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Category: Music

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Bringing the “Banner” to Light

Posted by: Erin Allen

The story of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” for many decades, seemed as murky as the smoky haze over Fort McHenry on the morning two centuries ago when Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics that still inspire a nation. No one knew for sure who wrote the music. No one fully understood the circumstances of the tune’s creation (but, no, it wasn’t a …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

See It Now: Happy Bloomsday

Posted by: Erin Allen

Several years ago I took a whirlwind tour of Ireland, which included a few days in Dublin. One of my most memorable experiences was taking a literary pub crawl through the city. Throughout the evening, the actor tour guides led us in the footsteps of James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde, among others. While …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

InRetrospect: May 2014 Blogging Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

Inside Adams: Science, Technology and Business Oh, Oology! Caliology and oology are the study of bird nests and eggs, respectively. In the Muse: Performing Arts Blog Best Buddies, or Just Goethe Friends? Tchaikovsky and Brahms share a birthday, among other things. In Custodia Legis: Law Librarians of Congress I Could Not Accept Your Challenge to …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Library Welcomes New Blog, NLS Music Notes

Posted by: Erin Allen

The Library adds another blog into its blogosphere today. Welcome NLS Music Notes. The blog is designed to share information about the services of the Music Section of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and its special format music collection: in braille, large print and audio. The blog will highlight the …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Pics of the Week: Behind the Music

Posted by: Erin Allen

Last week, the Library hosted the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation for its annual “We Write the Songs” concert, featuring the songwriters performing and telling the stories behind their own music. Carly Simon, Randy Newman and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart joined others in performing some of their most popular tunes. “We used …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Library in the News: April 2014 Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

The Library made several major announcements in April, including new additions to the National Recording Registry. The addition of the 25 new recordings to the National Recording Registry brings the list to a total of 400 sound recordings. Among the new selections were Jeff Buckley’s haunting single “Hallelujah” from his one and only studio album; …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

First Drafts: “The Way We Were”

Posted by: Erin Allen

The following is an article featured in the May – June 2014 issue of the Library of Congress Magazine, LCM, now available for download here. You can also view the archives of the Library’s former publication from 1993 to 2011. “Daydreams light the corners of my mind.” These might have been the lyrics sung by Barbara Barbra …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

National Recording Registry: Open to Your Nominations

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest post by Steve Leggett, program coordinator for the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress.) In the weeks since announcing the annual 25 additions to the National Recording Registry the Library has been asked a few questions about rap and hip-hop and its representation on the list. These …