A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Training School for Music, The National
TRAINING SCHOOL FOR MUSIC, THE NATIONAL, was founded by the Society of Arts. The subject had been in the air since the year 1866, a Musical Committee had been appointed, and in 1873 a meeting was held at Clarence House, the Duke of Edinburgh in the chair, at which it was resolved that it is desirable to erect a building at a cost not exceeding £20,000 for the purposes of a Training School for Music at Kensington, in connexion with the Society of Arts. A site on the immediate west side of the Albert Hall was granted by the Commissioners of 1851, the construction of the building, on the design of Captain F. Cole, R.E., was undertaken by Mr. (now Sir) Charles J. Freake, at his own cost; the first stone was laid on Dec. 18, 1873, and the School was opened at Easter 1876, with 82 free scholarships, of which 4 were founded by the Society of Arts, 2 by members of the Society, 5 by Mr. Freake, 10 by the Corporation of London, 14 by City Guilds, 33 by provincial towns, and the remainder by private donors. The scholarships were of the value of £40 a year each, and were founded for five years, by subscription renewable at the end of that term; they carried free instruction for the same period, and were obtainable 'by competitive examination alone.' The Duke of Edinburgh was chairman of the Council, Mr. (now Sir Arthur) Sullivan was appointed Principal, with a staff of Teachers; in 1881 he was succeeded by Dr. Stainer as Principal, and the School continued to flourish till Easter 1882, when it came to an end owing to the determination arrived at to establish the Royal College of Music on a wider and more permanent basis. The College, on its formation, took over the building, furniture and fittings, organ and music, and a balance at the banker's of £1100. The instruction in the Training School was systematic and thorough, and in proof of its efficiency during the short period of its existence it is sufficient to name Eugene D'Albert, Frederic Cliffe, Annie Marriott, and Frederic King, as having received their education there.
The Royal College of Music, which thus became the successor of the Training School, was founded by the Prince of Wales at a meeting held at St. James's Palace Feb. 28, 1882, and was opened by H.R.H. on May 7 of the following year. Negotiations took place with the Royal Academy of Music with the object of a union with the two bodies; but these have hitherto unfortunately come to nothing. Like its predecessor, the College rests on the basis of endowed scholarships lasting not less than three years; but the funds for these are in this case provided by the interest of money subscribed throughout the country and permanently invested. The College opened with 50 Scholars elected by competition, of whom 15 receive maintenance in addition, and 42 Paying Students. It was incorporated by Royal Charter on May 23, 1883, and is governed by a Council, presided over by the Prince of Wales, and divided into a Finance Committee, and an Executive Committee. The staff are as follows: Director, Sir George Grove, D.C.L.; Principal Teachers, forming the Board of Professors, J. F. Bridge, Mus.D.; H. C. Deacon; Henry Holmes; Mad. Lind-Goldschmidt [App. p.776 "Mme. Lind-Goldschmidt was succeeded by Mr. Henschel, and he by Mr. A. Blume"]; Walter Parratt; C. Hubert H. Parry, Mus.D.; Ernst Pauer; C. V. Stanford, Mus.D.; Franklin Taylor; A. Visetti. Other principal teachers:—Mme. A. Goddard; John F. Barnett; G. C. Martin, Mus.D.; R. Gompertz; C. H. Howell; F. E. Gladstone, Mus.D.; J. Higgs, Mus.B.; G. Garcia, etc. Registrar, G. Watson, jun. The College possesses the extensive, rare, and valuable library of the late Sacred Harmonic Society, presented through the exertions of Sir P. Cunliffe Owen, and that of the Concerts of Antient Music, given by the Queen. The Examiners at the end of the first year were Dr. Joachim, Manuel Garcia, Otto Goldschmidt, Jos. Barnby, Dr. Stainer,and Sir F. Ouseley. [App. p.776 "Add that the number of scholarships is now (Feb. 1889) 58, of which 15 include maintenance; the number of paying students is 188. In 1887 the Alexandra House was opened, containing a beautiful concert hall, where the students' concerts are regularly held, as well as accommodation for 100 ladies, some of whom are pupils of the College.]