Scottish roots - early song collection, Tea-Table Miscellany

For early Scots Songs, Allan Ramsay's Tea Table Miscellany is a must. Found that on Internet Archive, too. Favourite this!

John Gunn - Forty Favorite Scotch Airs for Violin, Flute, or Violoncello

Did I mention this find?  There's good stuff hiding in the Internet Archive!  John Gunn also wrote a treatise about the Scottish harp - he's an early 19th century authority still cited today.

One day, I'll make a list of all the old Scottish fiddle collections I've found.  But for now, here's John Gunn's Forty Favorite Scotch Airs, for violin, flute or violoncello.

(Let's make this searchable: Forty, 40, Scotch, Scots, Scottish, Favorite, Favourite, Violoncello, Cello - once a librarian, always a librarian!)

Edinburgh School of Scottish Studies Archives changes afoot

From the School website

There has been a review of the School of Scottish Studies Archive provision in Edinburgh.  It is a long-established, very highly-regarded collection, from which several generations of scholars have benefited.

The outcome of the review is causing a certain amount of concern amongst users of the archive.  Whittaker offers this - the written text of the review - so that you can read it thoughtfully and reach your own conclusions.

Celtic and Scottish Studies Homepage

Another call for scores (Twinkle, twinkle little star)

Read more about this proposed publication on the Scottish Music Centre website here.

"This is a call to composers around the world to submit their entries for consideration. From the entries received, 100 will be selected for publication."  More ...

Composition competition - www.Violas2014.com

 Aged 18-40?

Composer?

Viola player?

'Whittaker' received details of a composition competition, today.  The challenge is to write a piece for viola, and submit the score by 16 December 2013.

Visit the website:- http://www.violas2014.com/

Piano Competition - Mayenne, France 24-26 May 2013

A competition at the Conservatoire of Le Grand Nord in Mayenne, France.

6e Concours International, 'Piano a Mayenne'

24-26 May 2013

For more info, visit the website:-

• Competition details on Conservatoire website 
• Le Grand Nord homepage

Spotted online - Brass Jaw

Alumnus Brian Quigley is in Glasgow-based, award-winning jazz ensemble, Brass Jaw.  'Whittaker' spotted his name and recognised it instantly.  Nice to see our alumni flourishing.

http://www.brassjaw.co.uk/

Costume-making - The Dreamstress

If costume-making floats your boat, you'll love this website. Recommended by our Wardrobe Department!  They say the Dreamstress is "incredible"!

The Dreamstress

British and Irish trad music online (the Peter Kennedy collection)

 British Library Sounds

Read about some of the unique, historic recordings collected by song-collector Peter Kennedy - they're now accessible online through the British Library.

Music in the British Library Blog - blogpost on the Peter Kennedy collection.

"28 January 2013

British and Irish traditional music online

150 hours of audio and almost 100 photographs from the Peter Kennedy Collection have been made available this week via the British Library Sounds website..."

Clarinettist Anton Weinberg - Reshaping Thoughts

Reshaping Thoughts

Clarinettist Professor Anton Weinberg has published a second edition of his musical quotations and epithets anthology.

Unfinished Sentences, the first edition, has been updated.  The new edition is entitled Reshaping Thoughts: the Problem is the Solution.  Two copies have kindly been donated to the Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Find them here.

Professor Weinberg's website: http://www.antonweinberg.com/home.htm

Highland Music Trust - in print and online

The Whittaker Library has several publications by the Highland Music Trust - they're transcriptions of old fiddle collections.  See the list here.

Did you know you can also access these collections online via IMSLP, otherwise known as the Petrucci Music Library?

For example, Jane Fraser Morison's Highland Airs and Quicksteps of 1882

IMSLP homepage - http://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page

Highland Music Trust collections on IMSLP

Byre Theatre, St Andrews, could reopen soon

Phil Miller reports in the Herald today (1 Feb 2013) that there are hopes the Byre Theatre could reopen soon.  Read it here ...

Last weekend, things didn't look so good:-

• Byre Theatre announces closure
• BBC News
• The Scotsman announces this news.
• SAVE THE BYRE THEATRE - Petition site 
• SAVE THE BYRE THEATRE - Change.org (more signatures to date)
• SAVE THE BYRE THEATRE - on Twitter
• SAVE THE BYRE THEATRE - on Facebook

Dick Gaughan sings 'Jock o' Hazeldean'

Jock o' Hazeldean - slower and lower

A very different interpretation of Jock o' Hazeldean (1st line: Why weep ye by the tide, lady - Child ballad 293), by another great ballad singer - Dick Gaughan on YouTube (1972).

Jean Redpath sings 'Jock o' Hazeldean'

Jock o' Hazeldean

1st line: Why weep ye by the tide, lady - Child ballad 293 sung by Jean Redpath onYouTube

Stellar Quines - Scottish Theatre Company

'Whittaker' was updating followers on the WhittakerLib Twitter account when 'he' came across a theatre company he hadn't heard of before - Stellar Quines.
 
Their website explains all.  Here's their introduction:-

"Established in 1993, Stellar Quines is an award winning Scottish theatre company and charity that celebrates the energy, experience and perspective of women. We provide a platform for women’s stories and create live theatre driven by women and where female practitioners are at the forefront of all creative roles."

Teaching postgraduate composition

The latest issue of Contemporary Music Review focuses on teaching composition at postgraduate level:-

Pedagogical Praxis and Curricular Infrastructure in Graduate Music Composition

Supervisors of Masters and doctoral students will find this of particular interest. 

• Click link for details.
• Available as print copy in Whittaker Library.
• Registered staff and students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland can also access it online.

St Andrews Special Collection - a Robert Burns posting

St Andrews University Library

It's the day when everyone struggles to come up with a new 'take' on Scotland's national Bard.  Here is an offering from the University of St Andrews:-

Echoes from the Vault:

Scotland’s Poet: Robert Burns in Special Collections

Lutoslawski's Mature Style (sharing a Bibliolore blogpost)

Always worth looking at, Bibliolore has just posted a piece about Lutoslawski.  Here's the link:-

http://bibliolore.org/2013/01/25/lutoslawskis-mature-style/

Library Forthcoming Events

Two dates for your diary!

We have two more events coming up in the Whittaker Library. 

Tuesday 29th January @ 5 pm

On Tuesday 29^th January at 5 pm, folklorist Margaret Bennett will be giving an illustrated talk about Celtic music in Newfoundland.  There's always a good turn-out, and a good time is had by all.  Come and join in!

Friday 26th April @ 4 pm

Looking ahead, Music and Academic Services Librarian Karen McAulay’s book, Our Ancient National Airs: Scottish song-collecting from the Enlightenment to the Romantic Era will be launched at an illustrated talk in the Whittaker Library on Friday 26^th April at 4 pm. Musicians have been enlisted.  It will be loud.  And she’s still looking for a sax quartet to play some of the louder musical examples … volunteers, please?

Fonn - The Campbells of Greepe

Fonn: The Campbells of Greepe *

Music and a Sense of Place in a Gaelic Family Song Tradition

The Whittaker Library acquired a copy of Kenna Campbell's family CD, Fonn, a couple of months ago, so we warmly welcome the publication of the accompanying book, published by Acair.  It's big and beautiful, has bi-lingual narrative about the family and their immersion in Gaelic music, and has lots of songs with their tunes, the Gaelic texts and English translations, not to mention contextual notes.  And the CD appears at the back.

So lovely is this that we're ordering a copy for our shelves straight away.  Watch this space!

* Greepe is in a remote corner of the Hebridean island of Skye.