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. The prize is not always awarded.

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
• 1953 No award
• 1954 Nigel Eastgate
• 1955, 1956, 1957 No award
• 1958 Barry Vercoe for A Program Suite for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon ^[12]
• 1959 Dorothy Freed for Variations for woodwind quintet ^[13] and Philip Hodgson
• 1960, 1961 No award
• 1962 shared between Robin Maconie for Basia Memoranda for lyric tenor and string quartet and Graham Hollobon for Elegy, a song cycle setting text by Alastair Campbell
• 1963 William Southgate for Toccata for Brass Choir ^[14] and Jenny McLeod
• 1964 No award
• 1965 Jack Body for Cantata for the festival of dedication of a church ^{[15] [16]}
• 1966 William Hawkey
• 1967, 1968 No award
• 1969 Noel Sanders
• 1970 Gillian Bibby for Sanctuary of the Spirits, a children's opera, ^{[17] [18]}
• 1971 John Rimmer for Composition 2 ^[19]
• 1972 Christopher Norton
• 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 No award
• 1978 David Hamilton for Canticle 1 for oboe, baritone and piano.
• 1979 Peter Adams for Sings Daphne for Soprano, Clarinet and Piano ^[20]
• 1980 John Ritchie for Three Housman Songs
• 1981 No award
• 1982 Helen Caskie for Rhapsody for violin and piano ^[21]
• 1983 No award
• 1984 Richard Francis for Song-cycle (Auden) for Baritone and Pianoforte
• 1985 Nigel Keay for Variations for piano
• 1986 No award
• 1987 Eve de Castro-Robinson for Undercurrents for solo clarinet
• 1988, 1989, 1990 No award
• 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 ^[22]
• 1992 John Elmsly ^[23] 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 ^[24]
• 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 ^[25]
• 1996 Michael Norris ^[26]
• 1997 David Farquhar for Prospero
• 1998 No award
• 1999 Jeroen Speak for Etudes.
• 2000 Leonie Holmes for A Tedious Brief Scene: Bottom's Dance for mixed chamber ensemble of nine players ^[27]
• 2001 No award
• 2002 Thorsten Wollman for Fishes and Birds for flute or violin, clarinet and piano ^[28]
• 2003 John Rimmer for Bowed Insights for string quartet ^[19]
• 2004 Robin Toan for Maze for piano and two percussionists ^[29]
• 2005 No award
• 2006 Carol Shortis for The Riddle of her flight
• 2007 Brian Bromberg ^[30]
• 2008 Chris Adams for Persephone for String Quartet ^[31]
• 2009 Jack Body for Mediations on Michelangelo
• 2010 No award
• 2011 Alex Campbell-Hunt for Piano Trio
• 2012 Corwin Newall for Scientists (Part 1)
• 2013 Kerian Veraine for Crave Release for violin and piano
• 2014 Linda Dallimore ^[32] for Syria: In Empathy for oboe and piano
• 2015 Jeremy Mayall for Frosted Air Suite for flute and electronics ^[33]
• 2016 Reuben Jelleyman for Soliloquy for Cello ^[34]
• 2017 No award
• 2018 Corwin Newall for #babylife for piano duet ^[35]
• 2019 Megan Kyte ^[36] for Entends
• 2020 David Hamilton for Canticle 6: Fragments from Lorca for Mezzo, Violin and Piano, ^[37] highly commended Chris Adams for Dowland Fragments for Mezzo, Violin and Piano
• 2021 Ben Hoadley for Four Preludes for cello and piano ^[38]

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 13 July 2020.
2. Norman, P "Douglas Lilburn" pp. 111-112
3. Lilburn, Douglas Gordon; Steele, John (1 January 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 7 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
4. "Sonata in G major for violin and piano". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
5. "Theme and variations for string orchestra : [Original composition awarded the Philip Neill memorial prize in music]". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
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 (1 January 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 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 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 22 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
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 22 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
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 21 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
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 22 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
12. "The Weekend Sun | Barry Lloyd Vercoe's world premiere". The Weekend Sun . Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
13. Freed, Dorothy Whitson (1 January 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 5 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
14. "Toccata for brass choir [Philip Neill memorial prize, 1963]". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
15. "Cantata for the festival of dedication of a church". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
16. specified, Not (1 January 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 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
17. "SOUNZ Sanctuary of Spirits".
18. Norman, Philip T. (1983). "Appendix A11". The beginnings and development of a New Zealand music: The life, and work (1940-1965), of Douglas Lilburn (Ph.D). University of Canterbury.Music. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
19. "John Rimmer – The Living Composers Project". www.composers21.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
20. Norman, Philip T. (1983). "Appendix A11". The beginnings and development of a New Zealand music: The life, and work (1940-1965), of Douglas Lilburn (Ph.D). University of Canterbury.Music. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
21. Caskie, Helen (1 January 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 6 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
22. Grenfell, Maria Jacqueline; Tuwhare, Hone; Ireland, Kevin; Curnow, Thomas Allen Monro (1 January 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 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
23. "John ELMSLY — Rattle Records Artists". Rattle Records. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
24. "Gerauschvoll for organ". otago.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
25. "SOUNZ Three Burns Songs". www.sounz.org.nz. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
26. "About - Michael Norris, Composer". www.michaelnorris.info. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
27. "Dr Leonie Holmes - The University of Auckland". www.creative.auckland.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
28. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
29. "SOUNZ Robin Toan". sounz.org.nz. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
30. "Recurring Opportunities for NZ Composers | Composers Association of New Zealand".
31. "Chris Adams wins Philip Neill Prize | Composers Association of New Zealand". Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
32. "SOUNZ Linda Dallimore".
33. "Chamber". 30 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
34. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
35. Board, Otago Bulletin. ""Chaotic, sleep-deprived, delightful" new parenthood inspires winning composition". University of Otago. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
36. "St Paul's recital marks milestone". Otago Daily Times . 30 September 2019. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
37. https://www.sounz.org.nz/works/25989
38. "Sunday Concert Series – Cello & Piano Duo: Song for Yoo".