Summary list of RNCM Archives Collections
The archives of:
Royal Manchester College of Music (ref. RMCM); Northern School of Music (ref. NSM)
Including student registers, annual reports, concert programmes, press cuttings,
photographs and correspondence, minutes of meetings, financial records.
Royal Northern College of Music (ref. RNCM & M): official minutes; programmes; press
cuttings; paperwork relating to foundation of College; annual reports; awards lists; prizes
lists; correspondence
Philip Jones Brass Ensemble Archive (ref. PJBE)
Autograph manuscripts (MSS) of pieces composed or arranged for the ensemble;
correspondence with individuals and publishing companies
Letters to E.J. Broadfield, 1871-1913, (ref. BR)
Mainly from Sir Charles Hallé. Edward J. Broadfield was a founder member of the College,
Vice-Chairman of the Council and Chairman of the Hallé Concerts Society
Adolph Brodsky Papers, 1862-1950s (ref. AB)
The Russian violinist Adolph Brodsky (1851-1929), creator and dedicatee of Tchaikovsky’s
violin concerto, was Principal of the Royal Manchester College of Music from 1895 until his
death.
Carroll Papers, c.1850-1999 (refs. Carroll and Add-Carroll)
The Carroll Papers reflect most aspects of the lives of Walter, Elsa and Ida Carroll.
Carl Fuchs Papers, 1857-1994 (ref. CF)
Correspondence, photographs, programmes and cuttings, with some music, a recording,
scrapbooks and an autograph book relating to the cellist Carl Fuchs (1849-1994). Fuchs
was a professor at the RMCM and member of the Brodsky Quartet.
Letters from Charles Hallé and others, 1856-1897 (ref. CH)
88 letters sent by Charles Hallé (1819-1895), chiefly to Stanley Withers and Gustav
Behrens, and mainly concerning the foundation of the Royal Manchester College of Music
Elizabeth Harwood Papers, 1956-1990s (ref. EH)
Comprises correspondence, programmes, posters, recordings, diaries, photographs, press
cuttings, accounts and other items covering the professional career of the soprano
Elizabeth Harwood (1938-1990). Harwood was a student of Elsie Thurston at the RMCM.
Clifford Knowles Papers (ref. CK)
Concert papers and other miscellaneous papers. Clifford Knowles was a violin student at
the RMCM and subsequently taught violin at the RMCM and RNCM
Ena Mitchell Collection (ref. EM)
Includes many autograph manuscripts of songs. Ena Mitchell (d. 1979) taught singing at the
RMCM (1961 – 73) and RNCM (1973 – 1979)
Newman Papers, 1917-1990 (refs. PN and PN-Add)
Letters, photographs, press cuttings, invitations, programmes and artefacts of the violinist
Philip Newman (1904-1966). Newman was a pupil of Brodsky at the RMCM.
John Ogdon Papers, 1957-1989 (ref. JO)
Comprises sketches & complete works in MS by the pianist John Ogdon (1937-1989),
almost entirely unpublished. Ogdon was a student at the RMCM and was part of the
Manchester New Music Group.
Pitfield Collections, 1903-2000 (refs. TP and TP-Add)
Music MSS, drawings, sketches, painting, poetry and other output of the composer and
teacher Thomas Pitfield (1903-1999). Pitfield was a student at the RMCM; he later taught
composition there, his students including John McCabe, John Ogdon, David Ellis, John
Golland and Ronald Stevenson
Related collections:
Canon (Maurice) Ridgway (ref. CR). Ridgway was vicar of Bowdon; papers relate
to Thomas Pitfield.
Dennis M Jones papers (1984-2000) (ref. DMJ) Correspondence and other
documentation relating to Thomas & Alice Pitfield
Rawsthorne Papers, 1918-1972 (ref. AR)
Manuscripts of works by the composer and former RMCM student Alan Rawsthorne (19051971). The Royal Northern College of Music is the legal repository of Rawsthorne’s
surviving manuscripts
Oscar Rothschild papers, 1913-1930 (ref. OR) Rothschild (d.1931) was a valued long
term supporter of the RMCM
Evelyn Rothwell Collection, 1905-1983 (ref. ER)
Scores annotated by, or dedicated to, the oboist Evelyn Rothwell (Lady Barbirolli) (19112008) and publications edited, arranged, or written by Rothwell. Evelyn Rothwell taught at
the RMCM and RNCM
Frank Wright, (ref. FW)
Scores and programmes. Frank Wright (1901 – 1970) was a key figure in the National
Brass Band Championships
Other organisations
Brand Lane Concerts programmes (ref. BL)
George William Brand Lane (1854–1927) was a conductor and singing teacher who
promoted a significant series of concerts at the Free Trade Hall in the first three decades of
the 20th century.
Carline Crampton programmes collection, 1872-1946 (ref. CC)
Collections relating to music in Manchester, 1864-1974 (ref. Man-Mus)
Artificial collection of miscellaneous items given to the College reflecting aspects of musical
life in the Greater Manchester area.
Shaw Club archive [1715]-1862 (ref. SC)
Chiefly the surviving music owned and copied by the Shaw Club or Shaw Musical Society
(1740-1883).
MSS of original compositions and arrangements
Arthur Butterworth (1923- ) (ref. ABW) Ongoing deposit of manuscripts. Studied
composition with Richard Hall at the RMCM
Arnold Cooke (1906 – 2005) (ref. AC) taught composition at the RMCM, 1933 – 38
John Golland (1942 – 1993) (ref. JG) Studied composition and piano at the RMCM
Particularly known for his compositions for brass band
Clifton Helliwell, George Lloyd, John Wray (Ref.MS)
Richard Knight (ref. RK) Oldham-born Richard Knight (1869 – 1949) was a music teacher
and organist of a number of churches in the Greater Manchester area
Personal papers of staff and students of the three institutions, including:
John Cameron (ref. JC). John Cameron (1918 – 2002), the distinguished Australian
baritone, taught singing at the RNCM
Terence Greaves papers (ref. TG)
Dean of Development and Head of Undergraduate Studies, RNCM. Materials include
lectures, compositions and other papers related to his career
David Lloyd (ref. DL) Lloyd (1937 – 2010) studied piano at the RMCM, later specialising in
accompaniment. He taught at the RMCM and RNCM. The collection includes programmes
for concerts in which he played.
Nina Papadopoulos (ref. NP) Studied piano at the RMCM. Papers relate to her time as a
student
Sydney Rolls (ref. SR). Rolls was a violin student who studied with Brodsky, Catterall,
Keighley and Carroll amongst others, between 1919 and 1921.
--Collections awaiting sorting, cataloguing and boxing
Sheila Barlow papers
Mrs Barlow taught elocution, movement & stagecraft at RMCM & RNCM, and was highly
regarded by many in the field
Roy Heaton Smith
Student at RMCM with Richard Hall. MSS of his compositions
Douglas Steele papers (ref.DS)
Correspondence, manuscripts and other documents. Steele was a student at the RMCM,
organist of Manchester Cathedral and taught organ at the RMCM. Partially catalogued
William Waterhouse papers (part) (ref. WW)
Box listing.
--Collections expected
Philip Jones papers
William Waterhouse papers (balance of collection)
David Ellis manuscripts
Student at RMCM; contemporary of New Music Manchester Group; later Head of Music,
BBC North
Prepared September 2014