Page 110 - 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. 110
konservator iji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela
British parliament. In 1866 the RIAM had 66 students; in 1915 there were
341. These numbers are all contained in the argument made by the RI-
AM’s Governing Body in 1915 against the grant being abolished to aid
the war effort, an argument, which was ultimately successful.3 It also in-
forms its readers that at that point the Academy was the only institution
in Ireland able to award certificates and diplomas in music apart from
the universities.
On 6 December 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed while on 6 De-
cember 1922 the Irish “Free State” came into being; in between those dates
an Irish Provisional Government was in power. This transitional period
was naturally difficult for institutions such as the conservatories; when in
1922 the members of the RIAM’s Governing Body wrote to the Treasury in
London to have their annual grant of £300 renewed they received the fol-
lowing response:
In reply to your letter of the 16th instant, I am directed by the Lords
Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury to inform you that the
question of making a grant to the Royal Irish Academy of Mu-
sic in the financial year 1922–23 is a matter for the Provisional
Government.4
The Governors then approached Michael Collins in his capacity as Min-
ister for Finance, asking for the grant to be either continued or increased.
In a letter from 13 March the Ministry eventually confirmed a renewed
grant of £300.5 On a later occasion, in 1934, the government did reduce
the grant to £100 without giving a reason but returned it to the original
£300 two years later. However, in 1936 the Ministry of Finance discovered
that the RIAM had only raised subscriptions of £86 10s rather than the re-
quired £100, so it halved its own grant to £150 retrospectively.6 A “special
subscription” organised in response to this yielded only £7, or about half
the missing amount, so a whip-round was held among Governors until
the total of £100 was reached, with the last £1 literally being thrown in by
3 “Statement of the Governing Body advancing Reasons against the Proposal of the
Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury that Provision for the Annual Grant
of £300 should not be included in the Estimates to be laid before Parliament for
the Year 1916-17,” R.I.A.M. Governors, Minute Books, National Archives of Ireland
(1120/1/24), 56.
4 Letter from 17 February 1922, Minute Books (1120/1/25), 422.
5 Letter from 13 March 1922, Minute Books (1120/1/26), 4.
6 Meeting on 23 September 1936, Minute Books (1120/1/29), no pagination.
108
British parliament. In 1866 the RIAM had 66 students; in 1915 there were
341. These numbers are all contained in the argument made by the RI-
AM’s Governing Body in 1915 against the grant being abolished to aid
the war effort, an argument, which was ultimately successful.3 It also in-
forms its readers that at that point the Academy was the only institution
in Ireland able to award certificates and diplomas in music apart from
the universities.
On 6 December 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed while on 6 De-
cember 1922 the Irish “Free State” came into being; in between those dates
an Irish Provisional Government was in power. This transitional period
was naturally difficult for institutions such as the conservatories; when in
1922 the members of the RIAM’s Governing Body wrote to the Treasury in
London to have their annual grant of £300 renewed they received the fol-
lowing response:
In reply to your letter of the 16th instant, I am directed by the Lords
Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury to inform you that the
question of making a grant to the Royal Irish Academy of Mu-
sic in the financial year 1922–23 is a matter for the Provisional
Government.4
The Governors then approached Michael Collins in his capacity as Min-
ister for Finance, asking for the grant to be either continued or increased.
In a letter from 13 March the Ministry eventually confirmed a renewed
grant of £300.5 On a later occasion, in 1934, the government did reduce
the grant to £100 without giving a reason but returned it to the original
£300 two years later. However, in 1936 the Ministry of Finance discovered
that the RIAM had only raised subscriptions of £86 10s rather than the re-
quired £100, so it halved its own grant to £150 retrospectively.6 A “special
subscription” organised in response to this yielded only £7, or about half
the missing amount, so a whip-round was held among Governors until
the total of £100 was reached, with the last £1 literally being thrown in by
3 “Statement of the Governing Body advancing Reasons against the Proposal of the
Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury that Provision for the Annual Grant
of £300 should not be included in the Estimates to be laid before Parliament for
the Year 1916-17,” R.I.A.M. Governors, Minute Books, National Archives of Ireland
(1120/1/24), 56.
4 Letter from 17 February 1922, Minute Books (1120/1/25), 422.
5 Letter from 13 March 1922, Minute Books (1120/1/26), 4.
6 Meeting on 23 September 1936, Minute Books (1120/1/29), no pagination.
108
