Researchers in the history of music education have provided few accounts of methodological procedures. The neatness of these accounts makes such work seem unproblematic. This paper reflects on the experience of researching the teaching of music in schools in England between 1872 and 1928. The main focus of the work was upon a small group of influential musicians each of whom belonged to Her/His Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools (HMI). The paper outlines the main sources of evidence that were encountered: personal papers, public records, the press, biography and autobiography, song books and text books, and personal interviews. It argues that the process of archival research is confrontational and creative. Finally, by considering parallels with the recent development of the National Curriculum, the paper demonstrates that historical research is quite able to deal with questions that contemporary practitioners are concerned about.
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