GB 1249 Shaw & MS 6068-6069 - SHAW, (Harold) Watkins (1911-1996)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 1249 Shaw & MS 6068-6069

Title

SHAW, (Harold) Watkins (1911-1996)

Date(s)

  • 1950s-1991 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

9 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Harold Watkins Shaw, born Bradford, 3 April 1911; read history at Wadham College, Oxford, 1929-1932; studied at the Royal College of Music, 1932-1933; awarded the Oxford University Osgood Memorial prize for his dissertation on John Blow, 1936; taught in London; appointed music organizer to Hertfordshire County Council, 1946; appointed Honorary Librarian of St Michael's College, Tenbury, 1948; appointed lecturer at Worcester College of Education, 1949 (retained until retirement); published books on the teaching of music in schools at primary and secondary levels, 1950s; edited his edition of Messiah, 1957-1965; Keeper of the Parry Room library, Royal College of Music, 1971-1980; awarded DLitt in the faculty of music by Oxford University; awarded OBE, 1985; died, Worcester, 8 Oct 1996. Publications (a selection): Music in the Primary School (London, 1952); The Three Choirs Festival c1713-1953 (Worcester and London, 1954); Music in the Secondary School (London, 1961); The Story of Handel's 'Messiah', 1741-1784 (London, 1963); A Textual and Historical Companion to Handel's 'Messiah' (London, 1965); A Study of the Bing-Gostling Part Books in the Library of York Minster together with a Systematic Catalogue (Croydon, 1986) ;The Succession of Organists of the Chapel Royal and the Cathedrals of England and Wales from c.1538 (Oxford, 1991).

Archival history

GB 1249 Shaw & MS 6068-6069 1950s-1991 Collection (fonds) 9 boxes Shaw , Harold Watkins , 1911-1996 , music teacher and musicologist
Harold Watkins Shaw, born Bradford, 3 April 1911; read history at Wadham College, Oxford, 1929-1932; studied at the Royal College of Music, 1932-1933; awarded the Oxford University Osgood Memorial prize for his dissertation on John Blow, 1936; taught in London; appointed music organizer to Hertfordshire County Council, 1946; appointed Honorary Librarian of St Michael's College, Tenbury, 1948; appointed lecturer at Worcester College of Education, 1949 (retained until retirement); published books on the teaching of music in schools at primary and secondary levels, 1950s; edited his edition of Messiah, 1957-1965; Keeper of the Parry Room library, Royal College of Music, 1971-1980; awarded DLitt in the faculty of music by Oxford University; awarded OBE, 1985; died, Worcester, 8 Oct 1996. Publications (a selection): Music in the Primary School (London, 1952); The Three Choirs Festival c1713-1953 (Worcester and London, 1954); Music in the Secondary School (London, 1961); The Story of Handel's 'Messiah', 1741-1784 (London, 1963); A Textual and Historical Companion to Handel's 'Messiah' (London, 1965); A Study of the Bing-Gostling Part Books in the Library of York Minster together with a Systematic Catalogue (Croydon, 1986) ;The Succession of Organists of the Chapel Royal and the Cathedrals of England and Wales from c.1538 (Oxford, 1991).

MS 6068-6069 were donated by Dr Watkins Shaw, 1991; the remaining papers were purchased at auction by the library of the Royal College of Music in 1999.

Papers of Harold Watkins Shaw, 1950s-1991, including manuscript notes, notebooks, typescripts and associated research material relating to Shaw's articles, particularly in regard to the music and life of George Frideric Handel and Handel's Messiah; offprints of Shaw's articles from various journals; printed orchestral parts of Shaw's edition of Handel's Messiah (1965) with minor manuscript corrections; Shaw's manuscript edition of Handel's Theodora (1984); research papers for a series of articles by Shaw on John Blow, with offprints; manuscript editions by Shaw of works by John Blow, including Awake, awake my lyre!, the orchestral Te Deum and Jubilate in D, Ode on St Cecilia's Day 1691, Evening service, other odes and Latin pieces; research papers for his The Succession of Organists of the Chapel Royal and the Cathedrals of England and Wales from c.1538 (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1991), mostly comprising autobiographical details (name, birthdates and appointments as organist) of organists then living, together with a few biographical memoirs compiled by relatives of organists recently deceased; correspondence with the deans, provosts and chapter clerks of Anglican cathedrals of modern foundation (formerly parish churches) in connection with lists of their organists; files of correspondence and research papers on organists of ancient cathedrals, and related correspondence with Oxford University Press, librarians and cathedral and college authorities for permission to publish.

The material is roughly arranged as follows: writings of Shaw; Succession of organists; Handel material; Blow material. Biographical material relating to the Succession of organists (MS 6068) is arranged alphabetically according to surname of organist. Correspondence with authorities of newly founded cathedrals is held in a separate file (MS 6069) and arranged alphabetically by location of cathedral.

Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.

Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.
English.

Not known

RCM also holds papers of Herbert Howells, containing correspondence from Shaw.

Compiled by Robert Baxter as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Source: article on Shaw by David Scott, Grove Dictionary of Music. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. May 2001 Artists Blow , John , 1648-1708 , composer Church of England England Europe Handel , George Frederick , 1685-1759 , musical composer Music Musical styles Musicians Musicology Performers Religious institutions Religious music Shaw , Harold Watkins , 1911-1996 , music teacher and musicologist UK Wales Western Europe Performing arts London

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

MS 6068-6069 were donated by Dr Watkins Shaw, 1991; the remaining papers were purchased at auction by the library of the Royal College of Music in 1999.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Harold Watkins Shaw, 1950s-1991, including manuscript notes, notebooks, typescripts and associated research material relating to Shaw's articles, particularly in regard to the music and life of George Frideric Handel and Handel's Messiah; offprints of Shaw's articles from various journals; printed orchestral parts of Shaw's edition of Handel's Messiah (1965) with minor manuscript corrections; Shaw's manuscript edition of Handel's Theodora (1984); research papers for a series of articles by Shaw on John Blow, with offprints; manuscript editions by Shaw of works by John Blow, including Awake, awake my lyre!, the orchestral Te Deum and Jubilate in D, Ode on St Cecilia's Day 1691, Evening service, other odes and Latin pieces; research papers for his The Succession of Organists of the Chapel Royal and the Cathedrals of England and Wales from c.1538 (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1991), mostly comprising autobiographical details (name, birthdates and appointments as organist) of organists then living, together with a few biographical memoirs compiled by relatives of organists recently deceased; correspondence with the deans, provosts and chapter clerks of Anglican cathedrals of modern foundation (formerly parish churches) in connection with lists of their organists; files of correspondence and research papers on organists of ancient cathedrals, and related correspondence with Oxford University Press, librarians and cathedral and college authorities for permission to publish.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The material is roughly arranged as follows: writings of Shaw; Succession of organists; Handel material; Blow material. Biographical material relating to the Succession of organists (MS 6068) is arranged alphabetically according to surname of organist. Correspondence with authorities of newly founded cathedrals is held in a separate file (MS 6069) and arranged alphabetically by location of cathedral.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

RCM also holds papers of Herbert Howells, containing correspondence from Shaw.

Finding aids

Not known

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Royal College of Music

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area