The first programme we have of the Houldsworth Hall being used as a venue for the Northern School of Music. They were to use it for decades to come. Does anyone know what happened to it?

They seem very fond of Gibbs' Peacock Pie. (Must refrain from Northern pie joke.) Desmond MacMahon is very much a lesser known composer, mainly operated as a music teacher in Sheffield. It's very much the thing it seems for the Northern School of Music to slide in lesser known contemporary composers alongside known crowd pleasers.

Ref: NSM/20

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

A pretty big deal by the Northern School of Music! Its 5th annual orchestral concert was another signature mix of contemporary English composers (Gibson and Holst) and well established European masters.
I love the advert for wind players to join the orchestra. So far the wind parts were covered by piano. Probably not what the composers had in mind. Trouble was that the school was mainly filled by female students and wind instruments were often discouraged in female musicians because God forbid you should put anything in your mouth and blow...

Ref: NSM/20

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

Another mishmash programme from the Northern School of Music. Some contemporary English composers and established European repertoire.

This is the first programme we have with lots of soloists from the school. These kinds of records are really useful as we don't have comprehensive student records before the school incorporated into the NSM so anything with student names on is great!

Ref: NSM/20

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

Another orchestral concert at Milton Hall by the Northern School of Music. More contemporary or recently deceased English composers mixed up with well established European composers. Is this common? Maybe not!

Ref: NSM/20

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

It's 1933 at the Northern School of Music and they've put on a programme with "wind instruments that are not there."

Ref: NSM/20

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

A early programme for the Northern School of Music (formerly the Matthay). Music here from across the board, from Baroque era (17th century) in Matthew Locke to contemporary composers such as Bantok (died in the 1940s). Quite the musical journey!

Ref: NSM/20

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

This advert (supposedly to go into newspapers?) advertises the mission and benefits of the new orchestra at the Northern School of Music. Ernest Read was a great friend of the school and it's no surprise that his successes in London were being tested in the North West.

Ref: NSM/20

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

This is the earliest programme we have for the Northern School of Music (formerly the Matthay School of Music). Performing in Milton Hall on Deansgate, it's an orchestral concert.

At the time the school didn't have the variety of students to make up an orchestra, consisting mainly of piano, violin and singers. So a lot of the music was adapted to suited the resources of the school.

Ref: NSM/20

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

Griff thanks Ida for her letter and reminisces about the first music lessons he had at her house, "I was sorry when they ended and I didn't see you anymore."
He mentions her previous engagement that he wasn't aware of - possibly to a chap called Eric?
He thinks back to their first connection, "It is so queer to look down the passage of time to the day when your Father heard me calling numbers at Swan and Leach office."
He is glad he developed music as a hobby as he can "feel the joy of taking part in something instead of merely listening."
He admits he was "let loose among the refreshments at Plymouth Grove Methodists and I behaved like a pig."
He shares some whimsical verse and explains that he would "easily walk Didsbury way on Dec 25th evening if you are attending evening service" to meet up. He invites her to the cinema in the new year.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

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

Griff teases Ida about her staying away with her sister Elsa, sharing a bed while away. It looks like Ida is a restless late night reader.
He compliments the fit of her clothes and introduces her to the Three Stooges.
His work at the travel agents has been difficult lately - the figures for 1935 weren't promising and he had to go door-to-door as a salesperson looking for work. "It is a disheartening job going round looking for business and worse when I visit the works in Ardwick, Bradford and Ancoats, and see the appalling conditions of some people and houses." He claims he is not a socialist but that it's hard to see "of course the individual if often at fault bit not always by any means."

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

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

The letter starts with some cute wordplay - he would only use his wide nib pen for numbers at work - not for other kinds of figures. "Your occasional misconstruing of some of my most innocent remarks shows that you have a lively imagination."
He talks about walks, their favourite past time, and talks cricket.
He bumped into someone who recognised him for Birch Church choir and bought a new hat.
If she can't see him he teases her that he will be useless at work, "I shall spend all Wednesday in dating tickets wrongly."
He talks books, mentions reading Sir Henry Wood's autobiography and remarks on the feud with Thomas Beecham, his rival conductor.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

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

Griff wishes Ida good luck in her role for a wedding she's attending, probably a bridesmaid.
He's listened to Verdi's Otello on the radio. He compliments her, I think? He says "how very nice it is to look at you. Without intending any offence whatever to the feminine sex. I sometimes think what a pity it is that so many women who are "in business" fail rather to make the best of themselves. A fault, if it be a fault, that you avoid with considerable ease." Oooookay.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

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

"I wonder if we are going to have any real old fashioned summer-like weather." The Mancunian optimism for weather wishes.
Griff is impressed with his apples in his garden, and assures Ida she must be doing well at the Stockport Grammar School. He admires her as a Basso player and updates her on tabloid news and cricket.
He's read two Mancunian authors, Walter Greenwood (which he gives a scathing review) and Neville Cardus (which "is a beauty").
He is very busy at work but wants to plan to meet.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

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

Griff writes that he misses Ida and that that's not to worry about him too much as he got home "before the second nasty siren!". There's a chap who's neighbours' house has been bombed but he managed to keep his windows intact, "he leaves them open, the cunning fellow".
His father's seen soldiers with bayonets and she's not to worry if he's not quite home "when things are popping".
He's playing cards and the gas leak at the office seems to be fixed.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

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

Ida Carroll trusting that pale dress to the grass bank a bit too carelessly if you ask my Nan's opinion.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
Date unknown
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.

A gorgeous smile from Ida Carroll.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
Date unknown
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.

OK so the story here is that Walter Carroll wrote a famous music book for training children in piano. It's called "Scenes at a Farm" and it was used for decades, still is. The farm that it's based on is apparently this one attached, although you can't see much as it's covered in a landfill's worth of snow. Not sure where this farm is but it was the inspiration behind one of the most useful pieces of music ever to come out of a Manchester composer.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
Date unknown
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.

A postcard of an academic (maybe a Dr Blackburn but likely it's a reference to the city) written to Dr Walter Carroll to recognise his work in the success of the Onward Hall in Manchester.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
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.

A teeny tiny Walter Carroll! Aged about 10.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
Date unknown
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.

May I introduce Mr Harry Brookes of Oldham. He was a music pupil of Dr Walter Carroll and seems to have sent him some part songs for his review, as well as a rather distinguished pic of himself.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
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.

A very young Walter Carroll, just about to head off to uni for his first of many music degrees.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
Date unknown
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.

Ida enjoying a paddle at the beach.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
Date unknown
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.

A young Carroll family here. Walter and Gertrude (parents) and Ida and Elsa (children) pose for the classic family pic. The Carrolls were a huge influence in Manchester's musical education.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
Date unknown
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.

Walter Carroll in his office - not sure of the location. It could be the fabled Manchester School of Music on Albert Square.

Ref: CARROLL/FAMILY/2
Date unknown
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.