Claimed from Stationers' Hall - a blogpost for "Echoes from the Vault"

One of our librarians has been doing research into some old music at the University of St Andrews.  Here is a blogpost she has recently written:-

Claimed From Stationers' Hall
Blogpost by Karen E McAulay

• There are a couple of talks coming up - details on the blogpost.

Dating and Identifying Old Sheet Music

Coincidentally, the wise birds at Cambridge University Music Library have put together a great posting about ways to date rare old sheet music, whilst Karen here has been discussing RISM numbers with friends at both RISM and Copac.  (RISM numbers are another excellent way of identifying early music - and the part of RISM dealing with early printed music is now freely available online. Meanwhile, Copac is the big national combined catalogue for UK university and national libraries.  Librarians call it a 'union catalogue'.)

Keep abreast of the latest thinking - why not take a look at these links?

• The Dating Game (MusiCB3 blog)
•  Copac and RISM - a natural friendship 

Union? Scottish Independence?

No, Whittaker is not entering the debate!  Just sharing with you some historical facts about the Union in 1707, thanks to the National Library of Scotland Rare Books blog!

"Documenting the Union of Parliaments

"The Treaty of Union united the Scottish and English Parliaments in 1707. Pamphlets, poems and proclamations show it was welcomed by some and loathed by others, as this essay explains."  Click here

Singing the Collections at St Andrew's University Library, Examining the Past at Glasgow

A Blog Choir? Why not, indeed!

This is a truly brilliant idea from St Andrews University Library Special Collections. They got old music out of their rare books collection, formed a choir, and started singing. They even used old singing instructional manuals. It's inspired - we love it!  Read the blogpost on their excellent blog, Echoes from the Vault:-

52 Weeks of Historical How-To’s, Week 24: Singing the Collections

And Singing Manuals revealing Singing History

Hunterian Associate Brianna Robertson at the University of Glasgow has been engaging with the Glasgow special collections in a very different, but equally imaginative way, looking at the vocal legacy of castrated singers.

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!!

Signed Copies? Look after them!

Abe Books have just sent their monthly email about the 'most valuable' book they've sold recently.  A signed copy of  Where the Wild Things are just sold for £16,200!  Read about it here.  (Thanks to library assistant Hannah Saks for this fascinating snippet.)

If you've kept any signed copies, do keep an eye on their value before your Mum sends them to the charity shop ...

The rare world of rare book librarianship

I just had to share this link.  It's not about music, but it just overflows with the joy of two people who are enthusiastic about their work - rare books librarianship.  Today's blogpost is a dialogue where they discuss the great benefits of blogging about rare books, and the excitement of sharing their discoveries with their academic community.  Do read it - and enjoy!

• http://eightvo.wordpress.com/