National Music Camp

Like excited schoolchildren on an excursion, all six Words About Music participants and two of our tutors crossed Lake Burley Griffin in our complimentary Tarago. “Look! It’s a burst water main in the pond,” said Anne-Marie Mousley when she saw the lake’s famous water fountain. Finally, our destination, the National Library of Australia, with its Parthenonian appearance, came into sight.

Upon arrival – after having spent our precious savings in the bookshop – Robyn Holmes, the Curator of Music at the library, greeted us. We hurriedly sampled the Ballets Russes exhibition, including Benoit’s original stage designs for Petrushka and Ballets Russes costumes, costume designs and many other relics. Robyn guided us through the labyrinth of resources, including over 14 kilometres of music! Amongst the collection of every published piece of writing in Australia, there were the original scores of Waltzing Matilda, Corrobboree (note the original spelling) and Voss; a score of the Firebird Suite that Stravinsky himself had signed; William Boyce’s edition of a William Byrd mass and a copy of the first edition of Musica Fever and some items of the extensive Australian Youth Orchestra’s archives.

After having feasted on the many wonders of both the National Library of Australia and also the National Film and Sound Archive (which we visited last week), we all leave Canberra buzzing with excitement for the potential of musical research in Australia.
 
© Ronald Gaynor

The 2010 Words About Music team with Robyn Holmes, Curator of Music NLA