Author Archives: mj263

About mj263

Music Collections Supervisor at Cambridge University Library. Wide musical interests. Often to be found stuck in a composer's archive, or enthusing about antiquarian music.

Sing, bright Cecilia

Posted on 22 November 2018

The week of November 22nd is always a special one for musicians. It’s the week in which music’s own patron saint is celebrated – St. Cecilia. She has long been an inspiration to composers, her feast day also happens to … Continue reading →

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Brothers in arms

Posted on 9 November 2018

As I mentioned in last week’s MusiCB3 post this week we’re going to be looking at a very personal experience of war; that experienced by Sir Arthur Bliss and his family. Bliss was just about to have his 23rd birthday when … Continue reading →

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The singing will never be done

Posted on 2 November 2018

A week Sunday will mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. Commemorative events will be taking place across the world from Buenos Aires to Bristol. In next week’s MusiCB3 post, we’ll be examining how the war … Continue reading →

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Holidays

Posted on 10 August 2018

It’s been sticky work here at the UL over the last few weeks, especially in the non-air conditioned Anderson Room office, where even with a fan working like crazy, and most of the doors and windows open, the MusiCB3 staff … Continue reading →

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Before and after they were famous

Posted on 20 July 2018

Most musicians don’t become stars immediately. There are always exceptions – Yehudi Menuhin, who in the hideous Nazi-sponsored Encyclopedia of Jews in Music (Berlin 1940), was sarcastically labelled a “wunderkind”, the sarcasm failing woefully as he truly was a child wonder; then … Continue reading →

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Canzonette veneziane

Posted on 13 July 2018

Last October the second hand and antiquarian music dealer Travis & Emery circulated their occasional antiquarian music catalogue Sarum no. 58. One item caught my eye because in the last year or so I had updated the online records for … Continue reading →

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Song writing for beginners

Posted on 29 June 2018

Included in a batch of recent antiquarian additions to the Music Department here at the UL is a fascinating volume entitled The Melographicon (MR574.c.80.15). Published in 1826, The Melographicon claims to be “An entirely new and highly amusing musical work, by which an … Continue reading →

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