Tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd January, the Whittaker Library is hosting an event by Dr Margaret Bennett and Kath Hardie, with extra input by two of our Honours Year Scottish Music students, Robyn Stapelton and Ainsley Hamilton.
It's at 5 pm in the Whittaker Library, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Come along!
Showing posts with label Walter Scott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Walter Scott. Show all posts
Monday, 21 January 2013
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Edinburgh Doors
One of 'Whittaker's' eccentricities is a fascination with the places where 'his' early Scottish song collectors hung out.
So, two weeks ago, he snapped this picture of Walter Scott's childhood doorway in George Square, just round from the University Library.
And now - wonder of wonders, an Edinburgh church historian has facilitated the location of the first site of an Episcopalian church, St Peter's Edinburgh, at 3 Roxburgh Place. Another door, oh yes indeed. A listed building, no less. This, ladies and gents, is the church where Alexander Campbell was organist. We're told it was in Nicolson Street, but actually Roxburgh Place is in a parallel street. Will Whittaker manage to gain access? Who knows, but we'll try!
The clergyman paid, out of his own pocket, for two flats on the ground floor, which were used as the church until the congregation grew and moved to different premises in 1807.
And now - wonder of wonders, an Edinburgh church historian has facilitated the location of the first site of an Episcopalian church, St Peter's Edinburgh, at 3 Roxburgh Place. Another door, oh yes indeed. A listed building, no less. This, ladies and gents, is the church where Alexander Campbell was organist. We're told it was in Nicolson Street, but actually Roxburgh Place is in a parallel street. Will Whittaker manage to gain access? Who knows, but we'll try!The clergyman paid, out of his own pocket, for two flats on the ground floor, which were used as the church until the congregation grew and moved to different premises in 1807.
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Have you a sense of history?
21 September 1832
Sir Walter Scott died on this day, 180 years ago. You might think he was just another Victorian novelist?
Think again! His stories and poems inspired operas and plays, songs and paintings. Indeed, we can thank him for much of the tartanry that is now used to sell Scotland to the rest of the world!
See what's in the Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. You might be surprised!
And here's another useful link: Walter Scott Digital Archive at the University of Edinburgh. To be truthful, I could spend hours in this database. (But then, I'm an eccentric kind of geek in that regard!)
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Walter Scott - 241 years old today!
Happy Birthday, Sir!
It's Walter Scott's birthday today - he was born 15 August 1771 in Edinburgh.
Yes, this is a performing arts blog. And Sir Walter Scott was a novelist, true. But he was also a ballad-collector (and writer), and despite protesting that he wasn't musical, he had a keen interest in Scottish and Borders folk-music.
Why else should musicians care? Well, here are a few reasons!
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| From Britainexpress.com - with thanks |
- He effectively created the image of Scotland that has drawn tourists and visitors ever since.
- His novels provided inspiration for any number of operatic and other pieces of classical music.
- He encouraged impoverished professional musicians like Alexander Campbell (of Albyn's Anthology fame) - and wealthy amateurs like the Maclean-Clephane sisters of Torloisk, on the Isle of Mull, not to mention his own daughter.
- He published the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, and one edition had some tunes at the back.
- He was friendly with James Hogg, another novelist, songwriter and ballad-collector.
- I searched our library catalogue. The Whittaker Library has plenty concerning Sir Walter Scott and his contribution to our culture. Check the catalogue here!
There - is that enough to encourage you to raise a glass to Sir Walter Scott today?!
Friday, 30 September 2011
Know your Scottish musical history
On this day ... 1st October, 1857, Singer-songwriter and collector Marjory Kennedy-Fraser was born. Her Hebridean song-settings are disdained by many 'traditional' singers nowadays, but they were hugely popular in their time, and are still very atmospheric early-20th century song settings. Just not direct transcriptions of simple Gaelic melodies!
- Marjory Kennedy-Fraser's publications in the Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- Marjory's books (as opposed to music) in the Whittaker Library
- Land of Heart's Desire - an album by RSAMD alumna Lisa Milne - Whittaker Library CD / Amazon.co.uk link
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
On this day: Walter Scott died 21st September 1832
Sir Walter Scott died in Abbotsford on 21st September, 1832. No writer before or since has had so much influence on a nation's cultural identity.Thoroughly recommended - a new book by Stuart Kelly, Scott-Land: the man who invented a nation. Yes, we have it at the Whittaker Library, here in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Check here.
But there's lots more you can get your hands on in the Whittaker Library, if you know where to look:-
- General catalogue search on Walter Scott
- Try a JSTOR search for books and articles. HINT: if you do an Advanced Search, you can limit results to Music items (we subscribe to full-text music articles). Alternatively, try a general search which will yield results in journals of all disciplines, but not necessarily full-text articles.
- Try a RILM search to get information about books, articles, dissertations and recordings about/of Walter Scott's work.
- Images of Sir Walter Scott and his beloved Abbotsford in the Scottish Borders? Try the SCRAN database.
Further interesting free websites include:-
- Pictures of the Scott monument
- Scott monument (Edinburgh Architecture website)
- Abbotsford House
- Edinburgh University's Walter Scott Digital Archive
Friday, 26 August 2011
Denholm, Teviotdale - birthplace of scholar, poet & scholar John Leyden
ON THIS DAY, 200 years ago ...
Poet, scholar and song-collector John Leyden died in Java, on 27th August 1811. He was from the village of Denholm in Teviotdale, in the Scottish Borders, and helped Sir Walter Scott in his ballad collecting. His 18th century cottage still stands to this day.
To celebrate the bicentenary of Leyden's death, a wreath is being laid by Lord Minto at the Leyden monument in Denholm tomorrow, 28th August 2011, and the local television company may be there.
Poet, scholar and song-collector John Leyden died in Java, on 27th August 1811. He was from the village of Denholm in Teviotdale, in the Scottish Borders, and helped Sir Walter Scott in his ballad collecting. His 18th century cottage still stands to this day.
To celebrate the bicentenary of Leyden's death, a wreath is being laid by Lord Minto at the Leyden monument in Denholm tomorrow, 28th August 2011, and the local television company may be there.
- Denholm village website - find out more about Leyden and other famous names!
- BorderReivers.co.uk website also has a brief bio of Leyden. This picture of his monument comes from the Border Reivers page, with thanks.
- Click on the "ballads" label below, to find a recent blogpost about Child ballads.
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