What's in the Library?

WHAT’S IN THE LIBRARY?

With over 4000 composers represented, the library is vast containing:

  • Printed sets of overtures, suites, rhapsodies, show selections, marches, waltzes, novelty pieces, theatre and film incidental music, signature tunes and single items in every kind of category. These are largely from music printed for sale in vast quantities from the late 1800s to the early 1960s to cater for the large number of municipal, seaside, spa and theatre orchestras still flourishing until well after WW2, and for the many light orchestras and ensembles featured on radio and television from the earliest days of broadcasting. This forms the core of the music sent out to LMS member ensembles.
  • British dance band music from the early 1920s through to the 1950s.
  • Thousands of individual printed song copies, dating from mid Victorian through to the present day.
  • Novelty and “light” piano compositions, some as single pieces, some in albums.
  • Theatre music including vocal scores and orchestral material for shows such as The Chocolate Soldier, The Cinema Star, Oh! Oh! Delphine and The Desert Song.
  • Many standard classical works

 

The regular part of the library used by LMS Members is probably around 5000 pieces. The orchestral music most likely to be required by orchestras includes the works of the “core” of light orchestral composers such as Eric Coates, Ernest Tomlinson, Leroy Anderson, Robert Farnon, Haydn Wood, Edward German, Albert Ketèlbey, Roger Quilter, Trevor Duncan, Peter Hope and others.

The library holds collections from Frank Cantell (conductor of the BBC West of England Light Orchestra), the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, Fritz Spiegl (flautist and writer), Monia Liter (pianist and broadcaster in the 1940s), Walter Collins (composer and conductor), John Fox (composer and arranger), Max Jaffa (violinist), the V&A, a number of personal collections as well as of local and county libraries.

For more information, fill in the form below and one of our team will get back to you. Alternatively, view the catalogues HERE.

Please check back soon as the catalogue is updated regularly.

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