Opening up Britain’s musical memory

Opening up Britain’s musical memory. Jul 2010, PR 153/10 The official launch of the Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music (CHARM) online sound files took place yesterday (7 July) at King's College London's Strand Campus. The highlight of the event, hosted by Professor Daniel Leech-Wilkinson of the Music Department, was a guided tour of the online files by the much-loved BBC Radio 3 presenter, Rob Cowan. In his introduction Professor Leech-Wilkinson emphasised the value of the collection for a wide range of users. He commented: 'There are some amazing performances here, and so it's not just researchers and students who are going to benefit: as well as being invaluable to them it's a resource in which all lovers of classical music will to find plenty of things to enjoy.' - With the CHARM / Musicians of Britain and Ireland (MBI) sound files King's has reopened Britain's musical memory, making almost 5,000 historic recordings available online for free. Dating from 1902-54, they include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle talking reluctantly about Sherlock Holmes before warming to his favourite topic, spiritualism; sound effects of trench warfare; and the first-ever recordings of hundreds of well-known pieces of classical music. British musicians - 'The project pays special attention to British musicians who have been all but forgotten.