I’m writing an article (publication destination yet to be confirmed) – this was one of my planned outputs from my oral history interviews gathering Dundonian Leng Medal memories. And in due course, I want to write my book chapter, but I’ll get on with the article first! One thing at a time.
Tuesday 10th November, Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library
But my most pressing concern is organising a get-together for any of my interviewees who are free to meet up in person and share a few songs together – not to mention reminiscing about their participation in the Leng Medal competitions. This Leng Medal for Scots Song is literally woven into the fabric of Dundee, and where better place to hold it than the Wighton Centre in Dundee’s Central Library? Of course there will be singing!
Time to be Announced
It’ll be on Tuesday 10th November. I won’t post the time of the event here – hopefully there will be an EventBrite booking facility and I’ll post the link when it’s available.
A Bit of Context!
IASH, University of Edinburgh
Last year, I had a research fellowship at IASH, the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities, at the University of Edinburgh. I was researching the educational music publications of Edinburgh publisher Thomas Nelson, and in particular, the four wee Nelson Scots Song Books.
Research & Engagement, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS)
I plan to write a book about my findings – focusing on the importance of networking between all the people involved – and one chapter is going to be dedicated to the Nelson Scots Song Books. These books were compiled by two local music advisors, one of whom was Dundee’s James Easson, and he encouraged local schools to use the song books for their participation in the Leng Medal Scots Song competitions. This competition has been so wildly successful and popular, that I decided to conduct oral history interviews with people who participated. Another chapter of my proposed book will therefore be dedicated to their Leng Medal memories. It’s not that common for a quartet of tiny song books to have had such a significant role in local music-making. This research has been sponsored by an Athenaeum Award from my employer, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements are therefore due both to IASH at the University of Edinburgh, and to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Research and Engagement department. A big thank you also goes to the participants in my research study, and to the Local History department of Dundee Central Library.
