Before too long, the Whittaker Library will incorporate a discovery layer (it's called a Full Text Finder) which will enable users to explore both physical resources and all our electronic databases, all at once. This should make it very much easier to get the most out of what the library holds.
Just imagine - supposing you're doing the Scottish music degree, and you decide there are five electronic databases that just might have useful info for you. Right now, you'd need to look at each resource separately. In future, you can search the lot, all together. Watch this space for the announcement that the discovery layer has gone live.
Meanwhile, there are still surprises ... did you know that you can look up:-
- Scottish music in the African American Music Reference
- Nova Scotia or Cape Breton material in American Song
- Archival Gaelic song in British Library Sounds
- Niel Gow in Oxford Music Online or in RILM Abstracts of Music Literature
- Strathspey or Ballads in SCRAN
- Scottish Music reported in times gone by, in Times Digital Archive
- Uist, Cape Breton, or Niel Gow, in The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Online
.
Why wait? Get exploring!
We are the very helpful Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Another of the great offerings by the National Library of Scotland. The 'Digital Gallery' is the name for a wide range of different digital collections. Of course, one of the great things about digital collections is that they're accessible online, so although going to the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh is a great experience, you can still access all this wonderful stuff from your own online device.
The one of overwhelming interest to Scottish musicians is their Special Collections of Printed Music
Two big collections of old sheet music have been professionally digitized. One collection belonged to Scottish music collector John Glen, and the other to Alexander Wood Inglis. There are hundreds of digitized scores of traditional music repertoire.
This is more than worth a look - it's essential reading!
'Whittaker' is looking forward to talking to some of the BA Scottish Music Students about old Scottish song collections in our own Library, on Friday this week.
If you see 'Whittaker' (aka Karen) staggering under a HUGE PILE of old music books on the way to class, smile indulgently and try not to bump into her. We do have quite a lot of Scottish song collections, and her challenge is to talk about as many of them as she can fit into an hour!
(She's also struggling with her two identities: a librarian who knows quite a bit about Scottish music. If she wasn't a librarian, she wouldn't be talking about them. If she didn't know about Scottish music, she couldn't say as much!)
Part of being a subject librarian is engaging with staff and students on our various courses, sharing information about what the Whittaker Library can offer, and how we can help. Course-leaders at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland are encouraged to invite us to come and speak to classes whenever we can be of assistance. Don't hesitate to ask us - it's one of best bits of the job!
For early Scots Songs, Allan Ramsay's Tea Table Miscellany is a must. Found that on
Internet Archive, too. Favourite this!
Alumni of the BA Scottish Music course may remember Dr Douglas's classes. Sheila is reportedly very ill now, but I thought you might like to see this website about her:-
http://sheiladouglas.webs.com/
Maeve Mackinnon is an alumna of RSAMD (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), and starred on the CD released under Brian McNeill's tutelage, No.1 Scottish.
Her debut CD was released by Footstompin in 2007 - Don't sing lovesongs.
Footstompin are currently selling the CD on special offer for one week only. If you haven't got it, now would be a good time ...
Yesterday, Whittaker introduced you to Class o' 10 - the forthcoming tour of our second year Scottish Music students.
Today, we can share with you the Facebook page of their slightly older peers, the Hope Street Collective. That's technically the class of 2009 - our third year Scottish musicians' forthcoming tour. If they're performing near you, don't miss the gig!
'Whittaker' attended the Scottish Music gig at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland last night and was well impressed. Real maturity there.
- The BA in Scottish Music - background and details of the course here.
- Find them on Facebook
- Find them in Glasgow (Monday 19th March - The National Piping Centre, Glasgow)
- Find them in Birnham (Tuesday 20th March - Birnam Arts Centre, Birnam, Perth-shire)
- Find them in Larbert (Wednesday 21st March - Dobbie Hall, Larbert, nr. Stirling)
As advertised by our 2nd year Scots musicians,
"As you may be aware, in second year we have to organise a tour as part of our course. We are wondering if you would be kind enough to spread the word to people you know who may be interested. Tickets are sold at the door £7/£5, £3 to special people."
Just don't miss them - the class of 2010.
