124 Years Ago
The 10 June 1902 was a significant day in the life of the Glasgow Athenaeum School of Music. The next day (11 June), The Scotsman reported:-
Glasgow Athenaeum School of Music
Dr Edward E. Harper, the new principal of Glasgow Athenaeum School of Music, was introduced yesterday in the hall of the Athenaeum to a large gathering of students and others interested in music. Councillor Ure Primrose, who presided, said that Dr Harper’s appointment was undoubtedly an epoch in the history of the Athenaeum, and especially of its School of Music. They had a Royal Academy of Music in London, the only one in the kingdom [this was actually incorrect – it wasn’t the only such institution], and he saw no reason why they should not have a similar institution in Scotland. Dr. Harper spoke briefly, and remarked that it would be his earnest endeavour to realise the aim of the directors to make the school a thoroughly effective one.
Harper was our second ever Principal, succeeding Allan Macbeth. He was only to be in post for a couple of years, and there’s no record of why he left. Indeed, we’ve come on a lot since then, and increased hugely in standing. He’d be astonished if he came back today and discovered jazz, traditional music, drama and production arts, film, television and ballet!
I recorded a podcast about Edward Emanuel Harper a few weeks ago – you can hear it here.
You might ask what any of this has to do with Georgian legal deposit music? On the face of it, not a lot. This is partly because although the web announcement named UWS and the titles of the talks, it didn’t name the department or that a couple of the presentations were based on Masters students projects. The department has a contemporary and recent contemporary, rather than a centuries-old historical focus, so there was a divergence of approaches between theirs and mine. Also, partly because I saw the words “reframing heritage” and “art practice”, and I read what I wanted to read. And that’s my fault – but don’t we often do this?! Obviously, “heritage” does not have to mean Georgian. “Reframing” can also include responding musically to something other than music, whilst my own research places heritage music as the primary focus and looks for ways to reframe that, to make it relevant and appealing to people today. But my research response is not to write music (although I’ve been known to write the odd self-indulgent tune!), and – until today – it wouldn’t have occurred to me to produce a documentary film about it.
Karen McAulay, Musicologist 