Bate Collection
Encyclopedia
The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments is a collection of historic musical instruments, mainly for Western classical music, from the medieval period onwards. It is housed in Oxford University's Faculty of Music near Christ Church
on St. Aldate's
.
The collection is open to the public and is available for academic study by appointment. There are frequent gallery events and special exhibitions. More than a thousand instruments by important English, French and German makers, are on display, showing the musical and mechanical development of wind and percussion instruments from the Renaissance
to the current day.
The collection is named after Philip Bate
who gave his collection of musical instruments to the University of Oxford in 1968, on the condition that it was used for teaching and was provided with a specialist curator to care for and lecture on it. The collection also houses an archive of his papers.
The Collection also houses the Reginald Morley-Pegge Memorial Collection of Horns and other Brass and Woodwind Instruments; the Anthony Baines Collection; the Edgar Hunt Collection of Recorders and other instruments; the Jean Henry Collection, the Taphouse Keyboard Loans; the Roger Warner Keyboard Collection; the Michael Thomas Keyboard Collection; a number of instruments from the Jeremy Montagu Collection; a complete workshop of the English bow-maker William C Retford
, as well as a small collection of Bows formed in his memory, the Wally Horwood Collection of books and recordings, and other instruments acquired by purchase and gift.
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
on St. Aldate's
St Aldate's, Oxford
St Aldate's is a street in central Oxford, England. It is named after Saint Aldate of whom little is known, although it has also been suggested that the name is a corruption of 'old gate', referring to the south gate in the former city walls. St Aldate's Church is on the west side of the street, in...
.
The collection is open to the public and is available for academic study by appointment. There are frequent gallery events and special exhibitions. More than a thousand instruments by important English, French and German makers, are on display, showing the musical and mechanical development of wind and percussion instruments from the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
to the current day.
The collection is named after Philip Bate
Philip Bate
Philip Argall Turner Bate was a musicologist, broadcaster and collector of musical instruments.- Early life and education :Bate was born in Glasgow on March 26, 1909. His father, Percy Herbert Bate, was secretary to the Glasgow Museum of Arts. His mother, Mary Turner, was a keen musician who...
who gave his collection of musical instruments to the University of Oxford in 1968, on the condition that it was used for teaching and was provided with a specialist curator to care for and lecture on it. The collection also houses an archive of his papers.
The Collection also houses the Reginald Morley-Pegge Memorial Collection of Horns and other Brass and Woodwind Instruments; the Anthony Baines Collection; the Edgar Hunt Collection of Recorders and other instruments; the Jean Henry Collection, the Taphouse Keyboard Loans; the Roger Warner Keyboard Collection; the Michael Thomas Keyboard Collection; a number of instruments from the Jeremy Montagu Collection; a complete workshop of the English bow-maker William C Retford
Retford family (bow-makers)
William Charles Retford and William R. Retford were English musical instrument bow-makers, working for the firm of W.E. Hill & Sons.Retford is recognized as developing the Hill bow, along with Alfred Hill.William C...
, as well as a small collection of Bows formed in his memory, the Wally Horwood Collection of books and recordings, and other instruments acquired by purchase and gift.
External links
- Bate Collection website
- Places feature — The Bate Collection, BBC OxfordBBC OxfordBBC Oxford is the name given to the sub-opt out region serving Oxford and the surrounding areas. Its services include:*BBC Oxford News, the local news service called BBC Oxford on screen...
— Dr Hélène La Rue tells how the collection's founder, Philip Bate, became involved in music