▁Bou lt , ▁" it ▁was ▁hard ▁to ▁refuse , ▁but ▁I ▁felt ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁patri otic ▁duty ▁to ▁remain ▁in ▁my ▁own ▁country , ▁at ▁the ▁present ▁moment ." ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁Prom s ▁continued ▁much ▁as ▁before . ▁The ▁second ▁hal ves ▁of ▁concert s ▁still ▁featured ▁piano - ac comp an ied ▁songs ▁rather ▁than ▁serious ▁classical ▁music . ▁Ch app ell ' s , ▁having ▁taken ▁over ▁spons or ship ▁of ▁the ▁Prom s ▁and ▁spent ▁£ 3 5 , 0 0 0 ▁keeping ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁Hall ▁going ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁wished ▁to ▁promote ▁songs ▁published ▁by ▁the ▁company . ▁The ▁management ▁of ▁Ch app ell ' s ▁were ▁also ▁less ▁enthus i astic ▁than ▁Wood ▁and ▁New man ▁about ▁prom oting ▁new ▁orch est ral ▁works , ▁most ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁not ▁prof itable . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁Wood ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁gold ▁medal ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Phil harm onic ▁Society , ▁the ▁first ▁English ▁conduct or ▁to ▁receive ▁the ▁honour . ▁By ▁now ▁he ▁was ▁beginning ▁to ▁find ▁his ▁position ▁as ▁Britain ' s ▁leading ▁conduct or ▁under ▁challenge ▁from ▁rising ▁younger ▁riv als . ▁ ▁Thomas ▁Be ech am ▁had ▁been ▁an ▁increasing ly ▁influ ential ▁figure ▁since ▁about ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁He ▁and ▁Wood ▁did ▁not ▁like ▁one ▁another , ▁and ▁each ▁avoided ▁mention ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir s . ▁Ad rian ▁Bou lt , ▁who , ▁at