Our story

Music learning for life 

Music is in our DNA. With a history stretching back nearly a century, Benslow Music has been welcoming and supporting music lovers of all ages and abilities since 1929. Discover our story below. 

Beginnings: 1929 – 1960s

Our journey started in 1929 when music teacher Mary Ibberson founded the first Rural Music School (RMS) in Hitchin. She sought to address a lack of music education in the school system and provide music teaching to young beginners as well as adults learning or beginning after their school years. 

In 1932, the RMS also became the home of the Violin Loan Scheme, which was founded by violinists and teachers Editha Knocker (advisor to the RMS) and Edith Croll. They penned a letter to The Times calling for “Good Violins lying idle” to be repurposed for young musicians who could otherwise not afford them. The response was huge, and the Violin Loan Scheme was born. A groundbreaking and egalitarian plan, it was endorsed by many leading musicians of the day, including BBC Proms founder Sir Henry Wood.  

The project was later expanded to include other instruments and runs today as our Benslow Music Instrument Loan Scheme, helping over 500 young players a year find their voice with a quality instrument in hand. We’ve helped thousands of musicians over nine decades. Many of them have gone on to have flourishing musical careers, as award-winning performers, teachers and musicologists. 

In 1947, the Rural Music School became the RMS Association (RMSA), which brought together 20 like-minded music centres across England, providing teaching in rural areas and advocating for better music education nationally. By the 1950s and 60s, the RMSA’s work was recognised as local authorities began to take over delivering music education. 

In 1952, Esther Seebohm donated Little Benslow Hills, a substantial Victorian house and estate in Hitchin, to the RMSA ‘to be used in perpetuity for the support of music-making.’ It’s been our home ever since.  

Benslow Music: 1986 - now

The Benslow Music Trust was established in 1986, taking over from the RMSA in its mission to support music making for all ages and abilities. Our programme of residential courses soon grew, and now we offer around 150 courses every year to musicians of all abilities. As our community has grown, so have our spaces – with recital halls, accommodation and practice rooms added, including our Waldeck Wing, which was opened in 2001 with the help of a £1.1 million Millennium Lottery Grant. Our most recent addition in 2022 is the Aston Building, a bespoke home for the Instrument Loan Scheme, made possible by donations, including the generous support of the Aston family. 

“Promote music education for social benefit through the study and practice of music, especially in its social and co-operative forms, amongst students of all ages”

Benslow Music Trust’s charitable objects

Today, Benslow Music continues to thrive as an oasis of creativity, where people of all ages come together to learn, play, and share in the joy of music. Our dedicated team continue in the spirit of our founders, working year round to provide a fantastic range of courses, support for hundreds of musicians and a lively calendar of concerts and events. And our Bed & Breakfast accommodation offers an inspiring getaway here in Hitchin for up to 50 guests at a time – open to both course members and the general public. 

We’ve continued to grow and adapt for nearly 100 years, thanks to the support of our passionate community of members, participants and supporters. And as we approach our centenary celebrations in 2029, we’re excited for what the next chapter holds.

Timeline

1929 - the Rural Music School (RMS) is founded by Mary Ibberson to provide musical teaching for children and adults outside of school education. 

1932 - An open letter to The Times by Editha Knocker and Edith Croll calls for 'good violins lying idle' to give to young musicians in need of a quality instrument, launching the Violin Loan Scheme (the Benslow Music Instrument Loan Scheme as we know it today)

1947 - The Rural Music School is incorporated into the RMS Association, providing and advocating for better music education in rural areas, growing to over 20 centres across England. 

1950 – 21st anniversary of the Rural Music Schools celebrated with the commissioning of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Concerto Grosso premiered by over 400 string players at a gala concert in the Royal Albert Hall conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. 

1952 - Esther Seebohm donates 'Little Benslow Hills' to the RMSA 'to be used in perpetuity for the support of music making' - this becomes the home of the RMSA (now Benslow Music Trust). 

1962 – Mary Ibberson’s retirement as Director of the RMSA is marked with the commissioning and premiere of Variations on ‘Loth to Depart’ by Imogen Holst. 

1976 - A new recital hall, Peter Morrison Hall, is built.

1986 - The Benslow Music Trust is established ‘to promote music education for social benefit through the study and practice of music, especially in its social and co-operative forms, amongst students of all ages’ 

1990s - The Lodge is converted to bedrooms to accommodate more residential students.

2001 - The Waldeck Wing opens, featuring the Palmer Hall recital hall, practice rooms and accommodation, built with the help of a £1.1 million Millennium Lottery Grant 

2009 – The Fieldfares building, the Coach House and other out buildings are extended to provide more accommodation and playing space. 

2022 – The Aston building is complete and the Instrument Loan Scheme moves into a purpose built home with appointment, workshop and collection storage facilities.