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Posted by: Heather Darnell
The following is a guest post by Music Division Reference Librarian Dr. Stacey Jocoy. If you know the tunes to ”Greensleeves,” ”Lillibullero,” or just about any traditional British tune, you should thank John Playford (1623-1687). Known today primarily for the Playford Dances—originally published as ”The English Dancing Master” in 1650/1, Playford was the most important …
Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted by: Claudia Morales
This December Chief Adjuah takes the stage at the Coolidge Auditorium (Friday, December 1 at 8 p.m.). Known for his dynamic and genre-defying music, Chief Adjuah will perform his latest studio-recorded album, “Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting.” Chief Adjuah’s upcoming performance marks the first of two scheduled artists this season, both contributing to a …
Posted in: Concerts and Events, Instrumentalists, Jazz, Musical Instruments, Musicians
Posted by: Heather Darnell
It’s that time of the year when many Americans gather with their families to cut the turkey, gobble up pumpkin pie, and feel grateful for one another. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, let’s look at heartwarming photos our favorite artistic families from the Music Division’s Digital Collections: Sylvia Fine and Danny Kaye Sylvia Fine …
Posted in: Composers, Digital Collections, Holidays, Instrumentalists, Jewish American History, Latin American History, LGBTQ+, Musical Theater, Special Collections, Vocalists, Women in Music
Posted by: Melissa Wertheimer
Are you an undergraduate, graduate, or recently graduated higher education student? If you’re also a U.S. citizen, check out the two unique 2024 Junior Fellows projects our staff have put together for this summer! Fellowships are paid full-time positions for 10 weeks. I’m excited to lead the in-person project Mind the Gap: Taking Stock of …
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
This autumn, many of Washington, D.C.’s arts and culture venues are collaborating to present the Shakespeare Everywhere Festival. The Library of Congress is pleased to participate in this gathering of theatrical productions, concerts, lectures, and educational events on offer through December 31, 2023. Bibliophiles and music lovers can experience two special events as part of …
Posted in: Commissions, Composers, Concerts and Events, Conductors, Curators, Musicians, Outreach, Special Collections, Theater
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
Learn more about the Music Division’s connection to the cult icon Vampira, as created by Maila Nurmi. The following is a guest post written by Morgan Davis, Music Reference Specialist, Music Division. About a year ago, documentarian R.H. Greene contacted the Music Division’s reference team in search of a photo from the Lester Horton Dance …
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
We have several serious baseball fans here in the Music Division. At least several members of our team root for the current hometown Washington Nationals (“N-A-T-S, Nats, Nats, Nats, woo!”), the neighboring Baltimore Orioles (“Let’s Go, O’s!”), and the handful of New England transplants are ardent Boston Red Sox fans. With all this baseball energy …
Posted in: Baseball, Composers, Curators, Digital Collections, Research Guides, Sheet Music
Posted by: David Plylar
*** SPECIAL START TIME OF 7 p.m. FOR THIS YEAR’S FOUNDER’S DAY CONCERT!!!*** Each year on Founder’s Day (October 30th) we celebrate the legacy of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, the visionary patron whose gifts of the Coolidge Auditorium and an endowment to support a concert series in that space have helped make Concerts from the Library …
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Concerts and Events, Musicians, New Music, Special Collections, Vocalists
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres, Stacey Jocoy, and Susan Clermont of the Music Division contributed to this blog. Senior Music Reference Specialist Susan Clermont recently published an authoritative annotated bibliography and accompanying research guide focused on the Music Division’s 306 anthologies of music dating from 1463 – 1701. These anthologies comprise over 12,000 individual works by over …
Posted in: Composers, Curators, Digital Collections, Research Guides, Sheet Music