Sir, - I refer to your report on the publication of the book, To Talent Alone - The Royal Irish Academy of Music 1848-1998 (The Irish Times, December 16th).
As director of the academy between 1982 and 1993 I think that I am qualified to state that the most important educational development during those years was the negotiation of two full-time degree courses: a Bachelor in Music Education taught in association with Trinity College and the DIT College of Music; and a BA in Music Performance validated by Dublin City University.
Over several years I attended all the many meetings of the steering groups and the various sub- and curriculum committees and I can testify that the negotiations, particularly for the first course, were at times difficult, tortuous and protracted. These two degree courses have been the pillars on which the academy has built and developed further its third-level work. Indeed, the campaign being pursued by my successor, Dr John O'Conor, for a conservatoire would be greatly weakened if these degrees were not already in existence.
It is for others to judge my stewardship as director, but in helping to bring about a successful conclusion to the degree negotiations, an outcome of vital importance to the academy's standing as an institution, I feel I did the academy some service. In reading this history one would be hard put to find any reference to the part I played in this matter, or even that the degrees were up and running during my term of office.
I should like to pay public tribute to Prof Barbara Wright, who, along with myself, represented the academy throughout the long process of bringing the degrees to fruition. Prof Wright's single-mindedness and devotion to the academy's cause I found quite inspirational and deserving of the highest praise. That she merits two passing references in the history - on totally unrelated topics - is scandalous. Small thanks she has received for her endeavours!
Two other people must be acknowledged: Dr William Watts, then provost of Trinity College; and Dr Danny O'Hare, current president of Dublin City University. Without the steadfast support of both of these eminent university heads the academy would not have realised its third-level ambitions, and the fact that neither of them is even mentioned in the history beggars belief.
I should like to place on record that at no time during the writing of this history did the editors, Richard Pine and Charles Acton, contact me in any way. If they had done so I could have given them much interesting, valuable and accurate information. - Yours, etc., Lindsay Armstrong,
Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4.