|
|
News Release2000-20 The National Library’s Digital Library Program Announces New Additions to Its Digital CollectionsOttawa, November 10, 2000 -- In commemoration of November 11, Remembrance Day, the Digital Library of Canada Program announces the following additions to the National Library of Canada’s digital collections: Songs from the First World War Period Over 250 digitally restored audio recordings of the period have been added to the Virtual Gramophone collection. In addition, there are over 700 new song references, a series of articles and images explaining the period and the music, and biographical sketches of the major Canadian musical personalities of the time. Of particular note is the extensive coverage of Canada’s premier entertainment troupe of that era, the Dumbells. URL: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/gramophone/index-e.html Sheet Music from Canada’s Past: First World War Era Nearly 400 pieces of music have been chosen from the historical collection of the National Library of Canada and will be available for downloading. This collection includes patriotic and parlour songs, piano pieces, sacred music and novelty numbers from the period. Many of the cover illustrations are of particular interest. URL: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/sheetmusic/ From Colony to Country: A Reader’s Guide to Canadian Military History The published literature on Canada’s military history is extensive and much of it is held in the collections of the National Library of Canada. To improve awareness of and access to this material, the Library has prepared a bibliographical pathfinder for the general reader with an interest in learning more about Canada’s military heritage. Where appropriate, material of interest to genealogists and family historians has also been included. The pathfinder is a work-in-progress and sections for other military events will be added in the future. URL: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/military/ About the Digital Library of Canada Program The Digital Library of Canada Program is an initiative of the National Library of Canada to produce a rich national multimedia resource, accessible to all Canadians, that documents Canadian heritage and culture. The Digital Library of Canada Program is organizing the digitization of materials from the rich and diverse collections of the National Library of Canada, developing strategic partnerships with other national content providers to provide wide-ranging and sustainable access to Canadian cultural resources, and is providing outreach for educators in the use of these digital resources. - 30 - Contact: Susan Haigh Media Relations Coordinator: Pierre Ostiguy Songs from the First World War The latest phase of development for the Virtual Gramophone Web site has seen the addition of songs from the period of the First World War. The Great War saw an outpouring of patriotic songs and sentimental ballads urging support for soldiers, sailors and airmen, combined with heart-felt concern for the families waiting on the home front. This era also marked the beginning of great changes in popular music, with the rise of vaudeville, the songwriting of Tin Pan Alley, the start of the dance-band craze, and the rise of jazz. Canadian singers and songwriters were leaders of this musical generation. Visitors to the Virtual Gramophone Web site can consult 724 new records in the database, 268 new digitally restored audio recordings, and a series of articles and images explaining the period and the music, as well as biographical sketches of the major Canadian musical personalities. Of particular note is the extensive coverage in the Virtual Gramophone of Canada’s premier entertainment troupe of that era, the Dumbells. Music of the First World War Era includes:
Sheet Music from Canada’s Past: First World War Era Sheet Music from Canada’s Past: First World War Era features Canadian sheet music from the First World War era, 1914 to 1920. Nearly 400 pieces of music have been chosen from the collection of the National Library of Canada and will be made available for downloading. The National Library’s sheet music collection is wide ranging and includes many thousands of patriotic and parlour songs, piano pieces, sacred music and novelty numbers, dating back to 1840. Many of the cover illustrations are of particular interest. Researchers and music enthusiasts from Canada and abroad turn to this collection in their search for representative musical works from Canada’s past. Where copyright clearance has been obtained, the full sheet music will be available for printing and use. Future phases in the digitization of the Sheet Music Collection will include sheet music published before 1914. From Colony to Country: Noted Canadian historian Desmond Morton commented in the Introduction to his A Military History of Canada that Canadians have been described as an unmilitary people. Yet, an examination of any history of Canada describes the participation of Canadians in military events ranging from rebellions within their borders to involvement in two world wars and numerous peacekeeping missions in all parts of the world. These events have clearly shaped the way Canadians view themselves and the way others view us. The published literature on Canada’s military history is extensive and much of it is held in the collections of the National Library of Canada. To improve awareness of and access to this material, the Library has prepared this bibliographical resource for the general reader with an interest in learning more about Canada’s military heritage. Where appropriate, material of interest to genealogists and family historians has also been included. The site is a work-in-progress and sections for other military events will be added in the future. To undertake this work, the Library has engaged the services of Owen Cooke, former chief historical archivist for the Directorate of History, Department of National Defence and author of The Canadian Military Experience 1867-1995: A Bibliography, and Glenn Wright, a historian, archivist and genealogist, who has worked for the National Archives of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is the author of a number of books and articles on Canadian history, military history and genealogy. Sandra Bell, a reference librarian with the National Library, has prepared the section on the South African War. |