The Countess of Munster Musical Trust is a charity based in

Godalming Godalming ( ) is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settl ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, England, that provides scholarships, prizes and loans to support young musicians in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

History

The trust was founded in 1958 by Hilary Wilson (9 March 1903 – 1979), a gifted pianist with a love of music. Her father was Kenneth Wilson, who inherited the prosperous Wilson Shipping Line, and she became Hilary FitzClarence, Countess of Munster, after her marriage to

Geoffrey FitzClarence, 5th Earl of Munster Geoffrey William Richard Hugh FitzClarence, 5th Earl of Munster, KBE, PC (17 February 1906 – 26 August 1975) was a British peer and Conservative politician. Background Munster was the son of Major the Honourable Harold Edward FitzClarence ( ...

(grandson of

Wilhelmina FitzClarence, Countess of Munster Wilhelmina FitzClarence, Countess of Munster (''née'' Kennedy-Erskine; 27 June 1830 – 9 October 1906) was a British peeress and novelist. Her mother, Lady Augusta FitzClarence, was an illegitimate daughter of William IV of the United Ki ...

) in 1928. Wilson performed in hospitals and schools, both before and after her marriage, and young musicians would gather at her home in

Bletchingley Bletchingley (historically "Blechingley") is a village in Surrey, England. It is on the A25 road to the east of Redhill and to the west of Godstone, has a conservation area with medieval buildings and is mostly on a wide escarpment of the Gre ...

. Wilson started the trust with a large endowment, which continued to grow until her death in 1979.

Description

The trust, which is based in Godalming, Surrey, offers various awards, loans and sponsorships, including: *Study awards, which are available for postgraduate studies for talented young

instrumentalist A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...

s, singers, conductors and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

s, aged from 18 to 25 or 28 years old (it varies by category), and resident in the

British Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire The B ...

. *Instrument purchase loans *Munster Trust Study Awards *Recital scheme *LSSO Munster Trust Scholars, whereby funding is provided to a number of gifted young musicians to attend various events and courses organised by the

London Schools Symphony Orchestra The London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO) is a youth orchestra whose members are young musicians living or studying in London. The students rehearse and perform with professional conductors and soloists. The LSSO was founded in 1951 by Dr Lesli ...

Stephen Oliver Award

Since 2006 the trust also administers the Stephen Oliver Award, to assist with the staging of a new piece of

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

by a young composer. The biennial award, worth £5,000 in 2021, was created after the capital funds of the estate of Stephen Oliver (1950–1992) had been incorporated into the Countess of Munster Musical Trust in 2006. It retains the primary aims of the

Stephen Oliver Trust Stephen Michael Harding Oliver (10 March 1950 – 29 April 1992) was an English composer, best known for his operas. Early life and education Oliver was born on 10 March 1950 in Chester, a son of Charlotte Hester (née Girdlestone; born 191 ...

, which were "to encourage the creation, promotion and performance of contemporary

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

, and to encourage young people working in contemporary opera". The Stephen Oliver Trust had previously awarded two Stephen Oliver Prizes, in 1994 and 1996.

Neil Black Award

The Neil Black Award, named in honour of oboist

Neil Black Neil Cathcart Black OBE (28 May 1932 – 14 August 2016) was an English oboist. He held the post of principal oboe in four London orchestras, and taught at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Early life an ...

, was established based on a donation given to the trust after Black's death in 2016. Awarded annually to a young

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and Ree ...

player, winners include oboists Manou Rolland (2018) and Hannah Condliffe (2019), and

bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...

ist Olivia Palmer-Baker (2020).

References

{{reflist Music charities based in the United Kingdom 1958 establishments in England Funding bodies in the United Kingdom