Matlock has a strong tradition of music and has produced some very fine musicians. Amongst the names that stand out is that of Harry Douglas, for many years the manager of Smedley's Hydro.

Harry Douglas was a very fine organist and played the organ of Matlock's Congregational Church for over fifty years. There used to be a plaque in the church commemorating this but it was given to his family when the church was demolished. Mr. (later Captain and then Major) Douglas gave many organ recitals at the Congregational Church, as well as at other churches in the district. He played the organ wherever he went, seeking out church organs that he could play on even whilst on active service during the First World War in both Ireland and France^[1].

He kept all the programmes for his recitals, which he pasted into two albums. The older of the albums is shown on the right. There were just a handful of his performances for which there was no printed record, including his very first concert on 7 October 1906 at the Congregational Church. Although the programmes on this page show only the Matlock churches where Harry Douglas played, he also gave performances at several other Derbyshire churches before the First War. These additional concerts were at at the Wesleyan Church at Cromford, Farley Church, the Congregational Church at Middleton-by-Wirksworth, the Congregational Church in Riddings, Salem Chapel in Somercotes and at Bakewell Congregational Church for both its 124th anniversary in 1912 and 125th anniversary in 1913. He also "composed several pieces for the organ under the name of John Masson[2]" which were published by Novello & Co[3]. Perhaps he chose the pseudonym after the impressive mountain he would have looked at on an almost daily basis from both his home and his workplace.

Harry Douglas served with the Sherwood Foresters during WW1 and, although he continued to play various organs during that time, there are no printed records of when or where he played.

The first of his post-war organ recitals was on 4 January 1920 and he continued to play at local churches, including All Saints', Matlock (programme not on this page). Running Smedley's would have taken a great deal of his time — he became the hydro's manager in 1925 — but he still found time to play the organ. Any funds raised went to the either church or to charity. Venues during this period included some outside Derbyshire; he performed at Marple Congregational Church on Hibbert Lane and at Christ Church (no town given, but could also have been in the Stockport area).

Primitive Methodist, Bank Road
Sunday, 8 March, 1925
Organ Recital by Capt. H. Douglas
Soloists: Miss Edith Hockley, Contralto, and Mr. Stanley Moreton, Tenor.
The Prize Choir
Chairman: Mr. Fred Drabble
Printer: Geo. Hodgkinson, Matlock




Tuesday, 28th February 1928
Musical Recital.
Mrs. A. J. Slater, Soprano.
Miss Berta Young, Violin.
Mr. F. L. Slater, Trumpet.
Mr. H. D. Wildgoose, Pianoforte, L.R.A.M., A.R.C.M.
Mr. H. Douglas, Organ.




Primitive Methodist Church, Matlock Bank - Choir Festival
Easter Sunday 1929
Preacher: Rev. J. B. Hardy. M.A.
Organists: Mr. L. G. Wildgoose & Harold D. Wildgoose, L.R.A.M., A.R.C.M.
Chairman: Fred Drabble, Esq.
Soloists: Madame Eliot Caldwell (Soprano), Mr. Sam Fowkes (Bass)
Organ Solos: Capt. H. Douglas
The Choir




Matlock Congregational Church
Sunday, 23rd February 1930
Organ Recital by Capt. H. Douglas.
Soloists: Mr. Henry Askew, Tenor.




Matlock Rotary Club
Music Programme on behalf of the Schoolboys' Camp, performed at Matlock Congregational Church
Sunday, 26th November 1933
Soprano: Miss Muriel Palmer.
Violinist: Miss Margaret Hampson
Pianist: Miss Edna Downing, L.R.A.M.
Organist: Capt. H. Douglas




Matlock Congregational Church Music Recital
Wednesday, 9th December, 1936
Vocalist: Miss Dorothy Marshall.
Violinist: Miss Margaret Hampson.
Pianist: Miss Ethel Gregory.
Organist: Capt. H. Douglas.

The December 1936 recital appears to have been the last one, or at least the last programme he pasted into his album.

Major Douglas died on 30 December 1954, aged 72. The obituary notice in "The Times" commented on his considerable musical abilities^[2]. He had also been a first class shot. In 1922, for example, it was noted that he had been recorded in the King's Hundred at Bisley six times^[4].

^[1] From correspondence with Jane Leslie

^[2] "The Times", Saturday, 1 Jan 1955. Obituary notice for Major H. Douglas

^[3] "The Derbyshire Times", 7 Jan 1955. Obituary notice.

^[4] "The Times", Saturday, 22 July 1922. King's Hundred At Bisley.