Scrimnet, that's great information, I've copied it for my records so I hope that is OK. I have written to Kneller Hall tonight, so hope to get some info from them sooner or later.
My grandfather was definitely a classical musician as was my grandmother, although nobody in the family ever said that she had performed professionally.
I have already contacted the main music college in Manchester, which was established in 1973 following the merger of the Royal Manchester College of Music (1893-1973) and the Northern School of Music (1920-1973) to see if there was any record of my grandad having been there - another family story that he met my grandmother at a Manchester music college. Rather disappointingly, there weren't any records of my grandad or grandmother.
I suppose it is possible that grandad joined the army at 15, in 1901 when he was orphaned, it just seems young today, and by 1907 he was living in Newport, Monmouthshire and getting married to my gran. On his marriage certificate his profession is shown as Musician (oboeist), but there is no mention of him still being in the army.
It seems amazing to me that a poor orphan boy from Hull could become a professional musician, playing the oboe in the army (and later in orchestras in Manchester and Barrow in Furness, as well as possibly Glasgow, before becoming a musical director for the BBC in Scotland), when as far as anyone knows he had never had any music lessons before he went into the army.
Liz
