A first look at the RNCM Junior School! The Junior School is one of the lasting legacies of the Northern School of Music, and we still hold Junior School on Saturdays to this day!
Were you one of these pupils? Have you ever attended the school or college as a junior?

Ref: NSM/14

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 looks like the Northern School of Music had to justify their wages depending on how many students they taught? Am I reading this right? There's nothing else with this document and the maths is confusing me. I didn't get into heritage to do maths.

Ref: NSM/14

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

Numbers for a staff party in 1973 and 1974. There was wine, food, a band and other entertainment. Anyone remember the shindig?

According to Ida Gertrude Carroll (1905-1995, student, secretary and then principal of the Northern School of Music), she "was prepared to play Fairy Godmother if necessary, as otherwise we should have no catering or cleaning staff left, such was the atmosphere of depression." Yikes! Definitely in need of a party!

Ref: NSM/14

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

Memos between John Mandell (1928-2017, Principal of the Royal Northern College of Music) and Ida Gertrude Carroll (1905-1995, student, secretary and then principal of the Northern School of Music) about faith-based "honorary" positions at the new RNCM. 3 Christian denominations were allocated as well as 1 Jewish, to accommodate a wider range of faith-based needs within the school.

William Griffiths, MP for Manchester Exchange and Moss Side, writes to Ida Gertrude Carroll (1905-1995, student, secretary and then principal of the Northern School of Music) with sympathy over the death of Hilda Hester Collens (1883-1956, founder and principal of the Northern School of Music).
Hildas health had been failing for a while but she kept on working, until finally she died of a heart attack at home after coming back from work one evening.

Ref: NSM/14

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 letter from Ida Gertrude Carroll (1905-1995, student, secretary and then principal of the Northern School of Music) to Manchester local authority in support of increasing Geoffrey Griffith's (1906-1993, bursar of the Northern School of Music) salary. Working 12 hours a day 5 days a week and then some, it sounds like the chap deserved it!

Ref: NSM/14

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

Wow! Even more info about the Northern School of Music teachers, including their birthdays and where they trained and any military service undertaken in WW2.

Ref: NSM/14

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

We are so very lucky to have this information in our archives. What a wonderful resource! These biographies of full time staff for the Northern School of Music (1920-1972) were drawn up during the period of conversation and negotiation between the school and the Royal Manchester College of Music, to create a single musical education school (later the RNCM).

Do you remember any of these staff? Learn something new about someone you remember? Let us know!

Ref: NSM/14

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

Oh wow. TONS of detail about the Northern School of Music and the Royal Manchester College of Music as well as the vision for the future Royal Northern College of Music.

With annual running costs of nearly £189,000 but with an estimated income of just over £182,000, they knew the new college would run on a deficit without additional support by local authorities. Now, the RNCM operates as a city centre venue for performances, gigs, conferences and more, to help generate income.
What ideas would you have put forward to fund the new college?

Ref: NSM/14

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 think this was written when the parties involved thought that the RNCM would be up and running by the end of the 1960s. The RNCM came into being in 1972 and was officially opened in 1973.
Also, I like the "bored now" doodle spiral.

Ref: NSM/14

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

Here the Royal Manchester College of Music puts forward what they want in the forthcoming RNCM. However, red scribbles throughout show the Northern School of Music's queries and objections such as the lack of provision for their Speech and Drama Course and the dismissal of the Northern School of Music students going forward who already study and will graduate at the new school.
Date is unknown but we reckon late 1960s.

Ref: NSM/14

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 summary of Ida Carroll's approach to the design of the RNCM, "Neither of us wanted to take second place."

Ref: NSM/14

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 rather formal meeting about the new music college (RNCM) which highlights some of the Northern School of music's growing concerns about provision of their curriculum, identity and staff going forward. It took another 14 years to actually officially open the RNCM.

Ref: NSM/14

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

"Frankness without offence."

This whole thing is absolutely gorgeous. Ida being described as "beastly", her demand for equal representation, prestige and recognition, the perceived bias towards the Royal Manchester College of Music's teaching priorities as opposed to the Northern School of Music of which Ida was principal.

Ref: NSM/14

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

Picked up on in these documents about creating a new school of music in Manchester (RNCM) is the worry that no provision is made for the training of music teachers, and that the new school would focus on mainly training performers. It also highlights the continued worry about what would happen with the NSM's Speech and Drama Course as that isn't mentioned in new proposals either.

Ref: NSM/14

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 unofficial personal reactions of Ida Gertrude Carroll (1905-1995, student, secretary and then principal of the Northern School of Music) on the proposed options for creating a new school of music (later to be the RNCM). Worries of the roots of any new school being totally dismissed make it clear that the legacy and work of the Northern School of Music is vital to Ida. She feels that the ideas presented by the local authority are dangerous and fears that the conversations are more like "buying and selling a shop" and not working with one of only few institutions in the country with their capabilities and purpose.

Ref: NSM/14

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

Ever sold a house before your new house has been built? The local authority has given the new college 5 years to be built and has allowed the NSM to remain in its Oxford Rd premises until that has happened. Typically, it took another 5 years on top of that for the new building to actually open!

Ref: NSM/14

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 site is finally agreed upon for the new RNCM! And the issue of a royal charter for the new college remains a sticking point. The Royal Manchester College of Music is reluctant to give theirs up but it cannot be carried over to the new college as it is a new institution.

Ref: NSM/14

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

All the gossip on the early chat led by the Manchester local authority on the reasons for creating a single school of musical training in Manchester. And all the initial objections from the Northern School of Music.
The main reason: the local authority is financially supporting two institutions that they believe could work together so they only needed sponsor one organisation.
The main objection: that the NSM was its own institution and would not be swallowed up by the bigger RMCM and thereby losing its identity and ethic.

Ref; NSM/14

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

So much info on the Northern School of Music! This report about student capacity and activity is incredibly detailed and sings the praises of staff and student groups alike. It even came with a heavily annotated copy full of scribbles and and edits - a very archive-y thing indeed!

Brief notes full of info for the Northern School of Music council. In 1961, their premises on Oxford Road was valued at £4,400. I can't imagine what it would be worth now!

Ref: NSM/14

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

Some details from the Northern School of Music meeting with the steering committee for the future RNCM. The idea of electronic music provision was considered but since University of Salford had a similar course the new college would not need one. An interesting point is that the proposed site (where the RNCM now stands) was due to have Booth Street West expanded to the 4 lanes that it is now to connect the two areas of Hulme and Brunswick etc. The steering committee were worried about the amount of noise this would create. If only they could hear the buses thundering and rattling down Oxford Rd now!

Ref: NSM/14

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 Northern School of Music putting their feelings to paper in no uncertain terms as talks of becoming one school partnered with the Royal Manchester College of Music start up. They wish to retain their own identity and activities in perpetuity.

Ref: NSM/14

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

More notes on another unhappy meeting. This time in 1967 and regarding the dismissal of the Northern School of Music's problems with the proposed merger. A neutral principal must be found for the new college so that both the NSM and the Royal Manchester College of Music are on equal footing, the Speech and Drama Department should not be passed off to a school outside of Manchester and provision for part time and junior students should be made to carry on the Northern School of Music's operations in that field.
Ida Carroll (1905-1995, student, secretary and then principal of the Northern School of Music) pulls no punches in expressing how "deplorable" she feels this is.

Ref: NSM/14

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