Trinity College Marks Centenary

First published in the Dunedin Star Midweeker, July 19^th, 1992

How many musical or elocutional Kiwis over the years have entered a long, large room – usually with a piano in it – to front up to a person slowly writing over a desk? And when that person lifts their head and speaks, how many Kiwis have been stricken with inarticulation when confronted by those oh-so proper English tones?

The numbers are in the thousands.

This year marks the centenary of the first examinations in New Zealand by the Examiners of the Trinity College of Music. Those first exams were held in Christchurch, in 1892, but Dunedin wasn’t too far behind, setting up a centre four years later.

The Rev. William Hewitson was the first chairman, and the first secretary was Arthur Barth, a member of one of the two families within which the position has remained since.

In 1905 Mr Barth’s daughter, Beatrice, was appointed; 25 years later her sister, Irene, succeeded her, and held the reins for a formidable 31 years.

The secretaryship finally passed out of the hands of the Barths and into that of Niepers      . Miss Ellice Nieper took the job for five years before handing over to her sister Olive. And this Miss Nieper has been the ‘face’ of Trinity College to thousands of examinees ever since.

The local centre has gone on strongly over the 96 years, holding exams continuously in spite of the disturbance of two world wars. During World War II New Zealand had a resident examiner, Anderson Tyrer, who was instrumental in forming and conducting the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

There was also a time when the centre was divided into several smaller pieces: for many years the Catholic schools held exams at their convents. A 1955 newspaper cutting in the minute book of the centre shows exam results from St Dominic’s, St Joseph’s, Holy Name and St Philomena’s. And down in the list of names of those having passed preparatory is some youngster called Michael Crowl.

Many better known names appear in the minute books: Prof Peter Platt, who frequently chaired the meetings; Walter Sinton, of Charles Begg and Co; and Margaret Lion, who in 1955 won the gold medal presented by that firm for the highest marks.

In 1963 we find Prof William Lovelock, the writer of many standard theory texts, speaking severe words to teachers and telling them they were to blame if their pupils received poor marks.

Yet another examiner, a Mr Johnson, complains of the cold approach of the students, and their lack of personality. Perhaps he failed to realise the effect of a person speaking ‘received’ English had on already nervous youngsters.

A rather more generous approach was taken by Miss Mary Tweedie, who made at least seven visits to the city, and who said that music students here were comparable to any in the world. She will still be remembered with affection by many musicians.

There have of course been other types of exam apart from practical music: I remember doing theory exams for three hours on cold Saturday mornings – and speech has long been examined.

To celebrate the centenary, a concert is to be held in the Glenroy Auditorium on Monday, July 20, at 7.30 pm. The artist will be Rae de Lisle, playing piano works by a variety of composers. Miss de Lisle is well-known throughout New Zealand, and also has an established career overseas.

The seating arrangements will be somewhat informal at the concert: seats will be placed around tables set out in the middle of the hall. Supper will be served at the conclusion of the performance.

Rev Hewitson

I’ve included this piece amongst the Column 8 articles, because not only was it published in the sibling paper of the Midweeker, it was full of well-known Dunedin personalities, some of whom I knew well, or had met on occasions.  

Prof Platt turned out to be, amongst others, an anonymous financial supporter of my going to London to study at the London Opera Centre. He and I had worked together on some of the Dunedin Opera Company’s productions. I remember Miss Tweedie being my examiner on at least one occasion, and Margaret Lion and I were both at one of the Summer Music Schools in Dunedin; she was streets ahead of me in confidence, and, most likely, in performance. Miss Olive Nieper was in charge of the Trinity College exams during my time of going through that system. It wasn’t her full-time job; from memory she worked in some secretarial capacity in an office in the centre of town. I had occasion to visit her there at least once.