Collection RC0054 - Georgian Songs collection

The first accrual of the collection was purchased from Charles Cox Rare Books of Exeter, England in 1986. The second accrual was purchased from Lisa Cox of Exeter, England in 1988.

This listing has been arranged on the following principles: anonymous songs are listed first; thereafter the order is alphabetical by composer. Under each composer songs are listed alphabetically by title, or, where there is no given title, under the first word of the first line: the definite and indefinite articles do not signify. Generic or unspecific titles such as “A new Song,” “The Favorite Air,” “Glee, “ etc have been disregarded, and the first significant word of the sub-title (or first line) taken as a guide.

Titles have been transcribed as accurately as the exigencies of type allow: peculiarities of spelling, punctuation, capitals, and all other orthographical oddities have been faithfully reproduced. Punctuation has been inserted within square brackets only where strictly necessary and constant reiteration of [sic] has been eschewed except in cases where a genuine confusion might arise. The first lines of all songs have been similarly transcribed within square brackets after the titles, except where they are adequately reproduced in the titles. In the cases of items containing three or more songs, the total number of songs is stated, but the title and/or incipit of the first song only is given, all within square brackets.

The publisher’s name is recorded precisely as printed, all typographical eccentricities being as far as possible transcribed; thus “A. Bland & Wellers” may appear in one item, “Bland and Weller’s” in another, and “A. Bland & Weller” in a third. “N. i.” means “No imprint”. Place of publication is London, unless otherwise stated. Dates are those printed on the item concerned. Those within square brackets have been ascertained from other sources. Dates given as “circa” are necessarily conjectural, but great care has been taken to fix upon as accurate a date as possible. Statement of edition has only been given when actually printed on the item concerned. All items are folio in size except where stated.

The page numbers given refer only to printed pages. Thus a bifolium of four pages with p.1 blank is described as pp.2-4. Page numbers within square brackets do not appear in print on the pages concerned. Where page numbers are printed but are misleading, as in the case of, say a bifolium bearing page numbers 26-29 (i.e. with a recto bearing an even number) the situation is clarified by an additional set of nominal page numbers within square brackets. Additional leaves (separate title-pages, catalogues etc.) are separated from the music itself by a plus sign. Where such leaves are not reckoned in the printed pagination they are given Roman numerals. Songs printed on single leaves are designated “S. sh.” with the addition of “lp.” if printed on one side only, or 2pp. if printed on both.

All items are printed from engraved plates unless described as typeset. Most songs are scored for voice and keyboard, but those with more than this range of instrumentation are noted and specific instruments are listed where they are named. Songs with accompaniments for more than two unspecified instruments are designated simply “score.” The additional accompaniments (“accompt.”) or arrangements (“arr.”) sometimes given at the end are listed in full.

There are no access restrictions.

Finding Aid

No further accruals are expected

Ther first accrual is also published in Library Research News 13, no. 1 (Spring 1989).