Gigantic Music Library of the B.B.C.

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 27, 18 January 1929, Unnumbered Page

Gigantic Music Library of the B.B.C.

N an interesting series of articles in the "Radio Times" some interesting "behind the scenes" glimpses are being given of the ramifications of the modern ‘broadcasting studio. Perhaps one of the most illuminating ways of focussing the minds of listeners on the tremendous problem of providing a constantly varying programme, is the description of the huge storehouse of music now provided by the B.B.C. for the needs of its stations. The same need has been felt in New Zealand, and very early in its career the Radio Broadcasting Company instituted a music library, which has now attained no inconsiderable dimensions.

AS series of promenade concerts and operas broadcast by the B.B.C., not to speak of the recent controversy on jazz in these columns, and the large proportion of the programmes covered daily by all kinds of music, combine to offer overwhelming evidence of the importance of the musical side of the activities of Savoy Hill. And the foundation on which the success of the activities is based is the music library. This library, with a small staff of nine, and a fascinatingly mysterious suite of small rooms, is not the largest of its kind in the world-as yet. Though that will undoubtedly come if the development of radio continues at anything approaching its present rate. When you hear that it began on the top iloor of Marconi House in the first days of the British Broadcasting Company in December, 1922. with a stock of from 150-200 cechestral items, and that in six years this section has grown so that its main library of stock pieces, which are not repeated in any form, vow consists of 8,500 items, you get a vague idea of its increase both in size and importance. And when you hear, further, that its head is directly responsible in particular fpr supplying

music required for London and 5GB programmes from the London studio, and that the average night’s programme contains anything from 200-400 separate "parts," you begin to get an idea of the magnitude and complexity of his task. The music library, by the way, contains no dance music. That much-debated branch is the responsibility of the B.B.C. Dance Band alone. By far the greatest stock in the library-as much as 75 per cent.-is orchestral music, © But in addition to the main library there are, as it were, several sub-libraries. First there is a duplicate library of some four thousand orchestral items, and a triplicate library of perhaps a thousand. For the music library at Savoy Hill is the source of supply for musie at all. stations. A greet part of its job consists, in this supply service. in checking the issue and return of items so supplied. and in repairing the naturally considerable wear and tear which result from the journeyings of its music all over the Kingdom. And in this connection perhaps it is interesting to renlise that many musica] works cannot be hought and Kept in stock. owing to copyright reasons, and have to be hired from the copyright owners. Operas and operatic arias are notable examples in this category. . Then in addition to the main, the duplieate, and triplicate libraries, there are

other important collections of music. Along the walls of the department there are kept at least a thousand numbers for the use of the ever-popular military band; about fifteen hundred anthems, gilees, part-songs and so forth; and no fewer than fifteen thousand copies of vocal scores, oratorios, song-cycles, operettas, and musical comedies. Finally, in considering the contents of the library in bulk, it must be remembered that every full score or conductor’s part in the main library is repeated for the use of the Balance and Control Department at Savoy Hill, and for all reference purposes. After such a ponderous collection of statistics and routine activities you might be excused for imagining the musical library to be a place of dust and hard-faced men. Itis neither. It has an atmosphere of distinct gaiety, and, if its head is to be believed, it even bas its funny side. To this it is indebted principally to the enthusiastie small boys who appear in a state of panting excitement with urgent demands for certain music in a hurry, which results in their zeal outrunning their pronunciation. A demand for the "Christmas Oratio" was fairly easily realised to refer less to Hamiet than to an oratorio, whereAS aA good deal of explanation was needed to "clear the afr’ when. after being told that trumpet parts were "tacet." the messenger sald he’d take two of ’em! Bnt it took a cross-word puzzle enthusiast some time to find "Cathedral psalters" as the proper rendering of "Cathedral plasters"!