Page 119 - 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. 119
ir ish conservator ies dur ing the inter-war per iod
ly the tuition of wind and brass bands. This means that it was effective-
ly teaching members of the working classes who were neither financially
able to afford classes in the Academy nor did they have time to attend those
classes, as most of them were taught during the day. It was agreed that the
new “Municipal School of Music” (as it was called for a long time) was to
be governed jointly by the Dublin Corporation and the RIAM, and that the
RIAM would have musical oversight over teaching and examinations. The
Municipal School would not teach piano, organ and singing (which was
covered by the RIAM), while Municipal School string classes would be de-
livered on the premises of the Academy. In 1904 the RIAM withdrew from
the co-governance of the School which nevertheless continued to grow. In
1963 it was restructured as a “College of Music,” and in 1978 it became a
constituent College of the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). In 1990 it
was renamed as DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama,34 and at the be-
ginning of 2019 the Dublin Institute of Technology joined forces with other
higher education institutions to become the Technical University of Dub-
lin (TUD), so it is now known as TUD Conservatory of Music and Drama.
When the School left its close association with the RIAM in 1904 it
came under the oversight of Dublin City’s “Technical Education Commit-
tee.” This led to a broadening of the syllabus and the inclusion of uillean
pipes, Irish war-pipes and pianoforte in its offerings.35 The move to new
premises (a converted fire brigade station on Chatham Row in Dublin City
centre, a venue still used by today’s Conservatory even though its main
operation has moved elsewhere) helped this expansion. By offering piano
and later also singing classes the School gradually entered into competition
with the RIAM.
Despite the split in 1904 a relationship between the Municipal School
and the RIAM continued; an example of this is John F. Larchet’s becom-
ing the Director of the School in 1930. Possibly due to his range of duties
in so many other institutions his term was, however, rather short, as in
1931 he was replaced by Maud Devin, who beat senior competitors from
both the RIAM and University College Dublin such as Adelio Viani and
R obert O’Dwyer to become the first female Director of an Irish conserva-
tory. Devin had to resign from this position in 1934 when she got married
34 David Mooney, “DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama,” in Encyclopaedia of Music
in Ireland, eds. Harry White and Barra Boydell (Dublin: University College Dublin
Press, 2013), vol. 1: 301–302.
35 Tim Cooke, Coláiste an Cheoil / College of Music. A Musical Journey 1890–1993.
From Municipal School of Music to Dublin Institute of Technology (Dublin: 1994), 7.
117
ly the tuition of wind and brass bands. This means that it was effective-
ly teaching members of the working classes who were neither financially
able to afford classes in the Academy nor did they have time to attend those
classes, as most of them were taught during the day. It was agreed that the
new “Municipal School of Music” (as it was called for a long time) was to
be governed jointly by the Dublin Corporation and the RIAM, and that the
RIAM would have musical oversight over teaching and examinations. The
Municipal School would not teach piano, organ and singing (which was
covered by the RIAM), while Municipal School string classes would be de-
livered on the premises of the Academy. In 1904 the RIAM withdrew from
the co-governance of the School which nevertheless continued to grow. In
1963 it was restructured as a “College of Music,” and in 1978 it became a
constituent College of the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). In 1990 it
was renamed as DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama,34 and at the be-
ginning of 2019 the Dublin Institute of Technology joined forces with other
higher education institutions to become the Technical University of Dub-
lin (TUD), so it is now known as TUD Conservatory of Music and Drama.
When the School left its close association with the RIAM in 1904 it
came under the oversight of Dublin City’s “Technical Education Commit-
tee.” This led to a broadening of the syllabus and the inclusion of uillean
pipes, Irish war-pipes and pianoforte in its offerings.35 The move to new
premises (a converted fire brigade station on Chatham Row in Dublin City
centre, a venue still used by today’s Conservatory even though its main
operation has moved elsewhere) helped this expansion. By offering piano
and later also singing classes the School gradually entered into competition
with the RIAM.
Despite the split in 1904 a relationship between the Municipal School
and the RIAM continued; an example of this is John F. Larchet’s becom-
ing the Director of the School in 1930. Possibly due to his range of duties
in so many other institutions his term was, however, rather short, as in
1931 he was replaced by Maud Devin, who beat senior competitors from
both the RIAM and University College Dublin such as Adelio Viani and
R obert O’Dwyer to become the first female Director of an Irish conserva-
tory. Devin had to resign from this position in 1934 when she got married
34 David Mooney, “DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama,” in Encyclopaedia of Music
in Ireland, eds. Harry White and Barra Boydell (Dublin: University College Dublin
Press, 2013), vol. 1: 301–302.
35 Tim Cooke, Coláiste an Cheoil / College of Music. A Musical Journey 1890–1993.
From Municipal School of Music to Dublin Institute of Technology (Dublin: 1994), 7.
117
