Papers of Harold C. George

This small collection comprises 5 notebooks, entitled Country Music, containing songs collected by Harold George and broadcast by the BBC during the 1950s in the programmes of that name. There is also a file of music manuscript sheets, most, though not all, being duplicates of the songs contained in the notebooks. Name and brief biographical details of each person from whom the songs were collected have been recorded.

Harold C. George was born in Belfast on 31 Jan 1890. He was brought up in St Albans and educated at the London Guildhall School of Music. From 1923 - 1955 he was music teacher at Banff Academy, Aberdeenshire, and until his death in 1980 was organist and choirmaster of St Mary's Parish Church, Banff. Throughout his working life and during his retirement, he was actively involved with a number of local choral and operatic societies. In his retirement he continued to teach privately, with many of his pupils, including opera singer, William Elvin, gaining national and international success with their music.

After the Second World War George began collecting local songs and music of the Northeast of Scotland, and in the 1950s a number of his singers as well as their songs, appeared in the BBC programme, Country Music, produced by Elizabeth Adair. He was assisted in this work by his wife Lydia, an art teacher at Banff Academy.

None observed - listing in process.

Open, subject to signature accepting conditions of use at reader registration sheet

Gifted to the University in Aug 1988, by Harold George's widow, Lydia George. The records were deposited via Dr Ian Olson, editor of the Aberdeen University Review.

Very brief collection level description available on Aberdeen University Library Catalogue, accessible online http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/library/

No copies known

Subject to the condition of the original, copies may be supplied for private research use only on receipt of a signed undertaking to comply with current copyright legislation.

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Head of Special Libraries and Archives (e-mail: speclib@abdn.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. Where possible, assistance will be given in identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

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