The Music Libraries and Archives in Manchester, England: A researcher’s perspective

Manchester has a long and rich musical heritage which is well-represented and documented in the city’s libraries and archives. For my PhD research the documentary archives held by these organisations has been examined to explore the complex network of people involved in the various musical institutions in the city from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. The key collections are those of the Gentlemen’s Concerts, Sir Charles Hallé’s papers and letters, the Royal Manchester College of Music (RMCM), and the Hallé Orchestra and Concerts Society. This article seeks to provide an overview of those particular collections, details of the information gleaned from them and how this has contributed to the research.