Subject: VWML online: rare dance & tune sets
From:
Desert Dancer
Date: 23 Jul 12 - 11:11 AM
Access to the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Just Got Bigger: Rare music and dance collections now available online to a worldwide audience (EFDSS News)
• Giving access to more than 2,000 pages from the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library's unique collections online
• Safeguarding the future of England's traditional dances and tunes by encouraging long locked away treasures to be seen and played again
• View now
Rare dance and tune collections dating back to the 1700s have been made available to a worldwide audience through the English Folk Dance and Song Society's (EFDSS) website.
These historic documents, previously only available to visitors of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (VWML) at Cecil Sharp House, have been added to VWML Online.
They will sit alongside existing digital libraries and galleries, which include Cecil Sharp's Diaries and photos from the Sharp collection, as well as the online Take 6 manuscript archive – featuring the work of some of England's most prominent folksong and dance collectors. This development of this resource has been made possible by funds donated by the Islington Folk Club.
The expansion of VWML Online is part of EFDSS' commitment to ensure wider access and the long-term preservation of the library's collections, which celebrate the many and various cultural traditions of England.
The printed collections so far included new initiative are:
• Wright's Complete Collection of Celebrated Country Dances, vol. 1;
• Urbani & Liston's A Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, 1800;
• Preston's Twenty four Country Dances from the years 1793, 1794, 1796, 1798, 1799 & 1800;
• Skillern's Twenty Four Country Dances for the years 1799, 1780, 1781 & 1782;
• Straight & Skillern's Minuets For the Year 1777.
Also included are the manuscript tune books belonging to John Moore (three volumes),
W.G., John Malchair of Oxford, Henry Huntlea, Yarker and Skene (two volumes), plus six anonymous tune books dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Malcolm Taylor, Director of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (VWML), said: "We are delighted to be able to make these collections available alongside some of our other treasures via VWML Online and the Take 6 Archive.
"It is undeniable that the internet is allowing us to breathe new life into these often unknown materials which have been, for people unable to visit Cecil Sharp House, buried or locked away and effectively invisible. Now a whole new audience can become acquainted with musical traditions that have emanated on their own doorsteps.
"We are very grateful to Robin Seifert for photographing most of these collections and the Islington Folk Club for their initial funding for this project."
Martin Nail, Treasurer of the Islington Folk Club, said: "The club's resident band is a vital part of the club and we are therefore delighted to support the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library in making this part of England's music heritage available to a wider public. The best outcome would be to hear these tunes being played again by a new generation of musicians."
As more funds become available, more collections will be added. If you would like to donate to this project, please contact the Malcolm Taylor on malcolm@efdss.org or 0207 485 2206.
EFDSS' next major digital project will be The Full English – a project to create the most comprehensive searchable database with images of English folk songs, tunes, dances and customs in the world - all as they were noted down from the voices of the people.
It will bring together the collections of Harry Albino, Lucy Broadwood, Clive Carey, Percy Grainger, Maud Karpeles, Frank Kidson, Thomas Fairman Ordish, Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Ella Mary Leather and Alfred Williams for the first time and allow free public access to 58,400 digitised collection items through a new web portal, due to be online in 2013.
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Got this from EFDSS and CDSS via Facebook over the weekend.
~ Becky in Tucson
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sj
