Collectors of Song and Music

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This module is designed to introduce students to the history of music and song collecting. The module will concentrate on the principal collectors from the late eighteenth century until the present day. Reference will be made to their social and cultural background. The module will include an evaluation of their contribution in terms of both collecting and publishing, and the degree to which, on occasions, their editorial procedures may have brought the authenticity of published tunes into question. The various methods of collecting will be introduced - from the handwritten manuscript page to 'podcasting'. The aims of the collectors will also be discussed and analysed. Fieldwork will be encouraged so that students may experience music and song collecting at first hand.