47 Ibid., 131.
206
