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Royal College of Music

BOULT, Sir Adrian Cedric (1889-1983)


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 1249 MS 6905

Held at: Royal College of Music

Title: BOULT, Sir Adrian Cedric (1889-1983)

Date(s): 1920-1954

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 1 file

Name of creator(s): Boult | Sir | Adrian Cedric | 1889-1983 | Knight | conductor

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born 1889; educated at Westminster School, Leipzig Conservatory and Christ Church, Oxford; DMus, 1914, joined the music staff at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1914; conducted first performance of Holst's The Planets, 1918; taught at the Royal College of Music, 1919-1930; assistant musical director, Covent Garden, 1926; musical director of the Bach Choir, 1928-1931; musical director of the City of Birmingham Orchestra, 1924-1930; appointed music director for the BBC, 1930; formed the BBC Symphony Orchestra and toured Europe and the USA; associate conductor of the Proms, 1942-1950; retired from the BBC, 1950; music director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, 1950-1957; musical director of the CBSO, 1959-60; taught at the RCM, 1962-1966; undertook recordings of Elgar and Vaughan Williams for EMI; made his final public appearance and his final recording, 1978; died 1983.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Sir Adrian Boult, comprising letters (9), 1920-1954, including from Sir Hugh Allen, thanking for Boult's conducting of rehearsals; from Sir Edward Elgar, in regard to his arrival at Boult's rehearsal; from Ethel Smyth on the possible performance of her works; from Adam Carse, sending score of his latest composition. Typescript programme and repertoire lists, mainly 1920s-1930s.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English.

System of arrangement:

In two sections in chronological order: A) Letters. B) Programmes and repertoire lists.

Conditions governing access:

Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

There is a manuscript detailed list with the papers. The collection is catalogued in the 'Provisional catalogue of letters in the RCM library' by J Kersey, 1997, vol 1. There is also an entry in the supplement to volume 3 of the Manuscripts catalogue in the library of the Royal College of Music.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Presented by Sir Adrian Boult, 1976.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Boult papers are also held by British Library Manuscript Collections; BBC Written Archives Centre; Bodleian Library, University of Oxford; Cumbria Record Office, Carlisle: Gloucestershire Record Office. See National Register of Archives for details.

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Compiled by Robert Baxter as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Source: Grove Dictionary of Music.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Nov 2001


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Classical music | Musical styles
Musical performances | Music | Performing arts
Musicians | Performers | Artists
Orchestras | Music | Performing arts
Musical performers

Personal names
Allen | Sir | Hugh Percy | 1869-1946 | Knight | musician
Boult | Sir | Adrian Cedric | 1889-1983 | Knight | conductor
Carse | Adam von Ahn | 1878-1958 | collector and historian of instruments and composer
Elgar | Sir | Edward William | 1857-1934 | 1st Baronet | composer
Smyth | Dame | Ethel Mary | 1858-1944 | composer and suffragist

Corporate names

Places