Page 114 - 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. 114
konservator iji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela
sic than before. Every year the RIAM accepts submissions for new pieces by
composers (mostly received by Irish and female composers) for inclusion
in the junior piano albums. There is also a composition competition to en-
courage students under 18 to compose pieces for the piano.
During the inter-war period the Local Centre Examination System
grew considerably. While there had been examinations in only three cit-
ies in 1894, examinations took place in 19 local centres in 1920, in 37 in 1922,
and in 49 in 1924.16 The RIAM did not tire of propagating its exam system,
as these lines from the annual report of its Governors from 1921 indicate:
The Governors can see no reason why any of the Irish Education-
al Establishments should send their pupils for examinations to the
British Schools and Colleges of Music in this country while the Roy-
al Irish Academy of Music is prepared to carry out this work by
highly competent and impartial members of their staff.17
As 1921 was the last year of the Irish War of Independence, there may
have been patriotic reasons to promote a home-grown system over that of
the enemy, but it was also in the RIAM’s own interest to secure as much of
this lucrative business as possible for itself – and it did. Examining was not
always an easy task in those war years; in 1923 – during the Irish Civil War
– the Board of Education reported that examiners “will have to go to Clare,
Kerry, Cork, Fermoy, Waterford, in motor cars and be fired at impartially by
both sides.”18
In those years 90 % of the examinations were taken by pianists, and
this situation provided the stimulus for the RIAM to begin publishing pi-
ano books with the exam pieces for grades 1–5 in 1932. The increase in num-
bers continued; during the Second World War (in which Ireland was, of
course, neutral) it rose from 5623 in 1941 to almost 9000 in 1945 and 10000
in 1949; today up to 40000 students may take these exams every year.19
16 Brian Beckett, “The Local Centre Examination System, 1894–1994,” in To Talent
Alone: The Royal Irish Academy of Music, 1848–1998, eds. Richard Pine and Charles
Acton (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1998), 297–321.
17 RIAM Annual Report 1921, ibid., 307.
18 Ibid., 308.
19 I thank Majella Boland, RIAM Senior Examiner, for information on the current
numbers in relation to the Local Centre Examination System.
112
sic than before. Every year the RIAM accepts submissions for new pieces by
composers (mostly received by Irish and female composers) for inclusion
in the junior piano albums. There is also a composition competition to en-
courage students under 18 to compose pieces for the piano.
During the inter-war period the Local Centre Examination System
grew considerably. While there had been examinations in only three cit-
ies in 1894, examinations took place in 19 local centres in 1920, in 37 in 1922,
and in 49 in 1924.16 The RIAM did not tire of propagating its exam system,
as these lines from the annual report of its Governors from 1921 indicate:
The Governors can see no reason why any of the Irish Education-
al Establishments should send their pupils for examinations to the
British Schools and Colleges of Music in this country while the Roy-
al Irish Academy of Music is prepared to carry out this work by
highly competent and impartial members of their staff.17
As 1921 was the last year of the Irish War of Independence, there may
have been patriotic reasons to promote a home-grown system over that of
the enemy, but it was also in the RIAM’s own interest to secure as much of
this lucrative business as possible for itself – and it did. Examining was not
always an easy task in those war years; in 1923 – during the Irish Civil War
– the Board of Education reported that examiners “will have to go to Clare,
Kerry, Cork, Fermoy, Waterford, in motor cars and be fired at impartially by
both sides.”18
In those years 90 % of the examinations were taken by pianists, and
this situation provided the stimulus for the RIAM to begin publishing pi-
ano books with the exam pieces for grades 1–5 in 1932. The increase in num-
bers continued; during the Second World War (in which Ireland was, of
course, neutral) it rose from 5623 in 1941 to almost 9000 in 1945 and 10000
in 1949; today up to 40000 students may take these exams every year.19
16 Brian Beckett, “The Local Centre Examination System, 1894–1994,” in To Talent
Alone: The Royal Irish Academy of Music, 1848–1998, eds. Richard Pine and Charles
Acton (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1998), 297–321.
17 RIAM Annual Report 1921, ibid., 307.
18 Ibid., 308.
19 I thank Majella Boland, RIAM Senior Examiner, for information on the current
numbers in relation to the Local Centre Examination System.
112
