EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY COLLECTION OF HISTORIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

PROGRESS REPORT 1992

In the year, the Collection has purchased a rare early 17th-century 9-course lute by Matheus Buchenberg of Rome. The body is constructed of 41 strips of yew, the neck and pegbox are ebony veneered with ivory stringing. The purchase was made with assistance from the National Fund for Acquisitions (administered with Government funds by the National Museums of Scotland), the National Art Collections Fund, and a trust which wishes to remain anonymous.

In the year, the Collection has also been given a small guitar (Guiot, London, 1838) by Anne Macaulay, a clarinet in C (Bilton, London, c 1840) by Pamela Weston, and a number of percussion items by James Blades. Several further items have been lent to the Collection, including brass and percussion instruments from the National Museums of Scotland.

The cataloguing programme has advanced considerably: the first three fascicles of descriptive text have been published. These cover transverse flutes, horns & bugles, and lutes, citterns & guitars respectively. In addition to the printed editions, they have also been published on computer diskette and via electronic mail.

Two further technical drawings, of the guitars by Lacôte (2521) and Fabricatore (770) have been published. They were prepared for the Collection by Darryl Martin, and bring the total number of workshop drawings on sale to 27.

A programme of re-labelling all items on display in the Collection's galleries has been commenced.

The Honorary Curator represented the University at the CIMCIM (The ICOM Committee on Musical Instrument Museums) meeting in Québec. He was elected Vice-president of CIMCIM at the meeting and also chairs the Publications Working Group.

The Collection has been used for teaching purposes by University Staff, in particular for courses in the Faculty of Music on the History of Instruments, Ethnomusicology and Musical Acoustics. Several parties have made organised visits, and various scholars and instrument makers have visited to study particular instruments.

Arnold Myers, 31st December 1992

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