Songs by Alan Bickley

The name of Alan Bickley may be unfamiliar to singers at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.  Bickley was a deputy headmaster, and the respected organist and choirmaster of Walton Parish Church in Liverpool.  He died in 2005.  His daughter Susan sings opera internationally, and his son Graham is a musical theatre singer in London's West End.

Bickley's son-in-law has published six of Alan Bickley's songs, and donated a copy to the Whittaker Library.  If you're looking for new English songs for medium voice, then maybe these might be suitable additions to your repertoire.

Library catalogue details here.

Have you had your Full English? (Digital Archive, English Traditional Music)

The English Folk Dance and Song Society recently launched a brand new digital archive of English traditional music.

Since national songs don't live in watertight compartments (and we could argue all day about what exactly you consider to be a national song, anyway!), you'll also find some Scottish and other traditional music in the archive too.

Take a look - it's a big and significant initiative!

• Click here for the EFDSS Full English
• Click here for the EFDSS homepage

Singers! You've sung Warlock Songs - now celebrate his Anniversary!

120th Anniversary Celebration of Warlock’s Birth

Members of the Peter Warlock Society and their friends are warmly invited
to attend this one day symposium at the British Library.
Saturday 25 October 10am to 5pm

The Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a member of the Peter Warlock Society. Staff and students of the Conservatoire - do come and ask us about it!

.

Question: What makes Scottish music Scottish?

On this day, 1888

English ballad (and Scottish song) enthusiast William Chappell died, 20 August 1888. 

Why should you care?  Well, he published Popular Music of the Olden Time, which contained many English - and some Scottish - folksongs and their tunes, and a lot of commentary.  The two-volume book really set the cat among the pigeons as far as Scots song enthusiasts were concerned, because he announced that some favourite 'Scottish' songs were really - oh, horror! - English.  More ...

Find Popular Music of the Olden Time in Copac - the online union catalogue of all British university libraries, together with the national libraries and Trinity College Dublin.

Answer: library staff help you answer the big questions by sourcing the detail to back up your arguments.