The Music Association of Ireland (MAI) was set up in 1948 to improve the position of classical music within the cultural life of Ireland. It was instrumental in setting up the

National Youth Orchestra of Ireland The National Youth Orchestra of Ireland (NYOI, ir, Ceolfhoireann Náisiúnta Óige na hÉireann) is the national youth orchestra of Ireland, founded in 1970 by Olive Smith and the Music Association of Ireland. It is a member of the European Fe ...

and played a leading role in the long-running campaign to establish Ireland's

National Concert Hall The National Concert Hall (NCH) (An Ceoláras Náisiúnta) is a national cultural institution, sometimes described as "the home of music in Ireland". It comprises the actual concert hall operation, which in various chambers hosts over 1,000 ...

. In 2007, the association changed its name to Friends of Classical Music.

Early years

In May 1948 it was announced that a new body, to be known as the Music Association of Ireland, was being set up to promote classical music in Ireland.''The Irish Times'', "New Group To Promote Music", 21 May 1948 The new association had six objectives: #to further musical education #to improve conditions for composers and musicians #to help establish a national concert hall #to lobby on matters of music policy #to encourage musical groups throughout the country #to organise concerts and lectures. A governing council of thirteen individuals was set up to oversee the running of the association. Among its members were composers, Brian Boydell, Aloys Fleischman, and Frederick May. A small management committee was also appointed comprising

Olive Smith Olive Smith (19 June 1906 – 12 September 1993) was a lifelong campaigner on behalf of classical music in Ireland. She co-founded the Music Association of Ireland, was the first director of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, and was a c ...

, honorary treasurer, and Michael McMullin, honorary secretary. Six months after its formation the MAI had gained only eighty three members. Nevertheless, it immediately began to lobby government for greater financial support for live performances, particularly those given by the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra In 1950 the MAI undertook its greatest challenge to date when it organised a festival of concerts and lectures to commemorate the

bicentenary __NOTOC__ A bicentennial or bicentenary is the two-hundredth anniversary of a part, or the celebrations thereof. It may refer to: Europe *French Revolution bicentennial, commemorating the 200th anniversary of 14 July 1789 uprising, celebrated ...

of the death of

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

. For several months, members raised funds and tried to source Baroque instruments, such as a harpsichord, not readily available in Ireland. The festival took place between September and November 1950 in various Dublin venues and featured local and international performers. For instance, English bass, Owen Brannigan, sang in the B Minor Mass, and the principal and second trumpeters of the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orc ...

were engaged to play the D trumpets in the same work. While individual aspects of performance were criticised, the initiative was generally welcomed.

Activities

When the MAI celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 1968, membership had risen to 600 and founder-member Brian Boydell expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the association in the fulfilment of its objectives.''The Irish Times'', "Growing awareness among the young", 7 March 1968 Under the enthusiastic leadership of

, who chaired the association's management committee until 1978, the MAI undertook a variety of initiatives to promote classical music in Ireland.

Ógra Ceoil

In October 1967, the MAI set up a body named Ógra Ceoil ("Musical Youth") to encourage participation in music by young people. Members could avail of reduced rates for tickets to concerts and recitals and within a few months 800 young people aged between fourteen and twenty five had joined the new body. In January 1972, Ógra Ceoil launched the Irish Youth Orchestra at its inaugural concert in Trinity College, Dublin. The

, as it is now known, continues to perform regularly in Ireland and abroad.

National Concert Hall

The MAI began its campaign for a national concert hall in 1951. In 1960, music critic Charles Acton put the weight of his prominent position at ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' behind the effort. At that point, a brand new building was being mooted, to be located opposite Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. In 1964, the government announced that a new national concert hall would be built in Dublin as a memorial to the late American president,

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

. When, by 1973, no progress had been made, the association collected 10,000 signatures in support of a new concert hall and submitted a petition to the Department of Finance. Finally, in September 1981, the association's efforts were crowned with success when the country's new

opened in Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin.

Concerts

Among the notable artists who performed in Ireland under the auspices of the MAI were: *

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

and

Peter Pears Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears ( ; 22 June 19103 April 1986) was an English tenor. His career was closely associated with the composer Benjamin Britten, his personal and professional partner for nearly forty years. Pears' musical career starte ...

(1960) *

Victoria de los Ángeles Victoria de los Ángeles López García (1 November 192315 January 2005) was a Catalan Spanish operatic lyric soprano and recitalist whose career began after the Second World War and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mid- ...

(1969) *

Yvonne Loriod Yvonne Louise Georgette Loriod-Messiaen (; 20 January 1924 – 17 May 2010) was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod. Biography Loriod ...

(1976) In addition to one-off concerts, the association also organised a number of annual music festivals, including the Dublin Festival of 20th Century Music, the Festival in Great Irish Houses, and the Dublin Organ Festival. However, by the late 1980s, the association was no longer able to support these events when funding from the Arts Council ceased.

''Counterpoint'' and ''Soundpost''

Starting in the late-1960s, the MAI issued a periodical for members entitled ''Counterpoint''. It covered topics relevant to the Irish classical music scene and included a comprehensive diary of forthcoming concerts and other musical events throughout the country. In April 1981, the association replaced ''Counterpoint'' with a new bi-monthly magazine named ''Soundpost''. Unlike its predecessor, ''Soundpost'' was available to the general public via an annual subscription. In addition to its coverage of classical music, the magazine also included features on

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

. In 1985, the MAI ceased publication of ''Soundpost'' due to lack of funds.

Current status

Starting in 1985, the MAI came under increased scrutiny by the Arts Council, whose funding enabled the association to carry out many of its activities. In 1987, the Arts Council cut its subvention to the MAI substantially, citing a lack of confidence in the way the association managed its affairs. Within a few years the MAI, in the words of music critic, Ian Fox, had 'drifted to the sideline'. Although the association continued to organise concerts and lectures into the early years of the third millennium, its overall impact on Irish musical life has been considerably diminished. In 2007, the association changed its name to Friends of Classical Music.''The Irish Times'', "Neglect of classical music", 12 October 2007

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Music Association Of Ireland Classical music in Ireland Music organisations based in Ireland Cultural organisations based in the Republic of Ireland Organizations established in 1948