Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, your Graces, your Excellencies, my Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to represent Her Majesty's Government at this celebration of the Centenary of a great musical institution. I congratulate the College on its achievements during its first hundred years.
Amongst those present at the historic meeting here in St. James's Palace exactly a hundred years ago (to which you—Your Royal Highness—have referred) was Mr. Gladstone, then Prime Minister. In a speech supporting the Appeal of the Prince of Wales, Mr. Gladstone 's said that it was evident to him that a great musical renaissance in Britain had begun. ( “Music” , he said “is now recognised as an essential part of the institutions of the country. In every village school music is an important and powerful instrument in the hands of the teacher” .)
Today, a hundred years later, British music and British musicians are held in the highest regard throughout the world—and music has an importance in our society comparable with the first Elizabethan age.
It gives me great pleasure on behalf of the Government to support this Appeal for funds to enable the Royal College of Music to carry on its important work in the years to come with greatly improved facilities.
The Development plans have been studied in detail and warmly approved by Her Majesty's Inspectorate and by specialist advisers to the Department of Education and Science. As a result, the Sir Keith JosephSecretary of State for Education has informed the Director of the College that his Department will match, pound for pound, donations to the Appeal up to a sum of £200,000 in the coming financial year, [end p1] the money to be spent upon the capital projects which form the basis of the Appeal.
I hope that this lead will encourage a generous response to the Appeal.