Letter
The Hallé, Ida Carroll, Geoffrey Griffiths, Hilda Collens
1941

"If it is possible to have a musical indigestion, I might have I very soon," gripes Geoffrey Griffiths for the volume and variety of music he's listened to on the radio over the past hour and a half.

He is going to try studying plainsong but of course "ought to be a) writing more to you now, or b) starting the play I mean to write, or c) rereading one of several books on subjects that I mean to read again, or d) reading a library book by John Thurber, an American humourist and very funny, or e) going to bed early." That's a lot of options there, Griff.

He remarks on the health of Hilda Collens (principal of the Northern School of Music) "some people, including her in all probability, who are nearly always catching things are often nearly as tough as those who don't suffer much." If anything happened to her, he assures Ida Carroll that the school would be fine, for "you have more personality than a very large number of people, and you would run things splendidly."

He thinks Ida's "musical voice to be the nicest I know."

Not sure who "those tiresome Neon men" are who "keep crashing in" (probably on the radio, and less likely from outer space...)

He complements Ida on her piano playing, "if I could sing such difficult songs as you can play such difficult pianoforte music, I might not be at all modest."

Discusses arranging concerts to the Hallé for friends.

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.