Philip Neill Memorial Prize

The Philip Neill Memorial Prize is an annual prize administered by the University of Otago for excellence in original composition.[1] The award is open to all past and present students of a university in New Zealand, except previous winners who are excluded for a period of five years.

It was established in 1943 in memory of Philip Foster Neill, a medical student at the University of Otago who died during the polio outbreak of 1943. In the first year of the prize, 1944, the topic was for a prelude (or fantasia) and fugue for either piano or organ. Douglas Lilburn was publicly awarded the first prize of ₤25 on 25 June 1944, with Harry Luscombe of Auckland the runner-up.[2] It is the longest continuously running award of its kind in New Zealand.

The prize is determined each year with a set task with different parameters each year, usually relating to duration and instrumentation, which are announced early in the year, with a deadline for submission at the beginning of July.

List of award recipients

• 1944 Douglas Lilburn for Prelude and Fugue in G Minor for organ[3]
  
• 1945 Harry Luscombe for Sonata in G major for violin and piano[4]
• 1946 Frank Callaway for Theme and Variations for String Orchestra[5]
• 1947 tied between Dorothy Scott for In a younger Land, a song cycle for mezzo-soprano and violin, cello and piano[6] and Dorothea Anne Franchi for The Desolate Star a song cycle for baritone and piano setting text by Robin Hyde [7]
  
• 1948 John Ritchie for Passacaglia and fugue on an original theme for two pianos[8]
• 1949 Charles Martin for Sonata for pianoforte and violin[9]
• 1950 Claire Neale for Variations on an original theme in the phyrgian mode, with a ground bass finale[10]
• 1951 Georgina Smith for Theme and Variations [for two pianos][11]
• 1952 Leslie Pearce Williamson Jordan for Fantasy-sonata for cello and piano
  
• 1954 Robin Maconie for Basia Memoranda for lyric tenor and string quartet
  
• 1958 Barry Vercoe for A Program Suite for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon[12]
  
• 1959 Dorothy Freed for Variations for woodwind quintet[13]
  
• 1960 prescribed task was for a Concertino for solo instrument and string orchestra [14]
  
• 1962 Graham Hollobon for Elegy, a song cycle setting text by Alastair Campbell.
  
• 1963 William Southgate for Toccata for Brass Choir[15]
• 1965 Jack Body for Cantata for the festival of dedication of a church[16][17]
  
• 1971 John Rimmer for Composition 2[18]
  
• 1978 David Hamilton for Canticle 1 for oboe, baritone and piano.
  
• 1980 John Ritchie for Three Housman Songs
  
• 1982 Helen Caskie for Rhapsody for violin and piano[19]
  
• 1984 Richard Francis for Song-cycle (Auden) for Baritone and Pianoforte
  
• 1985 Nigel Keay for Variations for piano
  
• 1987 Eve de Castro-Robinson for Undercurrents for solo clarinet
  
• 1991 Maria Grenfell for A Pinch of time ; five songs for bass-baritone and piano setting poems by Hone Tuwhare, Kevin Ireland and Allen Curnow[20]
  
• 1992 John Elmsly[21] for Songs from 'The Treehouse' for SATB choir
  
• 1993 Eve de Castro-Robinson for Split the Lark for violin and piano
  
• 1994 Tecwyn Evans for Gerauschvoll for organ[22]
• 1995 Christopher Marshall for Three Aspects of Spring
  
• 1995 Dorothy Buchanan for Fragments and Letters for voice, clarinet and piano.
  
• 1996 Cheryl Camm for Three Burns Songs for Soprano, Clarinet and Cello[23]
  
• 1996 Michael Norris[24]
  
• 1999 Jeroen Speak for Etudes.
  
• 2001 Leonie Holmes for A Tedious Brief Scene: Bottom's Dance for mixed chamber ensemble of nine players[25]
  
• 2002 Thorsten Wollman for Fishes and Birds for flute or violin, clarinet and piano[26]
  
• 2003 John Rimmer for Bowed Insights for string quartet[18]
  
• 2004 Robin Toan for Maze for piano and two percussionists[27]
  
• 2006 Carol Shortis for The Riddle of her flight
  
• 2007 Brian Bromberg [28]
  
• 2008 Chris Adams for Persephone for String Quartet[29]
  
• 2009 Jack Body
  
• 2011 Alex Campbell-Hunt for Piano Trio
  
• 2013 Kerian Veraine for Crave Release for violin and piano
  
• 2015 Jeremy Mayall for Frosted Air Suite for flute and electronics[30]
  
• 2016 Reuben Jelleyman for Soliloquy for Cello[31]
  
• 2018 Corwin Newall for #babylife for piano duet[32]
  
• 2019 Megan Kyte[33]
  

References

1. "Philip Neill Memorial Prize". Philip Neill Memorial Prize :Items :National Library of New Zealand :National Library of New Zealand. New Zealand: National Library of New Zealand, Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand). Retrieved 2020-07-13.
2. Norman, P "Douglas Lilburn" pp. 111-112
3. Lilburn, Douglas Gordon; Steele, John (January 1, 1944). "[Prelude & fugue, G minor, organ] Prelude and fugue in G minor ; for organ". [Prelude & fugue, G minor, organ] Pre... | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
4. "Sonata in G major for violin and piano". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-23. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
5. "Theme and variations for string orchestra : [Original composition awarded the Philip Neill memorial prize in music]". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
6. Harvey, D.R. A Bibliography of Writings about New Zealand Music published to the end of 1983
7. Franchi, Dorothea Anne; Wilkinson, Iris Guiver (January 1, 1947). "The Desolate star ; song cycle for baritone voice with piano accompaniment / words by Robin Hyde". The Desolate star ; song cycle for ba... | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
8. "Passacaglia and fugue on an original theme for two pianos : [Original composition awarded the Philip Neill memorial prize in music]". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
9. "Sonata for pianoforte and violin : [Original composition awarded the Philip Neill memorial prize in music]". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
10. "Variations on an original theme in the phyrgian mode, with a ground bass finale : [Original composition awarded the Philip Neill memorial prize in music]". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
11. "Theme and variations [for two pianos] : [Original composition awarded the Philip Neill memorial prize in music]". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
12. "The Weekend Sun | Barry Lloyd Vercoe's world premiere". theweekendsun.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2019-02-04. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
13. Freed, Dorothy Whitson (January 1, 1959). "Variations for woodwind quintet". Variations for woodwind quintet | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
14. https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/calendar/archive/1960-calendar.pdf
15. "Toccata for brass choir [Philip Neill memorial prize, 1963]". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
16. "Cantata for the festival of dedication of a church". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
17. specified, Not (January 1, 1965). "Inward correspondence regarding competition prizes". Inward correspondence regarding compe... | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
18. "John Rimmer – The Living Composers Project". www.composers21.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
19. Caskie, Helen (January 1, 1982). "Rhapsody for violin and piano". Rhapsody for violin and piano | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
20. Grenfell, Maria Jacqueline; Tuwhare, Hone; Ireland, Kevin; Curnow, Thomas Allen Monro (January 1, 1991). "Grenfell, Maria 1969- : A Pinch of time ; five songs for bass-baritone and piano / [poems by Hone Tuwhare, Kevin Ireland and Allen Curnow]". Grenfell, Maria 1969- : A Pinch of ti... | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
21. "John ELMSLY — Rattle Records Artists". Rattle Records. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
22. "Gerauschvoll for organ". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
23. "SOUNZ Three Burns Songs". www.sounz.org.nz. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
24. "About - Michael Norris, Composer". www.michaelnorris.info. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
25. "Dr Leonie Holmes - The University of Auckland". www.creative.auckland.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
26. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2020-06-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
27. "SOUNZ Robin Toan". sounz.org.nz. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
28. https://canz.net.nz/useful-info/opportunities/
29. "Chris Adams wins Philip Neill Prize | Composers Association of New Zealand". Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
30. "Chamber". October 30, 2012. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
31. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2020-06-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
32. Board, Otago Bulletin. ""Chaotic, sleep-deprived, delightful" new parenthood inspires winning composition". University of Otago. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
33. "St Paul's recital marks milestone". Otago Daily Times Online News. September 30, 2019. Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2020.