Royal Academy of Music Prizes - Interesting Artefacts

[albion]

The Potter Exhibition

E. R. Henderson 1860, George H. Thomas 1861, Henry R. Eyers 1862, Rosa A. Brinsmead 1862, Ridley Prentice 1863, Adelheit Kinkel 1864, Arthur Fox 1865, Emma Buer 1866, William Townsend 1867, Mary E. Christian 1868, Malcolm Heywood 1869, Agnes A. Channell 1870, William A. Howells 1871, Florence A. Baglehole 1872, Walter Fitton 1873, Alice Mary Curtis 1874, F. W. W. Bampfylde 1875, Kate Steel 1876, F. W. W. Bampfylde (re-elected) 1877, Alice Borton 1878, R. Harvey Lohr 1879, Margaret Gyde (resumed) 1880, B. F. S. Davenport (additional) per Miss A. Zimmermann 1880, Amy Hare (two terms) 1881, William G. Wood 1881, A. Cantelo (Honorary Exhibitioner) 1882, L. Munster (Exhibitioner) 1882, G. J. Bennett (resigned) 1883, G.W. F. Crowther (two terms) 1884, Dora Bright 1884, Stewart Macpherson 1885, Ethel M. Boyce 1886, William John Kipps 1887, Amy E. Horrocks 1888, Frank Hollis 1889, Ethel Barns 1890, Cuthbert H. Cronk 1891, Catherine Rodbard 1892, Fritz W. Read 1893, Isabel Coates 1894, Joseph C. Holbrook 1895, R. Neville Flux 1896



The Heathcote Long Prize

Percy Stranders 1878, F. W. W. Bampfylde 1879, Chas. T. Corke [Charles Corke] 1880, Herbert Lake 1881, Arthur Dace and Septimus B. Webbe 1882, C. W. F. Crowther 1883, Alfred Izard 1884, Frederick James Gostelow 1885, Albert Fox 1886, Edgar Hulland 1887, William J. Kipps 1888, Fritz W. Read 1892, Harold E. Macpherson 1893, G. Herbert Fryer 1894, Claude Frederick Pollard 1895, Joseph Holbrook 1896, Cuthbert F. Whitemore 1897, Gerald F. Kahn 1898, Felix Gerald Swinstead 1899, Edwin York Bowen 1900, G. D. Cunningham (additional) 1900, Oscar Franklin 1901, Hubert Bath 1902, Claude Gascoigne 1903, Sydney Rosenbloom 1905, Francis Hutchens 1906



The Charles Lucas Prize

Arthur Herbert Jackson 1875, Eaton Faning 1876, R. Harvey Löhr 1877, R. Harvey Löhr 1878, Arthur G. Thomas 1879 [Arthur Goring Thomas], Arthur G. Thomas 1880, George John Bennett 1881, William G. Wood 1882, Frederick Kilvington Hattersley 1883, Stewart Macpherson 1884, J. Edward German 1886, Arthur E. Godfrey 1886, E. Cuthbert Nunn 1887, Dora Bright 1888, Ethel M. Boyce 1889, Learmont Drysdale 1890, G. F. Wrigley 1891, Charles Macpherson 1892, Hermann F. Löhr 1893, Llewella Davies 1894, John B. McEwen 1895, William H. Reed 1896, Joseph C. Holbrook 1897, Percy Hilder Miles 1898, Harry Farjeon 1899, G. D. Cunningham 1900, Adam von Ahn Carse 1901, Edwin York Bowen 1902, Benjamin J. Dale 1903, Arnold E. T. Bax 1904, Hubert C. Bath 1905, Montague F. Phillips 1906, B. Walton O'Donnell 1907, Eleanor C. Rudall 1908, S. Hartley Braithwaite 1909, Emma Lomax 1910, Morton Stephenson 1911, Ethel E. Bilsland 1912, Morfydd Owen 1913, Eric Grant 1914, William B. Manson 1915, Arthur Sandford 1916, Elsie Marian Nye 1917, Edmund T. Jenkins 1918, Richard Newton 1919, Paul Kerby 1920, Peter M. S. Latham 1921

[Alan Howe]

Interesting? Pray explain!

[albion]

Clearly not of any interest whatsoever to most people, but intriguing to others (probably numbered on the fingers of one hand) who like to follow the early careers of certain composers and speculate on the many unfamiliar names contained therein.

[allison]

I am interested, though it may not be in my best interest to express it, and thanks.

[Jimfin]

How lovely! What is the Potter Exhibitioner prize for? I notice a surprising proportion of female winners, which is always gratifying to see.

[albion]

The Potter Exhibition was a prize given for piano playing. It was founded by subscription in 1860 to mark Cipriani Potter's resignation as Principal of the Royal Academy in 1859: a stipulation was that it should be awarded alternately to male and female candidates. The Heathcote Long Prize was also for outstanding pianism, but this time with no strings attached.



The Charles Lucas Prize was given for composition, founded in memory of Charles Lucas (1808-1869) who succeeded Potter and held the post of Principal from 1859 to 1866: a silver medal was awarded, hence it is sometimes also referred to as the Charles Lucas Medal. Post-1921 it was awarded as follows - Michael Head 1922, Frederick T. Durrant 1923, Madeleine Windsor 1924, Guirne Creith 1925, Ivor R. Davies 1926, Robert O. Edwards 1927, Ethel M. Winfield 1928, R. Norman Fulton 1929, Barbara M. Bryer 1930, Marjorie Corker 1931, Monica Myatt 1932, Norman Askew 1933, Geoffrey Robbins 1934, Manuel Frenkel 1936, Cecil Dorling 1937, Geraldine Thomson 1938, Arnold Van Wyk 1939, Margaret Hubicki 1941, David E. Stone 1942, Barbara Rawling 1943, Peter Hodgson 1946, Doreen Carwithen 1947, Stephen Rhys 1948, Aubrey Hickman 1949, Ian Humphris 1951, Andrew Byrne 1952, Raymond Hockley 1953, Richard R. Bennett (Richard Rodney Bennett) 1954, Philip Croot 1958, Suen Weber (Sven Weber) 1960, Christopher Steel 1961, Martin Jones 1962

[eschiss1]

Rosenbloom at least is a familiar name (1889-1967, two PD-US-only works @ IMSLP, brief biography at MusicWeb). (And Holbrook[e] of course, and a few others - like Doreen Carwithen, of course...)

[britishcomposer]

I am intrigued by the many 'half-familiar' names who have been associated with the Charles Lucas Prize. The 1915 winner William B. Manson does no longer belong to the familiar but I remember having read his name a few times before. I would like to know more about him. (A google search 'William Manson composer' tries to direct me to William Mason...)
Wasn't he a WWI victim?

[calico]

He's usually referred to as Willie B Manson (1896-1916). He wrote settings of Housman's Shropshire Lad. Taught by Harry Farjeon, who dedicated his piano sonata his memory. Born in Dunedin, New Zealand, died on the Western Front.

[calico]

Thanks, Albion, for this thread. Fascinating to see these boards with their mostly-forgotten names, and to find out what these prizes were awarded for.

[chill319]

Anything similar available for the Lesley Alexander composition prize?

[albion]

Anything similar available for the Lesley Alexander composition prize?

Not as far as I'm aware. The Lesley Alexander Prize for composition (chamber music) was linked initially to the RCM but later opened to general entry and seems to have fizzled out in the early years of the twentieth century, being usurped in prestige by the first Cobbett Prize in 1905 -

The attention of composers is directed to the "Cobbett Musical Competition." Offered under the auspices of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. This valuable opportunity consists of three prizes – (i.) (£50), presented by Mr. W. W. Cobbett, (ii.) (£10), presented by the Worshipful Master, and (iii.) a special prize (£10), presented by Mr. Herman Sternberg. The subject of the competition is thus set forth:

The composition of a short 'Phantasy' in the form of a String Quartet for two violins, viola and violoncello. The parts must be of equal importance, and the duration of the piece should not exceed twelve minutes. Though the Phantasy is to be performed without a break, it may consist of different sections varying in tempi and rhythms.

Mr. Sternberg's special prize (£10) will be given "to the competitor whose work offers in the opinion of the judges the best example of an art-form suited for a short piece of chamber music for strings." The works selected for publication will be issued by the Musicians' Company, to whom the copyrights shall be assigned. The competition is open only to British subjects, and the manuscripts (score and parts) are to be delivered to Mr. T.C. Fenwick Clerk to the Company, at 16, Berners Street, London, W., before the close of the year 1905.

There were sixty-seven entries for the 1905 competition, the first prize going to William Hurlstone, the second to Frank Bridge and the third to Haydn Wood (subsidiary prizes were awarded to Waldo Warner, James Friskin and Joseph Holbrooke). The next competition (for a trio) came in 1907 with first prize this time going to Frank Bridge, the second to James Friskin and the third to John Ireland (subsidiary prizes were awarded to Susan Spain-Dunk and Alice Verne-Bredt). Other competitions instigated by Cobbett included: an international one for a violin sonata - out of 133 entries first place was awarded to John Ireland; one for a string quartet in sonata form (1915) won by Frank Bridge; and one for a Folksong Phantasy (1917), prizes going to J. Cliffe Forrester (first), Arnold Trowell (second) and G. O'Connor Morris (third). As well as holding these various competitions, Cobbett also directly commissioned chamber works - in 1910 from Friskin, Bridge and Walter O'Donnell, in 1911 from York Bowen, Adam von Ahn Carse, John McEwen and Vaughan Williams, in 1912 from Benjamin Dale, Richard Walthew, Thomas Dunhill and Ethel Barns.

Against this flurry of activity Lesley Alexander turned his attention to prizes for performing students, including the Lesley Alexander Gift for viola or cello which he founded at the RCM in 1908.

[albion]

Various other scholarships and prizes for composition were also awarded at the RAM, including -

The Balfe Scholarship

William Sewell 1876, Percy Stranders 1877, George John Bennett 1878, George John Bennett 1879, George John Bennett 1880, Frederick K. Hattersley 1881, Stewart Macpherson 1882, Stewart Macpherson 1883, Albert Fox 1884, Tom Harrison Frewin 1885, Arthur E. Godfrey 1886, Reginald Steggall 1887

The Goring Thomas Scholarship

Harry Farjeon 1897, Paul Walford Corder 1901, Hubert C. Bath 1904, L. Emma Lomax 1907, Hugh Priestley Smith 1910, Eric Grant 1913, Morfydd Owen 1913, Warwick Braithwaite 1917, Herman Lindars 1920, William H. C. Evans 1921, Godfrey Sampson 1924, Mary M. Couper 1928, William C. Cole 1932, Geraldine Thomson 1936, Josephine Rhodes 1942, Barry Moss 1950, Robert Johnson 1953

Awarded for operatic composition, this was founded by subscription following Goring Thomas' death in 1892 and was open to male and female candidates.

The Sir Michael Costa Scholarship

R. Neville Flux 1897, Benjamin James Dale 1902, Oskar L. H. Borsdorf 1906, Greville Turner Cooke 1909, Arthur L. Sandford 1913, Michael D. Head 1919, William Alwyn 1924, Richard H. Tildesley 1926, Geoffrey W. Robbins 1920, Aubrey C. Bowman 1935, Ronald B. Smith 1939, Frederick P. Capon 1944, Christopher K. Allen 1949, Vanraj A. Bhatia 1952, George Newson 1955

This was founded by bequest and was only open to male candidates.

The Oliveria Prescott Prize

Percy Bowie 1910; Ethel E. Bilsland 1911; J. Albert Sowerbutts, Phyllis N. Parker 1912; Morfydd Owen, Gilbert Bolton and Herbert J. Brine 1913; Jaraslav K. Bauer, Eric Grant and Alec Rowley 1914; Leo Livens and William B. Manson 1915; Philip A. Lèvi and Egerton Tidmarsh 1916; Elsie Marian Nye and Edmund T. Jenkins 1917; Paul Kerby and Arthur L. Sandford 1918; Russell E. Chester, Maxwell McMichael and Haydn Morris 1919; Alan Bush 1920; Ronald Chamberlain 1920; George F. Dodds and Peter Latham 1921; Frederick Durrant and Bertram Orsman 1922; Michael Head 1923; W. Alwyn Smith 1924; Sybil Barlow and Godfrey Sampson 1925; Eric Brough 1926, Guirne Creith and Godfrey Sampson 1927; Elizabeth Poston and Freda Robertson 1928; Mary M. Couper and Ethel Winfield 1929; Mary Callender and Monica Myatt 1930; C. Ivor Walsworth and Margot Wright 1931; Cecil Milner and Beryl Price 1932

This prize was awarded to distinguished composition students and took the form of presentation copies of orchestral scores.

The Josephine Troup Scholars

Ethel F. Woodland 1905, Dorothy Capon 1911, Eva Amelia Pain 1916, Désirée MacEwan 1920, Guirne Creith 1924, Monica Myatt 1929 / Constance J. Warren 1929, May Sabeston Walker 1934, Margaret O. Mullins 1937 (Margaret Hubicki), Doreen Carwithen 1944, Janice Pringle 1951

For female candidates.

[albion]

Apropos of nothing in particular, not included under the 'F' entries in Sydney's 1913 thread is Thomas (Tom) Harrison Frewin (1865-1938), the 1885 RAM Balfe Scholar. There doesn't seem to be much information available, but Brown and Stratton refer to a Mass first performed in 1896. Frewin appears to have enjoyed some success at the Proms, with several first performances of orchestral works under Henry Wood -

The Battle of the Flowers, overture (31st August 1895)
Mazeppa (26th September 1896)
The Seven Ages of Man (10th September 1897)
Bellona, overture (13th October 1898)

Other works were heard at Bournemouth -

A Roman Festival, ballet suite (1908)
Cyrano de Bergerac, suite (1909)

Frewin was a violinist in the Queen's Hall orchestra and later conducted for both the Carl Rosa and the Moody-Manners Opera Companies. The manuscript full score of the Battle of the Flowers is in the RAM Library, inscribed "To Henry Wood in memory of happy days. T.H. Frewin. 11.10 '34" - MS2635. He also wrote a musical comedy, The Cobbler of Kopenick (1924) - the manuscript vocal score is also at the RAM Library.

[giles.enders]

With reference to Albion's post relating to The Cobbett Prize for a quartet based on Phantasie, there will be a concert at Conway Hall on Sunday 24th February 2014 which includes the winners of both the first and second prizes in 1905: 1st prize William Hurlstone's Phantasie Quartet, 2nd prize Frank Bridge's Phantasy Quartet in F minor, there is also a Mozart quartet tbc, and a reduction of Chopin's piano concerto No.2 in F minor for piano and string quartet.