Archive item of the month: September 2022

Ruth Gipps (Bexhill-on-Sea, 20 February 1921 – Eastbourne, 23 February 1999)

Ruth Gipps, a child prodigy who first performed at the age of four and had a composition published at the age of eight, had an illustrious and varied career in classical music. She was a composer, conductor, pianist, oboist, horn player, teacher, and chorus trainer, amongst her many achievements. She studied composition at the Royal College of Music under Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) and Reginald Owen Morris (1886-1948), and, whilst performing in the City of Birmingham Orchestra, commenced conducting, at that time an unusually rare direction for female musicians. 

She joined RSM (Member 00836) on 6 December 1950.  In 1955, she founded the London Repertoire Orchestra, and, in 1961, Chanticleer Orchestra, whilst conducting with many of the regular orchestras of the period. She taught at Trinity College of Music from 1960 and the letter here shows a keen interest in taking her students to experience music outside of a classroom. 

Gipps writes to the then RSM Secretary, Marjorie Gleed (1920-1994, Member 01491), on 22 October 1963, asking whether her students could visit.

“Dear Mrs Gleed 

Some of my students at Trinity are keen to visit the R.S.M (Royal Society, not Royal Schools!) and see the pictures, manuscripts and so on.  Eugene Cruft [1887-1976, Member 00257] tells me that it would be quite all right for me to bring along a little party at a time when you are there; I gather that Wednesday afternoons are possible and I know that a Wednesday at 2.30 would suit the students concerned. 

If this would not be too much nuisance, could you please let me know which Wednesday would do? – I could arrange Nov. 6, 13, or 20 whichever you preferred.

With kind regards, 

Yours sincerely, 

Ruth Gipps”