Librarians Should Be Seen and Not Heard? Think Again!

A book was launched ...

Our Ancient National Airs

Fri 26th April 2013, 4pm
The Whittaker Library
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Talk from author and Conservatoire librarian Karen McAulay and music from Conservatoire students and Karen Marshalsay. 

Clarsair Karen Marshalsay

 WARNING

The author is torn between a conviction that a librarian is a "quiet" kind of person, and modest satisfaction at having published a Real Book!  This was not a quiet event.  (Hopefully it also demonstrated that research can indeed move from the academic sphere to genuine public engagement!)

Tradfest in Edinburgh this week



24 April - 6 May 2013

At the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh.

• Further info
• Programme

Creativity is our second name!

Creativity is big at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.  Out of idle curiosity, Whittaker searched the Whittaker Library catalogue to see what we've got on our shelves.

Oh, wow!  Plenty of reading material there.  Take a look.

• Creativity on the drama shelves
• Creativity on the music shelves

A tribute to Sir Colin Davis, from Cambridge

MusiCB3 Blog is the music library blog from the University of Cambridge.  Here's their tribute to Sir Colin Davis, in the latest blogpost.

To Celebrate, to Commemorate: Sir Colin Davis (1927-2013)

Creative Scotland Revised Funding Programmes

Read about the revised funding programmes on the Creative Scotland website, here.

Creative Scotland homepage: http://www.creativescotland.com/

Violinmaking

BBC posting on choosing best materials for a Stradivarius

Today I've just come across a BBC News item about choosing the best musical wood for a Stradivarius.  It might interest you - see it here.

I've blogged before about violin-making.  (If you search this blog for "fiddletree", you'll find my earlier postings, and I also did a Storify posting entitled, 'Musings on Creativity'.)

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!!

Sir Colin Davis dies

Sad news from the London Symphony Orchestra:-

Sir Colin Davis 1927-2013

It is with deep sadness that the LSO announces the death of its esteemed President, Sir Colin Davis. 

LPO website - click here. 

Follow me on Twitter @Karenmca to find more obituaries for Sir Colin Davis, shared by professionals who knew him.

New Links for Trad Musicians

I've just been checking my Diigo account, and I see I've recently saved several links that our Scottish trad musicians might like:-

• The Archive Project: an Adventure in Traditional Scottish Music - blog about a project to get people using tunes in the School of Scottish Studies Archives:- "Welcome! This is a project from the Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin and School of Scottish Studies Archives (funded by Creative Scotland through the Youth Music Initiative) running for a year from June 2012 – June (or beyond!) 2013.  It aims to bring seven young people (aged 15-23) into the Archives and create innovative new traditional music as a result."
• Forthcoming Minstrelsy Concert at The Sage Gateshead -  promoted by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 23 June 8 pm.
• Society of Antiquaries of Scotland - has been studying the history of Scottish culture and archaeology for over 200 years!
• Ronnie Gibson explores the Atholl Collection of Scottish music at Perth's A K Bell Library - blogpost. 
• Archived article about James Scott Skinner, from the Box and Fiddle magazine archives. Scott Skinner was a fabulous Scottish fiddler who also published fiddle music.

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

International Oboe and Bassoon Contest - MEGA PRIZES

So if you're an oboist or bassoonist, don't miss out!  And a trip to Switzerland for the contest, too.

Read more here ...

John Tavener - new cello score, The Protecting Veil

To celebrate the 70th birthday of composer John Tavener, the Whittaker Library has been gifted a cello and piano edition of this piece, which was originally for cello and string orchestra.

Chester Music would be delighted if it was programmed in a forthcoming concert, so if you're a cellist, do give it some thought!

Paper.li - the platform I've chosen for my live newsfeed

Music & Academic Services Librarian

My name is Karen McAulay - I'm Music and Academic Services Librarian in the Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

This blog, Whittaker Live, is the blog I author on behalf of the Whittaker Library.  But I've also set up a live newsfeed based on select keywords and postings I've made in various social media websites.  It's called Music and Academic Services Librarian, and you can follow it at this Paper.li link: Subscribe here!

Competition for Composers - 'Monodramma'

Whittaker has been asked to help publicize this composition challenge.

It's being promoted by NED Ensemble:-

"Announcement for the International Composition Competition “Monodramma” promoted by Ned Ensemble and the City of Desenzano del Garda, in collaboration with Edizioni Suvini Zerboni in Milano and Verona Accademia per l'Opera Italiana.

International Jury:-

• M° Azio Corghi (President) (Italy)
• M° Carlos Roqué Alsina (France)
• M° Andrea Mannucci (Italy)
• M° Riccardo Piacentini (Italy)

We invite composers to participate [...] for young composers who are still studying composition, it could be a good opportunity to work, according their own style, on a chamber opera, melologo, poetic composition and all the means of expressions possessing a high poetic value."

Deadline for applications is September 30, 2013.  More details here ... "

 

Bibliolore blogs about Stravinsky's Persona

Musicians at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland regularly study Stravinsky, so this blogpost by Bibliolore may be of interest.  Take a look ...

Ronnie Gibson extols virtues of Atholl Collection at A K Bell Library

Read Ronnie's blogpost here.  The Atholl Collection is a superb resource, and Ronnie's post comes as a timely reminder of the historic Scottish music treasures that it contains.

Musica Scotica Conference - Edinburgh Sat 27 April 2013

We've got a great line-up of speakers for the Musica Scotica Conference in Edinburgh (at the Open University in Scotland), on Saturday 27th April 2013. 

All we need now is hordes of eager delegates!  Registration is now open - you can download the form from the website, and there is a discount for students.  Click here ... 

It's not an expensive day out, and it's a great chance to network with likeminded researchers. 

Whimsical Whittaker

When I go to Edinburgh, I can't help reflecting on all the Scottish musical names that have walked the same streets in earlier centuries.  Yesterday was no exception.

Read True Imaginary Friends to find out more!

Irish Traditional Song: the Inishowen Song Project (Co. Donegal)

'Whittaker' takes leave from his annual leave to share this irrestistible link from the Irish Traditional Music Archive with you:-

Singers - Songs - Publications - Videos 

http://www.itma.ie/inishowen

Inishowen Song Project

A unique 2,000-item online microsite presenting the traditional singers and songs of the Inishowen peninsula, Co Donegal, and incorporating digital sound and video recordings, books, photographs, transcriptions of song texts, and metadata catalogue information for each item. Click here...

Doing a PhD? Here's a blogpost about finishing it!

Research-support website, The Thesis Whisperer, muses on why some people finish their PhD, and others don't.

Intrigued?  Read on...