Dear Ron, The Nottingham University Music Department Library has some modern editions and facsimiles of lute music, although the way they catalogue books means that their books of lute music are not all in the same place. There is even quite a bit of lute music in the Nottingham Central Library in Angel Row. Both those libraries are no more than 20 miles from where you live. If you pop into the Manuscripts Department at Nottingham University, you can see the original Willoughby Lute Book, and the original part-books (in the Portland Collection) containing Dowland's (non-lute) psalm settings.
There is some confusion in what people have in mind with the words "primary source". A primary source for me is the one-and-only original manuscript, e.g. the Welde Lute Book owned by Lord Forester at Willey Park, Shropshire, which I looked at last Friday. A secondary source might be a modern edition, microfilm, photograph, or facsimile edition. My point is that where primary sources become damaged, and things like notes are lost from them, modern copies temporarily take over as the primary sources, since they are the only places where those missing notes are preserved. I wouldn't normally think of a facsimile as a primary source, apart from the unusual circumstances I have described. Best wishes, Stewart McCoy. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Fletcher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, September 01, 2003 9:38 PM Subject: RE: Archiving (olim Welde Lute Book) > Hi Daniel, et al > > Point taken regarding digital media going out of date. I was not > suggesting relying on lute-tablature saved this way. Merely to print ones > own legible paper copy to perform from, with as much of the ornamentation > as can be gleaned from the original, even if it happens to be only an old > photo-copy. > > I entirely agree that printed editions should remain as a primary source, > if that is what you have. These should be kept as pristine as possible and > used for reference only. These will then retain their value for the > lute-players of the future. So, if one has the facility to make a personal > performing copy, (which may last only a few years). The life of ones > published lute-books has therefore been greatly extended. > > In a few more years, technology will have replaced today's tab-setting > programs. Hopefully, the books and microfilms will still be around to > enable other performing-copies to be made with whatever media is available > in the future. > > I am sorry to hear that CD's are already becoming obsolete to the equipment > now being made for them. It seems the simplicity of vinyl/bakelite has won > the day. > > PS. Many thanks David. Your comment is exactly what I was trying to say. > > BTW. Were I a student, I would love to encourage my local university to > stock some good Minkoff, SPES etc. edtions. Unfortunately, Loughborough > University teaches only Sport and Engineering, and I am way past being a > student! > > Living right in the middle of the UK, I must be at least 100 miles from a > University featuring (early) music in their curriculum. Notably Leeds, > London, Oxford and Cambridge. If there are other universities in the UK > with samples of early music in their libraries. These should be checked > for published lute-tablature editions and their addresses listed for the > benefit of all lute-players in the UK. Then we would know how far and in > which direction to look for a particular source. > > In the UK 100 miles is a long way > In the US 100 years is a long time! > > Best Wishes > > Ron (UK)
