The History of the Whittaker Library in 3 images

Here we show you our library history in three images!  

• Editor William Gillies Whittaker - early Principal of the Scottish National Academy of Music.  And now namesake of the Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland!
• Shelfmark XVI B.263 - literally, the number of the book in the box on the shelf in the old Athenaeum building.
• Shelfmark M HAN 8:18 - the next way of arranging the music was by composer and then category. 8:18 must have been the 18th piece of operatic music in the Handel section!
• M1508 H - we now use Library of Congress classification - an international arrangement.  All the separate arias are shelved together (M1508) and then subdivided by composer (Handel)
• We've had several names: Athenaeum, Scottish National Academy of Music (stamped appropriately beside Whittaker's name, because this was our name when he was Principal!), Royal Scottish Academy of Music (see the date-label), then Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) and now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
• It appears this music was first borrowed in 1968, and most recently, in 2014.  But bear in mind there could have been an earlier date-label before the score got its brown card cover!
• Sadly, the music now seems to be falling apart, card cover or not.  RIP - Rest in Pieces.

Phantom Wheel-Tappers, Toe-Tappers, Podium Rappers ...

Waltzing Away at St Rollox

Steam Locomotive at the Riverside Museum

 Cataloguing away merrily in the library,  we've just found a link with Glasgow's industrial past in the unlikely context of Weber's Invitation to the Waltz!

An old set of parts in our orchestral collection was gifted to us when its original owners no longer needed it.  This set first belonged to Caledonian Railway Workshops Orchestra at St Rollox, before being gifted to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama when we were at St George's Place, Glasgow.   

Since then, St George's Place became Nelson Mandela Place, and more recently we moved to Renfrew Street in 1987, before changing our name to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in September 2011.

An interesting history! We wonder if any of the Caledonian Railway Workshops Orchestra members are still alive, after all this time ...

• Image from the Riverside Museum blog, Glasgow.

Charles Dickens signed our Visitors Book! (Athenaeum, now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)

"I guess it isn’t every day that you discover Charles Dickens’ signature on your visitors’ book. He opened the Glasgow Athenaeum (the predecessor of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) in December 1847, and consequently ‘signed in’ on the 28th of that month.", explains Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Archives Officer, Stuart Harris Logan.

First, we were the Athenaeum, when Charles Dickens delivered the opening address and signed our visitors' book. (Except we called it a Strangers Book - times change!) Now we're the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. We're no longer in the old Glasgow Athenaeum building, but have been in the new Renfrew Street building for 25 years. And Stuart Harris-Logan, our Archives Officer, found the Strangers Book, with Dickens' signature there for all to see. He's very happy to welcome any visitors to our archive facility to view this and other marvels - just email him (S.Harris-Logan@rcs.ac.uk).

100 Theatre Women (Women's History Month)

Whittaker heard it was Women's History Month just now.  So here is a blogpost by Naomi Paxton, an alumna of RSAMD (as we were).

100 Theatre Women, Part 1

Naomi Paxton's Website

About Naomi: "After an undergraduate degree in drama at Goldsmiths College,
Naomi trained in Acting at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). She has been working professionally as an actor since 1999 and has appeared in the West End and on tour in the UK and Internationally. A passionate and versatile performer ... "  (Visit Naomi's website to find out more.)

Nelson Mandela 1918-2013

We only have one member of library staff who was interviewed in in the old Athenaeum building in Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow.  Already known as RSAMD,  the institution moved to Renfrew Street in 1986, and three of us commenced work in the Whittaker Library's first year in the 'new building'.  Of course, we're now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, but we still have that historical link to Nelson Mandela Place.

Although it's our FORMER building that's in Nelson Mandela place, we do have a printed tune, a recorded tune, and a book of poetry associated with the great man who died yesterday.  It's nice to know we have some things mentioning his name.

• Wolf Soyinka, Nobel Prize winner for Literature - Mandela's Earth and Other Poems (1988)
• Scottish band, Give Way -  Full Steam Ahead (includes a tune 'Nelson Mandela's Welcome to Glasgow')
• Tom Richardson, Jigs, Reels and Fancy Feels, Vol.1 (includes tune, 'Hats off to Nelson Mandela'

You might also like the play collection, Beyond the Echo of Soweto (edited Geoffrey Davis, 1997)
 

Traditional Music Exams with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland was called RSAMD, in the days when our traditional music exams were launched.

Some of the music can now be downloaded online, and the rest can be bought, via PlayScottishMusic.com. 

This is the link for downloading and ordering RCS trad music exam material: Click here. 

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RSAMD) Alumni are Herald Angels

Fiddle stars Rant win top prize at Edinburgh Festival

Scotland’s new chamber-folk quartet Rant have won a Herald Angel for their performance at the Acoustic Music Centre @ St Bride’s during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Featuring four of Scotland’s leading fiddle players, Shetlander sisters Jenna and Bethany Reid and Highlanders Lauren MacColl and Sarah-Jane Summers, Rant formed in the summer of 2012 and appeared to huge acclaim at the Fiddle 2012 festival in Edinburgh last November. Their Fringe concert, which was part of the Made in Scotland 2013 programme, marked the launch of the group’s self-titled debut album, which was released on August 19 on Make Believe Records.   (Jenna and Lauren both studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly RSAMD), and naturally enough, the Whittaker Library has the CD on order - watch this space!)

Now in their nineteenth year, the Herald Angels are awarded by Glasgow-based newspaper The Herald for excellence across the range of festivals that take place in Edinburgh during August and are much-coveted among performers, companies and event organisers. Previous winners with traditional music connections include Gaelic singer Flora MacNeil, pipers Gordon Duncan and Allan MacDonald and fiddler Duncan Chisholm.

“We’re delighted to win the Herald Angel, especially as the other winners at the ceremony came from across the arts spectrum including ballet, literature and classical music,” says Rant spokeswoman Jenna Reid. “It was a complete surprise and an honour to be recognised for our wee part in the world's biggest arts festival.”

For further information, contact band@rantfiddles.com

Our Alumni! Deoch 'n' Dorus

There's an article about this band (Stuart Cameron, Simon Moran and Andrew Macpherson) - who were students when we were still RSAMD - in Box and Fiddle magazine, April 2013.

Come and read it in the Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland!


Box and Fiddle

Mr Dickie and PGS Arts

 http://www.pgsarts.co.uk/ 

Expressive Arts at Paisley Grammar School

'Whittaker' attended an enjoyable concert at Paisley Abbey this evening.   Conducted by the irrepressible Mr Dickie and his colleagues in the music department, a whole variety of ensembles and bands strutted their stuff, to an appreciative audience of families and friends.

Mr Dickie was keen to remind the audience that the Expressive Arts have their own website.  Indeed, he repeated 'http://www.pgsarts.co.uk/' several times to ensure that we wouldn't forget.

'Whittaker' remembers when Mr Dickie was but a youth at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland - well, it was the RSAMD in those days, of course.  But hasn't he done well?  He's quite a compere, too.

Because Mr Dickie thanked everyone else, 'Whittaker' is taking it upon 'himself' to thank Mr Dickie.  And to share that website.  Here it is again - http://www.pgsarts.co.uk/.

Whittaker doesn't indulge in favouritism.  If there are music teachers 'out there' who are alumni of RSAMD/the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and would like to share what they've been up to since leaving the college, please do get in touch!  We could even have a regular series of 'Where are they now?'

Storyteller and folklorist Sheila Douglas of Scone

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/

Sir Philip Ledger, former Principal of the RSAMD (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)

RIP Sir Philip Ledger

'Whittaker' is deeply sorry to note the death of Sir Philip Ledger, our former Principal. 

If I can share a personal memory, it is of the memorable Christmas concerts that Sir Philip used to conduct, and in particular, the one that I attended when Sir Philip appeared in the garb of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Our catalogue lists just some of the many recordings and publications that Sir Philip was responsible for - including some LPs of the Nine Lessons and Carols recorded during his time at Kings College, Cambridge.

• SirPhilipLedger.com
• CLASSICfM Obituary

10 Years of River City - Behind the Scenes (and we were there)

River City has been a happy stamping ground for RSAMD/ Royal Conservatoire of Scotland graduates.  So - naturally, our Drama Librarian is ordering a copy of the 10th Anniversary book, and we'll all be looking through it to see our alumni doing what they do best!

10 years of River City - Behind the Scenes (the book)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/features/rivercity/aps/images/v2_banner.jpg

• The Characters in BBC1 River City
• John Beattie looks back (in the Daily Record) 

National Chamber Music Day 2012

THIS Saturday, 15th September 2012, 

National Chamber Music Day

See what was on here.

Whittaker caught Sax Ecosse entertaining the masses at Glasgow's Buchanan Street Bus Station.  Alumnae of RSAMD, no less.  It was fun watching the reactions of passers-by: the wee boy who strutted past pretending to blow a sax; two more kids who strolled noncholantly by, trying NOT to look interested; the old lady who stood with furrowed brow trying to work out what was going on, or the others who just stood smiling and applauding at appropriate points ...

Maeve Mackinnon, alumna

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 ...

Alumna of Royal Conservatoire (was RSAMD): Phamie Gow's new project

Forthcoming CD:

Phamie Gow with the

Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

Phamie says,

The Edinburgh Suite CD will be launched and premiered in May 2012. More information to follow soon.

The Whittaker Library has it on their shopping list!

Scottish Opera Composer in Residence Gareth Williams talks

Gareth Williams talks about his new work for Scottish Opera's Opera Highlights 2012 - Audiofile.

For more info, see below:-

• Scottish Opera News
• STV page about Scottish Opera's appointment of Gareth Williams as first composer in residence.
• See our Scottish Ephemera file for the recent Classical Music magazine article about Gareth's work (14 January 2012).

Box and Fiddle featuring our alumni!

The latest (February 2012) issue of Box and Fiddle magazine is full of our alumni! 

Robert Nairn - Innes Watson - Norrie MacIver

- Do have a look and see who else you can find!

Box and Fiddle magazine isn't completely online, and you won't find whole issues there - but there are earlier digitised articles, all sorted in alphabetical order, and lots of other info - so it's well worth a look.  Give it a try!

CONGRATULATIONS TO BRYAN ALLEN

Heather Nicoll and Bryan Allen

Trumpeter and conductor Bryan Allen, former Head of Brass and Instrumental Performance, is to receive a Fellowship from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland today.  'Whittaker' deplores media intrusion, but felt it was not inappropriate to share with you some of the highlights of Bryan's career.

Here's his own post at the Old Loughburians' Association - Loughburgh Grammar School's alumni website.

You can find works conducted by Bryan on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Whittaker Library Catalogue - here.  (The Buxton Orr CD - made when we were the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, RSAMD, is available on Amazon.)

• Searching our catalogue under Fine Arts Brass - in which Bryan played for many years - yields lots more hits!
• Staff and students here can listen to Bryan's trumpet playing streamed on Naxos - visit our electronic resources website and pick internal or external access depending where you are.

Today's combined Graduation Ceremony and Conferment of Fellowships will also see Fellowships awarded to Vicky Featherstone of National Theatre Scotland and Alex Reedijk, of Scottish Opera.

Vicky Featherstone and Maggie Kinloch

Degrees will be conferred for the MA in Classical and Contemporary Text (Acting and Directing), MA Musical Theatre (Performance and Musical Directing), Master of Music (all specialisms), and Master of Opera.  A few postgraduate diplomas and undergraduate degrees will also be conferred.

NB As promised - more scenes from behind the scenes ...

Why do scholars blog?

Inger Mewburn, aka The Thesis Whisperer, runs a very successful research blog. (Do visit http://thethesiswhisperer.wordpress.com/.)  However, Inger also, from time to time, blogs elsewhere.  Today, 2nd September, I caught up with her on the Networked Researcher blog: her post is called Is there a new digital divide brewing?  It makes interesting reading.


"Whittaker" started asking "himself" why he maintains WhittakerLive.  Actually, it's all there on the sidebar:-

WhittakerLive has posted friendly and informative postings since 1999. We showcase performing arts websites, and higher education links that will interest our staff and student performers.


Current awareness: useful weblinks, publications, recordings, events etc. Also postings on learning skills, research support  and information literacy.

It's a wide remit, which is why the postings might seem rather random at first glance.  However, this week's postings are pretty representative of what we aim to achieve.  So, what have we got?  Obituaries for Ray Fisher (Scottish ballad singer) and Alasdair Gillies (bagpiper extraordinaire).  An 'on this day' posting for Joseph Ritson, an influential 18th century antiquarian. The name-change from RSAMD to Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.  Digitised Beethoven.  The first call for papers, for Musica Scotica 2012 conference.

Now, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is not just about Scottish music, or indeed about classical music or music history.  It's drama, dance, film and TV, performance and improvisation ... so please do suggest newsworthy items or websites that are of potential use to staff and students working in these areas!

RSAMD becomes Royal Conservatoire of Scotland soon

There's a crane outside.  They're not demolishing us - just changing our name ...!

http://www.rsamd.ac.uk/ just a few days longer ...