Letter
Ida Carroll, Geoffrey Griffiths
1939

I love this note paper, absolutely gorgeous to the touch. Here Geoffrey Griffiths shares his bemusement and mild indignation that, despite Air Raid Precaution rules , theatres in London seemed to set their own opening and closing times, some as late as 11PM. Hard to handle a blackout with a full concert or play on the go!
He muses that "no wonder we are seeing 'stars' in Manchester."

He is working on his writing, focusing on syntax "which has nothing to do with sin, or the tax on sin, or tax alone."

He mentions practicing music during blackout and attending a Sibelius concert on Sunday (possibly at the Hallé). He thinks about offers at the cinema for their weekend. He reassures Ida Carroll that whoever was rude about her hat was simply jealous.

He rates the piano higher than the violin for a solo instrument but of course says of Ida that "you can hold you own in an orchestra with the Basso."

He urges her to "leave room for leisure time", insisting that people in business who boast of 16 or 17 hour work days often get richly compensated with long breaks.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
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.