australian asociety s for mumsic The South Australian May Music e ducation incorporatede Camp: 1962-1986 Jennifer M. Watkins Concordia College, Adelaide Abstract This research provides an account of the activities of the South Australian May Music Camp (SAMMC), identifying it as a significant extra-curricular activity in the calendar of music education opportunities open to children from nine to 23 years of age, between 1962 and 1986. This annual non-residential music camp took place during the two-week May school holidays. Students auditioned for SAMMC to engage in an intensive, graded music ensemble experience, receiving expert tuition from professional music educators, while being exposed to extensive orchestral, string and wind ensemble repertoire. The contribution of the National Music Camp Association in the establishment of state-based camps across Australia is acknowledged, specifically regarding SAMMC in Adelaide, and the subsequent formation of the South Australian Music Camp Association (SAMCA). This research notes the establishment of the South Australian Department of Education Music Branch, which resulted in an increased number of primary school students learning to play musical instruments, contributing to the need for further ensemble performance opportunities in South Australia. The research observes the actions of the SAMCA to evaluate and expand activities at SAMMC to accommodate these developments. This research provides evidence that SAMMC made an important contribution to South Australian music education history. Keywords: May Music Camp Introduction offering a short-term challenge during a set time- period, with the goal to achieve excellence by The South Australian May Music Camp (SAMMC) the closing night concert. Thousands of students was an annual music day-camp which took participated in SAMMC across its 25-year history place in Adelaide, South Australia between 1962 (Watkins, 2018). and 1986, and was administered by the South This research examines the event of the SAMMC Australian Music Camp Association (SAMCA). through the investigation of primary and secondary The non-residential camp was held during the sources. It incorporates the opinions and memories two-week school holiday break in the month of of SAMMC participants to provide a chronological May. Following a change in South Australia in 1987 timeline of this significant learning opportunity from a three to four-term school calendar year, the in South Australian music education history. The camp moved from May to the July school holidays records of the SAMCA, the SAMMC and associates, and was renamed the South Australian State as well as personal correspondence between the Music Camp (SASMC). SAMMC offered local and founders of the camp held in the Barr Smith Library, regional students of orchestral instruments, aged University of Adelaide, were extremely informative. between nine and 23, the opportunity to rehearse The records of the Australian Youth Orchestra and perform repertoire under the direction of and National Music Camp Association held in professional tutors and conductors. SAMMC the National Library Australia, Special Collections provided intensive music ensemble rehearsal, in Canberra, including archived papers such as Australian Journal of Music Education 49 Watkins Directors’ Reports, minutes, concert programmes, of Statistics, 1962). Consequently, between 1962 application forms, financial statements, newspaper and 1977, non-residential state-based music clippings, photographs, and other association camps were established in South Australia, Victoria, documentation, provided valuable information. Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia School year books and photographs were located and Tasmania (Epstein, 1984). within the archives of Pulteney Grammar School John Loughlin, who served for more than twelve and St Peter’s College, South Australia, which years on the NMCA council, and published many offered supportive data. Placing this information articles as a professional journalist, wrote, “Music alongside the detailed records of the SAMCA camps have played a significant role in shaping the provided clarification of the timeline of this event. lives and careers of many of Australia’s musicians. This research has involved the investigation Every major orchestra in this country … includes of obtainable data and does not aim to be an instrumentalists who had their first introduction exhaustive account of SAMMC activities. to orchestral playing in some of the early camps” (Loughlin, 1967, p. 40). Loughlin shared the words The beginning of music camps in of Australian music critic Kenneth Hince who said: Music Camp is geared to…[send] campers back Australia into the community with a changed attitude to The first Australian National Music Camp occurred music and an increased appetite for it. …Their enthusiasm will upgrade the standing of music in at Point Lonsdale, Victoria, in 1948, founded by the Australian community, will form an audience John Bishop and Ruth Alexander (Epstein, 1984). for music and will develop pressure for higher Over the next decade the camp moved between standards of taste and professional performance. the eastern states growing and gaining popularity. (Loughlin, 1967, pp. 40-41) In 1960, the National Music Camp Association John Hopkins, who was closely associated with (NMCA) approved a fundraising appeal to support the NMCA, having conducted at 11 camps and the establishment of state-based music camps regularly conducting the Australian Youth Orchestra around Australia, with the aim to eventually hold stated: a music camp in each Australian state, and to have The growth in standards of performance at music young musicians, “through the inspiration of music camp are mainly related to the total fruitage of camp, create a ‘Movement of Music’ all over the the movement over the past 20 years or more. In addition to the hundreds of campers who have continent” (“Music Camp,” 1961). A fundraising become professional musicians here and overseas, launch took place in South Australia beginning at several thousand have followed other walks of life a dinner held on 31 May 1962 at the University of and their experience of, and enthusiasm for Music Adelaide Refectory, which was attended by donors Camp has permeated the community in all states. (Hopkins, 1974, p. 37) and volunteers. The campaign, which involved both South Australia and Victoria, continued over eight weeks until the evening of the final The Music Education Environment Success Supper, held in Melbourne on July 18, in South Australia 1962. The report to the assemblage summarised a total of £20,828 had been raised, with £12,412 Dr Jennifer Rosevear, former Senior Lecturer in in Melbourne and £8,416 in Adelaide, through Music Education at the Elder Conservatorium of hundreds of donations. To gain a perspective Music, University of Adelaide wrote that in 1961, regarding this figure, the average weekly wage in David Bishop, son of John Bishop, was appointed Australia in 1961 was approximately £18, being by the South Australian Education Department 365 shillings and seven pence (Australian Bureau to establish a string teaching program in state public primary schools (2008). As part of his 50 53(1) The South Australian May Music Camp appointment managing the Music Branch, David was also reflected in the activities at SAMMC. Bishop organised an ensemble to tour primary When SAMMC first began in 1962, 67 students schools to perform and teach, which was known as were registered for attendance at the camp and the Adelaide Trio (Fox, 1988, p. 397). At that time, two ensembles were formed, being an orchestra the Elder Conservatorium of Music offered a junior and a junior ensemble. The increased number of orchestra for school aged children which provided string students learning to play in primary schools students with the opportunity to assemble on a led to an increase in the number of enrolments at weekly basis to play music across the year. From camp and therefore an expansion in the number of 1962 the new SAMMC became available for ensembles made available. A third orchestra was children too young, or not yet advanced enough included in 1967 when 140 students were enrolled in their studies to apply for National Music Camp. at camp. Later in 1977, a junior string ensemble was This camp contributed effectively to the music added when the number of students registered rose education environment in South Australia, to 213. The following year, 102 violin, 22 viola, 28 providing an intensive, short-term opportunity, ‘cello and 4 double basses were accepted at camp, during a school holiday break, different to other along with nine harpists. Some smaller ensembles settings already available to students. also performed at camp. In 1967, SAMMC offered Brian Chatterton (1977), former Head of a recorder group, and from 1969 the final night Performing Arts at the South Australian College concert following the end of camp opened with a of Advanced Education, wrote that Music Branch brass fanfare. There was an increase in the number activities provided a clear indication of change of brass students applying to audition for camp in when describing the growth of music education the late 1970’s and registrations were also received in South Australian public schools between 1967 from students learning to play the saxophone. In and 1977. Tuition in stringed instruments was 1980 this resulted in one orchestra being replaced introduced to public primary schools in 1962 with