Cobbett Competitions

In 1905, Walter Willson Cobbett (1847—1937) initiated a series of six chamber music competitions. The first two were carried out under the auspices of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.

1905 Cobbett Competition for Phantasy String Quartet

Carried out under the auspices of the Worshipful Company of Musicians (link).

Prize Awarded Composer Title Publisher Notes
First William Yeates Hurlstone Phantasie in A minor/major Novello 50 Guineas prize
Second Haydn Wood Phantasy in F major Novello £10 prize
Special Frank Bridge Phantasie for String Quartet in F minor Novello £10 prize
Consolation James Friskin Phantasy in D major 5 Guineas
Consolation Harry Waldo Warner Phantasy in F major, Op.12 5 Guineas
Consolation Joseph Holbrooke String Quartet No.1 (Fantasie in D minor) Chester 5 Guineas

1907 Cobbett Competition for Phantasy Piano Trio

Carried out under the auspices of the Worshipful Company of Musicians (link). Supplementary awards were presented to composers of works chosen by Cobbett.

Prize Awarded Composer Title Publisher Notes
First Frank Bridge Phantasie for Piano Trio in C minor Augener £50 prize. Submitted to the competition under the motto Spero Meliora
Second James Friskin Phantasie for Piano Trio in E minor Novello £10 prize. Submitted to the competition under the motto Viator
Third John Ireland Phantasie in A minor Augener £10 prize. Submitted to the competition under the motto Sub Umbra
Consolation Alice Verne-Bredt Phantasie Trio Schott £5 prize. Submitted to the competition under the motto "Under the light there is darkness"
Consolation Susan Spain-Dunk Phantasy in A minor £5 prize. Submitted to the competition under the motto "Halez vous lentement et sans perdre courage"
Supplementary Julius Harrison 2 Guineas
Supplementary Hugh Blair 2 Guineas
Supplementary Sidney Goldsmith 2 Guineas
Supplementary Felix Harold White 2 Guineas
Supplementary Ernest Halsey 2 Guineas

1909 Cobbett Competition for a Sonata for Violin and Piano

Competition announced in the May 1, 1909 issue of The Musical Times.

Prize Awarded Composer Title Publisher Notes
First John Ireland Violin Sonata No.1 in D minor Augener £40 prize
Second Eric Gritton  ? £30 prize. Eric Gritton (1890-1981), student of Stanford at the RCM
Third Geoffrey O'Connor Morris  ? £15 prize
Supplementary Susan Spain-Dunk Violin Sonata in B minor Cramer £5 5s prize. Cramer may have only published the Romance movement.

1914 Cobbett Competition for String Quartet (in Sonata, Suite, or Phantasy form)

Competition announced in the May 1, 1914 issue of The Musical Times.

Prize Awarded Composer Title Publisher Notes
First Albert Sammons Phantasy Quartet in B major Hawkes & Son £25 prize. Prize for phantasy form.
First Frank Bridge String Quartet No.2 in G minor Novello £25 prize. Prize for sonata form.
Second William Henry Reed String Quartet No.5 in A minor Cary & Co. Prize for sonata form.

1916 Cobbett Competition for a Folksong Phantasy

Competition announced in the August 1, 1916 issue of The Musical Times.

String Quartet
Prize Awarded Composer Title Publisher Notes
First Harry Waldo Warner Folk-Song Phantasy 'Dance to your daddy' Ricordi 25 guineas prize. Also entitled Phantasy Quartet on a Berkshire Folk-Song
Second Herbert Howells Phantasy String Quartet in C major, Op.25 Curwen 10 guineas prize. Published in 1925.
Third Edward Norman Hay On Three Irish Tunes: Lisnagarvey, The banks of Clandy, Sally Kelly 5 guineas prize. Hay (Mus. Doc.) of Coleraine, Ireland. This is not his String Quartet in A major which won a Carnegie Trust Award in 1918 and was published by Stainer & Bell in 1920.
Piano Trio
Prize Awarded Composer Title Publisher Notes
First James Cliffe Forrester Folk Song Phantasy Novello 25 guineas prize. Based on the tunes: The Rosebud in June and Twankydillo
Second Arnold Trowell Trio on Ancient Irish Folk-Tunes Novello 10 guineas prize
Third Geoffrey O'Connor Morris 5 guineas prize

1919 Cobbett Competition for a Dance Phantasy for Piano and Strings

Competition announced in the June 1, 1919 issue of The Musical Times. Eric Fogg's Dance Phantasy is claimed to have been a prize winner.

Prize Awarded Composer Title Publisher Notes
First Cecil Armstrong Gibbs The Enchanted Wood for piano, solo violin, and string quintet Curwen £50 prize
Second Cecil Hazelhurst The Red Plague £15 prize
Supplementary Maud Emily Marshall Phantasy Piano Trio Marshall (1868–1951)