Northern Ireland Music Archive
Encyclopedia
The Northern Ireland Music Archive is a digital archive
of materials related to music from Northern Ireland
. It is based on a publicly-accessible computer system situated in the Music Library at Belfast Central Library
, Belfast
, County Antrim
. The archive has been funded and developed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
.
and were collated and digitised from 2003 onwards, with input and assistance provided by the Sonic Arts Research Centre and Belfast Central Library.
The archive was officially launched on 30 March 2006, with a day of music from numerous contemporary performers including the Brian Irvine Ensemble. At its launch, it contained approximately 400 recordings and a number of scanned sheet music
of pieces by 20th century
and contemporary/classical
composer
s born or settled in Northern Ireland. The Arts Council planned to enlarge this collection in the future, with the hope of expanding into other genres of music such as folk, rock and pop.
In 2007, a selection of folk and traditional
materials were incorporated from a sizeable collection of tapes bequeathed by local folk promoter and journalist, Geoff Harden
. This set of materials was digitised with additional assistance from the City of Belfast School of Music. The new additions were profiled at an official event at the library, which featured live music from local traditional musicians and a speech and song from veteran folk/traditional singer, Len Graham
.
Recordings date from the 1960s
up to the present.
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
of materials related to music from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is based on a publicly-accessible computer system situated in the Music Library at Belfast Central Library
Belfast Central Library
Belfast Central Library is a public library in Royal Avenue, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Opened in 1888, it was one of the first major public library buildings in Ireland....
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. The archive has been funded and developed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland....
.
History
The first materials for the archive were provided by BBC Northern IrelandBBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
and were collated and digitised from 2003 onwards, with input and assistance provided by the Sonic Arts Research Centre and Belfast Central Library.
The archive was officially launched on 30 March 2006, with a day of music from numerous contemporary performers including the Brian Irvine Ensemble. At its launch, it contained approximately 400 recordings and a number of scanned sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
of pieces by 20th century
20th century classical music
20th century classical music was without a dominant style and highly diverse.-Introduction:At the turn of the century, music was characteristically late Romantic in style. Composers such as Gustav Mahler and Jean Sibelius were pushing the bounds of Post-Romantic Symphonic writing...
and contemporary/classical
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s born or settled in Northern Ireland. The Arts Council planned to enlarge this collection in the future, with the hope of expanding into other genres of music such as folk, rock and pop.
In 2007, a selection of folk and traditional
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
materials were incorporated from a sizeable collection of tapes bequeathed by local folk promoter and journalist, Geoff Harden
Geoff Harden
Geoff Harden was a journalist, broadcaster, recording engineer and folk music promoter. Born in Kent, England, Harden moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1966...
. This set of materials was digitised with additional assistance from the City of Belfast School of Music. The new additions were profiled at an official event at the library, which featured live music from local traditional musicians and a speech and song from veteran folk/traditional singer, Len Graham
Len Graham (singer)
Len Graham is a singer from Northern Ireland. He is one of Ireland's best-known traditional singers who has gained an international reputation for his inimitable singing style and also for the breadth of his knowledge of Irish Folk music.-Career and awards:...
.
Audio recordings
- Live performances of classical/contemporary compositions by composers from Northern Ireland
- Interview footage of composers from Northern Ireland
- Radio documentariesRadio documentaryA radio documentary or feature is a purely acoustic performance devoted to covering a particular topic in some depth, usually with a mixture of commentary and sound pictures. It is broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD...
on composers and the Northern Irish classical/contemporary music scene - Live performances by folk/traditional musicians recorded in Northern Ireland
Recordings date from the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
up to the present.
Visual articles
- Sheet music of pieces by composers from Northern Ireland
- Programme notes from premierePremiereA premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
(or otherwise notable) performances of pieces by Northern Ireland composers - Publications relating to the Northern Irish folk scene, including issues of Ulster Folk News
- PhotographPhotographA photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s of composers and musicians
Access
The archive is housed on a computer server in the Music Library, 2nd Floor, Belfast Central Library. The computer is free to browse at any time during library opening hours; the materials are available for reference only.External links
- Northern Ireland Composers - Arts Council of Northern Ireland web site, providing listings of the contemporary/classical materials held in the Northern Ireland Music Archive.