Library and Information Services, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Monday 29 April 2013

Money for Music Research

AHRC Doctoral Studentship (PhD)

The Open University in Collaboration with the National Library of Scotland


Do you fancy doing doctoral research in Edinburgh?  As part of 'The Arts and their Audences', the Open University is able to offer this fully-funded studentship.


Friday 26 April 2013

JSTOR to the Rescue! (B-listed Composers? No Problem!)

They were in a panic.

"We've got to give a talk ..."

Confidentiality prevents 'Whittaker' from revealing who the B-listed composers were.  Suffice to say, we checked JSTOR - the back-copy journal database - and the problem was sorted.  Instantly.*

The Whittaker Library subscribes to the JSTOR Music package.  Recommended!


* Big names are also covered.  And there's no harm in looking for the wee ones, either!

Thursday 25 April 2013

Librarians Should Be Seen and Not Heard? Think Again!

A book was launched ...

Our Ancient National Airs



Fri 26th April 2013, 4pm
The Whittaker Library
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Talk from author and Conservatoire librarian Karen McAulay and music from Conservatoire students and Karen Marshalsay. 
Clarsair Karen Marshalsay


 WARNING

The author is torn between a conviction that a librarian is a "quiet" kind of person, and modest satisfaction at having published a Real Book!  This was not a quiet event.  (Hopefully it also demonstrated that research can indeed move from the academic sphere to genuine public engagement!)

Monday 22 April 2013

Tradfest in Edinburgh this week


24 April - 6 May 2013

At the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh.

Creativity is our second name!

Creativity is big at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.  Out of idle curiosity, Whittaker searched the Whittaker Library catalogue to see what we've got on our shelves.

Oh, wow!  Plenty of reading material there.  Take a look.

  • Creativity on the drama shelves
  • Creativity on the music shelves

Monday 15 April 2013

Violinmaking

BBC posting on choosing best materials for a Stradivarius

Today I've just come across a BBC News item about choosing the best musical wood for a Stradivarius.  It might interest you - see it here.

I've blogged before about violin-making.  (If you search this blog for "fiddletree", you'll find my earlier postings, and I also did a Storify posting entitled, 'Musings on Creativity'.)

Have you ever seen a mediaeval plainsong manuscript?



Even if you never look at a piece of plainsong again, these are fabulous images. Take a look, and wonder at the craftsmanship of the monks who copied this … (Sibelius software, eat your heart out!).
St Andrews Special Collections posted: "I didn’t intend to write about the gradual at all for this post, I just happened to be looking at it one day when it was out for Tom Wilkinson the chapel organist to see. He is going to conduct the chapel choir in singing one of the Kyrie settings for a c"  Read more ...


Makes me almost nostalgic for my days as a mediaevalist Masters student!!