Music, artwork, writings and other output of Thomas Pitfield covering virtually his entire creative life. Also correspondence and photographs.
Thomas Pitfield Collections
This material is held atRoyal Northern College of Music Archives
- Reference
- GB 1179 TP
- Dates of Creation
- 1903-2000
- Name of Creator
- Language of Material
- English.
- Physical Description
- 13 series; approx. 570 individual files/items. Chiefly works on paper, but also three-dimensional works in wood and other materials, and bindings in leather. Some photographic materials.
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
Pitfield was born Apr 5 1903 in Bolton, and worked in engineering on leaving school in 1917. In 1924 he entered the Royal Manchester College of Music for a year. He taught at Tettenhall College from 1935-1945, becoming composition tutor at the RMCM in 1947 and latterly the RNCM, retiring in 1973.
His numerous compositions included works for orchestra, brass band, chamber ensembles, piano solo, and choral.
Pitfield published 2 volumes of autobiography: No Song, No Supper (1986) and A Song After Supper (1991), and many other works. Fuller details of his life can be found in these volumes.
He married Alice Astbury, a fellow student at the RMCM, on December 26 1934, and died in 1999.
Arrangement
Order imposed in 13 series, as follows:
- Notebooks
- Music
- Writings
- Art on paper
- Three-dimensional art/crafts
- Scrapbooks and other items collected for reference
- Early education and other related material
- Journals
- Reviews, programmes and exhibitions of work
- Correspondence
- Photographs
- Alice Pitfield
- Miscellaneous items
Access Information
Open for consultation.
Note
Description by M Sarah Wickham.
Other Finding Aids
Royal Northern College of Music Archive catalogue (CALM).
Alternative Form Available
Not known.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright The Pitfield Trust.
Appraisal Information
Much material was apparently destroyed by Pitfield during the late 1990s, at the instigation of his wife.
Custodial History
Donated by Alice Pitfield, 2000.
Accruals
None expected, although additional items particularly musical MS may re-appear from publishers.
Bibliography
An interim catalogue of the music of Thomas Pitfield, including details of first performances and publication (where known), has been compiled by John Turner and is published in Manchester Sounds 2004 : pp.147-183. This catalogue also includes a discography.