A student who embarked on his education in 1966 at St Paul’s
School in Darjeeling would remember an impressive teaching faculty; in
the 1960s teachers were from India and the UK. There was KN Joshi,
heading the department of Hindi; S Sen, also highly qualified, headed
the Bengali department. C Hawley, a Master’s from Oxford University was
in charge of the department of English while Yvonne Hawkins from Oxford
University taught physics in Classes V and VI. There was also Richard
Mountford who had a Master’s in history from St Stephen’s College and
Delhi University
The school’s music department was managed by Patricia Blackley, who
had a Master’s in music from the University of Cambridge. One may
question the reason for appointing such a highly qualified person. Is
music as a subject in school that important? After all, music does not
figure in the school leaving Cambridge Board Exams. Be that as it may, a
number of such schools ensured that music prevailed along with regular
academics. Blackley’s responsibilities entailed singing to the
accompaniment of a piano; she controlled the orchestra and conducted its
performance. The school’s choir was her entire responsibility where
students sang under her direction and tutelage to the accompaniment of
an electric Hammond organ, which was played solely by her. It summarises
and also highlights her busy schedule which ranged from the junior to
senior schools.
A person, like Blackley, who had accomplished her post graduation
from Cambridge, must have studied various spheres of music. To enlighten
our minds let us view what exactly a degree in music entails from the
University of Cambridge. It will also tell us that these teachers who
served their respective tenures were indeed qualified to an impressive
level.
St Paul’s did not confine teaching this subject to western music.
Indian classical music was also taught and separate teachers were
engaged for playing the sitar, harmonium, tabla with vocal music.
Musical plays composed by Gilbert and Sullivan, were performed. Musicals
with Indian classical music were similarly staged.
To excel in any academic discipline one needs a focus, which must be
pursued from the onset of a course. Music is no exception because like
any subject there are different dimensions a student must learn. The
undergraduate course, or Tripos, in Cambridge University is designed to
introduce a student not only to a range of music but to the many ways of
thinking and understanding the subject. As a principle it is similar to
the study of literature, which encompasses the style of certain
writers.
In the first year the focus is to establish a foundation in the
techniques and history of Western musical tradition and understanding
the main roles of music in today’s world. Notwithstanding a student’s
academic background they can identify their core skills, an essential
guide for their progress later.
As the student progresses through this graduation course they enjoy
increased freedom to decide on specialised courses of music and
different approaches of studying it. The freedom gives them a choice of
selecting different pathways, be it composition, performance,
ethnomusicology, which is the study of music, from cultural and social
aspects and popular music.
The first year, Part 1A, comprises four components, which are like
building blocks of the degree. Lectures introduce students into basics
involving the understanding of music in the past — the selection of
historical case studies illustrating how different kinds of historical
evidence can be brought together to appreciate music in a particular
genre. Listening and reading in the course also imparts a mental map of
music’s past and present.
An emphasis is put on tonal music, which is an organised system of
tones, like the tones of a major or minor scale. The range of teaching
the category of tones varies from Brahms to Jazz, opening a vast musical
repertory, enabling students to understand other traditions. On the
other hand, the second year goes into interesting routes, like
orchestral arrangements and adding a soundtrack to a film. The student
may choose to either play an instrument or write about it.
A student in the third year may decide, in line with their interests and skills, if they will need a chosen career path. The career path
involving music is vast, from composition to mastering a particular
instrument, or teaching a section of the subject. When the student
progresses into their post-graduation, they decide which section of
music they wish to study and develop further.
Blackley had specialised and focused on playing the piano, in tandem
with vocal music. When she sang a treble note, during choir practice in
St Paul’s, she would achieve the desired pitch effortlessly, thus
encouraging members of the choir, singing treble, to emulate the same
tone. She literally brought her learning from Cambridge to the
Darjeeling Hills.
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