Durham University Department of Music

Until 1890 all music degrees were honorary. Recipients of the honorary doctorates were John Bacchus Dykes in 1862 and John Stainer in 1885.

There were four musicians who received a DCL prior to 1890; these were George Grove in 1875; Hubert Parry and Charles Villiers Stanford in 1894; and John Stainer in 1895.

During Edward Bairstow's tenure of the Professorship, four composers were made honorary Doctors of Music; these were John Ireland in 1932; Arnold Bax in 1935; William Walton in 1937 Thomas F. Dunhill in 1940.[1]

Department of Music offers a three-year undergraduate degree. The curriculum covers all key areas of music with particular strengths in music analysis, music history, ethnomusicology, music and science and performance and composition.

From 1890 until 1980 the University offered degrees by examination only to non-resident , "unattached", students.,[2] something which had been happening in the university since 1871[3]

Department of Music has been ranked as the best music department in the UK by the Complete University Guide for 2018,[4] and have appeared number one position for two years running in the Sunday Times.[5] The department has also been ranked 3rd in the UK for the quality and impact of its research, according to the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2014.[6]

Present staff include the renowned Stanford and Parry expert, Jeremy Dibble.

The first professor of music was Philip Armes held office from 1897 to 1907, and had previously been resident examiner since 1890. He had been appointed organist of Durham Cathedral in 1862 and was granted a Mus. Bac. ad eundem from the University in 1863 and Mus. Doc. similarly in 1874 having received them in 1858 and 1864 respectively from the University of Oxford. In 1891 he was granted an honorary MA.[7]

The second holder of the office was Joseph Cox Bridge, whose tenure ran from 1907 to 1929. He had been organ scholar of Exeter College, Oxford and then organist of Chester Cathedral.

Edward Bairstow was professor there from 1929 to 1946, a position he held alongside his tenure of the organist post at York Minster. He was not required to be resident in Durham. Both Bridge and Bairstow died in office. During his time at Durham, Bairstow produced his Counterpoint and Harmony in 1937.[1]

Other notable staff have included Arthur Hutchings, Jerome Roche and Brian Primmer.

The department occupies three buildings in the city of Durham, two on the Palace Green and one on North Bailey. The main building, Divinity House, was built in 1661 and until 1844 was home to Durham School. Until recently the adjacent former Diocesan Registry housed the department library; it is now the computer room. The building on North Bailey, numbers 48-49, comprises two inter-connected Georgian townhouses.

Some well-known alumni of the Music Department include[8]

• Edward Bairstow, Mus. Bac., 1894; Mus. Doc., 1900; later Professor of Music
• Walter Galpin Alcock, Mus.D, 1905
• Ernest Bullock, Mus. Bac., 1908; Mus. Doc., 1914
• Malcolm Sargent, Mus.Bac., 1914; Mus.Doc., 1919
• William G. Whittaker, Mus. Doc., 1920
• Gordon Archbold Slater, Mus. Doc., 1923
• Craig Sellar Lang, Mus. Doc., 1924
• Alwyn Surplice, Mus. Bac., 1937
• Sidney Campbell, Mus. Doc., 1946
• Clifford Harker, Mus. Bac., 1947
• C. H. Jaeger, Mus. Bac., 1949
• John Joubert, Mus.B., 1950
• Lionel Frederick Dakers, Mus. Bac., 1951
• Arthur Wills, Mus. Bac., 1952; D. Mus., 1958
• Francis Jackson, D. Mus., 1957
• Ralph Allwood, BA, 1972
• J. P. E. Harper-Scott, BA, 1998

Most of these alumni were "unattached" and completed their papers away from Durham.

• Department of Music