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Archive: 2017 (6 Posts)

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

The Music Division Wishes You a Happy New Year!

Posted by: Pat Padua

The following is a guest post by retired cataloger Sharon McKinley Looking for an appropriate New Year’s greeting, I found this song featuring a distinguished-looking gentleman with great facial hair on the cover. The title seems pretty tame, but the subtitle, Dedicated to my customers… is pure click-bait- -19th century style. Pleasant and easy to sing, it’s …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Sheet Music Spotlight: Augustin Cortada

Posted by: Pat Padua

The following is a guest post by retired cataloger Sharon McKinley The Library of Congress is home to millions of pieces of sheet music, in large part copyright deposits. Self-selecting as copyright deposits are, much of this music is rather pedestrian in quality, and what catches the researcher’s attention is some other aspect of the …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Sheet Music Spotlight: Beat The Heat Edition

Posted by: Pat Padua

The following is a guest post by retired cataloger Sharon McKinley. It’s midsummer here in sweltering Washington, DC, and overheated hearts turn to the music of love. It won’t cool anything down, but going for a nice swim ought to do the trick. “They Had to Swim Back to the Shore,” by Joe McCarthy and …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Sheet Music Spotlight: Beautiful Snow: A Cautionary Tale

Posted by: Pat Padua

The following is by retired cataloger Sharon McKinley. On a day when there’s lots of snow to go around, if not in the Washington, D.C. area, let’s examine the wintry precipitation in song. You may be surprised to learn how lyricists of the late 19th century responded to forecasts. While the modern researcher may eagerly …