Document
Ida Carroll, Hilda Collens
Northern School Of Music (NSM)
1960

This speech was given by Ida Gertrude Carroll in the Autumn of 1960, in it she welcomes both new and old students to the Northern School of Music. As with most of her speeches she begins with a hymn and a prayer where she gives thanks to those who have dedicated their lives to the arts, for example conductors and singers.

Ida Gertrude Carroll then goes on to remind the staff and students that she is giving this speech on founders day itself, where the school celebrates both the founding of the school and Hilda Collens birthday. As a part of the 40th anniversary celebrations the Manchester Guardian had sent a photographer to take pictures of the school for an upcoming article, and a celebration reunion service was taking place at St. Ann’s Church to give thanks for the schools founding. Ida Gertrude Carroll had also organised a piano recital by Kendall Taylor, she had invited both past and present students to both events to celebrate the Northern School of Music’s 40th anniversary.

Ida Gertrude Carroll ends her speech by giving news updates on the school. She discusses the schools continued sponsoring of a Barnardo’s child named David Attenborough and the successes of former students of the school. In particular she names Douglas Townsend, who had been given a position playing flute for the Halle Orchestra, and two students who had joined Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

Finally there is a note added in 1963 stating that the L.R.A.M status had changed and that students had not done nearly enough practicing and had instead wasted too much of their time.

Ref: CARROLL.IGC.9
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.