LEITH HILL MUSICAL FESTIVAL: RECORDS

The records describe the planning and organisation of the annual Musical Festival. They include minutes of the General Committee, 1904-1990, Executive Committee, 1972-1991, and Towns Day Sub-Committee, 1921-1930; file of competition and concert programmes for Children's Day, 1921-1944; secretary's notebooks, 1939-1979, which contain names and addresses of committee members, conductors and secretaries of choirs, singers, details of schedules sent out, notes of some committee meetings and choir conductor's conferences, and notes relating to the organisation of the festival and concerts; catalogue of works performed at the Leith Hill Musical Festival, 1905-1986, indexed by surname of composer, originally compiled 1960s; and a printing block, with image of Leith Hill and tower, and the text 'Leith Hill Musical Festival' and further text describing the events of each day of the Festival (Tuesday to Friday).

The Leith Hill Musical Festival was established in 1904 with the aim, stated in the first annual report, 'being primarily to encourage the love and study of good music in villages' within ten miles of Abinger Hall. The co-founders were Margaret Vaughan Williams of Leith Hill Place, Dorking, and Lady Evangeline Farrer of Abinger Hall. Also involved from its inception were the folk song collector, Lucy Broadwood, of Lyne House, Capel, and Margaret's brother, the composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams. Seven choirs entered the first competition on 10 May 1905, which was judged by Dr Arthur Somervell of the Royal College of Music.

From its inception, the founders remained closely connected to the Festival. Lady Farrer served as chairman until 1946 and vice president until her death in 1968; and Margaret was Honorary Secretary from 1904 to 1919. Ralph Vaughan Williams was invited to be festival conductor from the outset, which post he held until 1953. He was also a member of the musical committee from 1904 to 1953, President of the festival, 1951-1958, and guest conductor until his death in 1958. Lucy Broadwood, the folk song collector, was a member of the Music Selection Committee and regularly served on the festival judges' panel until her death in 1929.

Many other eminent musicians and critics participated in the festival, their names almost too numerous to mention. Sir Adrian Boult, the conductor, joined the Musical Committee in 1920, appeared as guest conductor and judge on occasion, and succeeded Ralph Vaughan Williams as president in 1958. Boult was succeeded as president by Sir David Willcocks, who has also served as an adjudicator and guest conductor. JA Fuller Maitland, music critic, served on the festival judges' panel in the early years of the festival. Other leading musicians associated with the festival include Sir Thomas Armstrong, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Leon Goossens, Sir Walford Davies, Sir Steuart Wilson, Dr William Cole and Brian Kay.

Prior to 1946, some of the visiting conductors, performers and Festival judges would often stay at Abinger Hall as guests of the Farrers where they often added humorous rhymes, sketches or musical jokes to the visitors' book. The book also includes a series of limericks about each of the village choirs participating in the Festival composed by Lucy Broadwood (2572/142).

There are no access restrictions.

Deposited by the chairman, Leith Hill Musical Festival Committee, in September 2006 and November 2009.

An item level description of the archive is available on the Surrey History Centre online catalogue

For Leith Hill Musical Festival reports, competition schedules and programmes, 1905-1995, and Ralph Vaughan Williams' manuscript score of Song for a Spring Festival, 1955, see 2054. For further annual reports, programmes, schedules and newsletters, 1919-1997, see 2143, 2185/LEB/6/-, 2228, 2359, 2452 and 3669. For the secretary's notebook of Dame Frances Farrer, 1924-1927, see 4019. For papers relating to the participation of Shalford Choral Society in the Festival, 1921-1996, see 5382. For papers collected by Dr William Cole, chiefly relating to Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1914-1972, see 8062. For chronological runs of (mainly) original programmes, competition sheets and handbills, 1905-2005, see 8329. For the Festival treasurer's papers, 1939-1986, see 8908. For further minutes and papers of the Annual General Meeting, General Committee, Executive Committee, Secretary, and publicity material and programmes, 1962-2012, see 9022.

For Lady Evangeline Farrer's papers and correspondence relating to the Festival, 1904-1946, see 2572/100/- to 2572/114/-, and 8853. These files include letters from Ralph Vaughan Williams and many of the other musicians who took part as conductors, singers and players. Some of Lady Farrer's letters relating to the Festival are amongst the bound correspondence of her husband, Thomas Cecil Farrer, 2nd Baron Abinger (2572/1/-). For the diaries of Lucy Broadwood, 1882-1929, see 6782.

Leith Hill Musical Festival, 1905-1955 (Pullingers Ltd, Epsom, 1955);
And choirs singing: an account of the Leith Hill Musical Festival, 1905-1985 (Leith Hill Musical Festival, 1985);
S Corke, Music won the cause: 100 years of the Leith Hill Musical Festival, 1905-2005 (Leith Hill Musical Festival, 2005)