Just a quick post today – I realised that I do actually possess all three of the Scottish song books that have been awarded to Leng Gold medallists over the years. They make a pleasing display!
Mozart Allan’s Morven was awarded for many years. First published in 1890, it lived on for an incredibly long time, and is still valued by those who own it. I have spoken with winners a little younger than myself, who still have their copy of this book. (I have a hunch that Mozart Allan’s sister Euphemia may have had a hand in this publication. (See my recent RMA Research Chronicle article for more on this!*)
The next book prize was a Paterson book, J. Michael Diack’s Scottish Orpheus Collection, which actually goes back to 1922. (There had in fact been an earlier edition, resulting in Diack’s book being called the New Scottish Orpheus in some imprints.)
And lastly came Royal Scottish Academy of Music graduate Wilma Paterson and artist/author Alasdair Gray’s collaboration, their lavish Songs of Scotland (Mainstream Publishing, 1996), which is certainly amongst the most artistically pleasing modern collections that I’ve seen. Early winners of this one got a signed copy.
New Page about the Leng Medal Memories project
I’ve just made a new ‘Leng Medal Memories‘ page for this website – do take a look.
Karen McAulay, Musicologist 