British Library hunts rare recordings

Subject: British Library hunts rare recordings
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 10:18 AM

Thought this might interest UK catters
Folk songs, sea shanties and children's rhymes are an integral part of Britain's heritage..... More than 2000 hours of recordings are to be made avaliable to the public thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery fund. the grant has been awarded to the British Library's National Sound Archive........ All collections are currently in private hands, mostly stored in shoe boxes, under beds, in cupboards.....The project aims to increase the study, understanding and enjoyment of English traditional music. The collections will be digitally recorded and made available to the public on listening posts at the BL's locations
article taken from "Managing Information" June 2001 p 17

Subject: RE: British Library hunts rare recordings
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 10:36 AM

Sorry meant to put this in
Click for more info
you need to clisk on Information, then press releases

Subject: RE: British Library hunts rare recordings
From: pavane
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 10:47 AM

Are these recordings newly discovered material or well known collections? How do they know where they are, and what they are stored in? I am intrigued.

Subject: RE: British Library hunts rare recordings
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 10:55 AM

Apparently this initiative is in response to anxieties expressed by "experts", musicians and collectors that collections may be deteriorating because much of the stuff is on old reel-to-reel tape (and probably recorded in smoky old pubs and peoples front parlours) How they're going to track it all down I don't know, but if you have any stuff get in touch

Subject: RE: British Library hunts rare recordings
From: pavane
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 12:18 PM

Not the stuff they want, I suspect! Funny thing, back 25 years or more ago, I was interviewed for a job at the BL, on a project to catalogue non-book materials. Glad to see they got the project off the ground!

Subject: RE: British Library hunts rare recordings
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 04:30 AM

Well maybe you can apply again! The press release says that BL is going to employ two people full time for two years on this project

Subject: RE: British Library hunts rare recordings
From: pavane
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 04:39 AM

It would be very interesting. A total change from what I do at the moment! But I expect the rate would be on the low side. (And BTW do they consider Rugby songs as part of our heritage? Just wondered. Many of the early collectors butchered our bawdy songs)