2 - Visits to Various Public Schools in the Late Nineteenth Century: Sherborne, Uppingham, Harrow, Rugby, Clifton, Wellington, Eton, Winchester

Summary

The series of articles contributed anonymously by John Graham to the Tonic Sol-fa Reporter and its successor, the Musical Herald, between 1888 and 1892 provide the eye-witness accounts incorporated in this chapter. The first school to be visited was Sherborne. [BR]

Sherborne in 1888

Tonic Sol-fa Reporter, August 1888, pp. 466–8

It is often taken for granted that, while elementary schools give music a fair share of attention, the art is neglected to a large extent in the curriculum of the great public schools of the country. The idea has got abroad that there is a lack of musical interest among high-school boys. Mr Joseph Barnby said recently that about ninety per cent of the boys at Eton College had no musical ear. This is not as it should be. It will be well to enquire the reason for this state of things. If the children of the poor can learn to sing so generally and so readily, it is evident that the youth of England have a latent talent for music, and the grand old doctrine, that singing is a universal privilege, must be preached until there is a great awakening among the schools of the upper classes. But before assuming that these schools are in a state of musical heathendom, it should be known what is their actual condition. Possibly they have some sort of music, and at least the experiences of the professors at these institutions deserve consideration.