"Henry Beck's Flute Book" (1786)

[I.D.10-t]

Anyone know if there is a version of this book that can be downloaded? I have two tunes from this book and would like to see if there is a scan of it. Thinking of going through and making ABC files of the rest of it if it hasn't already been done.

Worse comes to worse, I'll see if I can get an inter-library loan of the hard copy.

[chas]

I've done ILL for a couple of music collections. The first was the John and William Neal collection, which only exists as a facsimile edition, I think from Trinity College Dublin. The other was the complete Playford tunes, an edition suggested by another Chiffster, that's been out of print for some time. For the latter, I actually had to track it down for our local library, as they weren't able to find it themselves. I believe I found it at University of Minnesota, right in your backyard, ID. I know ILL takes a lot of resources, but sometimes it's the only way.

If you do track it down and make some scans/abc's, I'd definitely be interested.

[I.D.10-t]

I believe I found it at University of Minnesota...

Strange, I couldn't find it in the universities search function (MNCAT Plus), I'll have to walk down to Andersen Library* during lunch today. Thanks for the heads up.

If I actually can get this project going, I'll try to put it some place public like the way The beggar's Opra has been posted on Gutenberg.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25063/25 ... 5063-h.htm

I have never done anything like this before, so I might be biting off more than I can chew at 158 pages. At a page a day...

*of the libraries on campus it is the most likely candidate.

[chas]

I believe I found it at University of Minnesota...

Strange, I couldn't find it in the universities search function (MNCAT Plus), I'll have to walk down to Andersen Library* during lunch today. Thanks for the heads up.

I could be mis-remembering (could be the Neal book came from there, or I've made up the entire thing). I should remember that I'm old and senile before posting things like that.

[Denny]

that's the problem, innit....if we could remember

[I.D.10-t]

Update, found it, kinda

Henry Beck Flute Book

Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Rare book collection under the number M63.B4 Case / MUSIC 3141
They have a surrogate microfilm copy viewable at the Performing Arts Reading Room

Or a copy can be ordered from
http://www.loc.gov/preserv/pds/

Processing and finding $14.00
158 pages $0.50 = 79.00
Shipping $17

Total $110

I cannot figure out the Microfilm/Microfiche pricing (don't know how the number of exposures works)
Same with the Microfilm or Microfiche Scan to CD-ROM (most likely the best option).

A bit out of my price range for now, but I'm putting the information here for reference.

Looks like I have a few more E-mails ahead of me.

I think that US copyright law makes it so that simple duplication does not create a new copyright claim to the Library of Congress, so hopefully If I do get a copy I can do what ever I want with it, if/when I get a copy. I really don't understand why they haven't digitized their collection.

[AnthonyBeers]

I suppose it is time an money. When I was living in Africa I had a book I really needed in the US and my fiancee, now wife, spent several hours, scanning it for me. It would make sense to make digital every thing that is requested to be copied.

[MikeS]

I only found it at three university libraries in the U.S.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/25967475&r ... ef_results

None are close to you and none of them will do inter-library loan on microfilm. Perhaps we have a C&F'er in Austin, Rochester, or Greeley who could help out. I've obtained some 19th century brass band music from the Library of Congress. They are not especially cheap, but they are reliable and, frequently, the only game in town.

[Latticino]

I'm in Rochester, NY (assuming you didn't mean Rochester, MN) and am will to help if possible. My wife is a professor at a local university, so she has good access to the university library system around here. Couldn't get the worldcat link to work properly, so don't know if the book is on microfilm, microfitch..., or which university library it is in (we have several), but I am willing to try to help if I can. Best option would be if I could get a print out that I could run thru our scanner at work to create a PDF file. Don't know how expensive that might be though, but can check into it if others are willing to contribute.

Folks on this board have been very generous with their advice for me, so I'd be willing to put in some time if this is a project that is of real interest. I've got way more music to work on than I have time for at this point, so I have no real interest in the music for myself, but am willing to pitch in.

[MikeS]

The link shows that the book is available in microfilm format at the Eastman School of Music Library. As the previous post mentioned it's 158 pages so this is not what I would call a small favor. Of course the eternal gratitude of our small and sometimes fractious community would be, as the commercial says, priceless.

[Kevin L. Rietmann]

If I actually can get this project going, I'll try to put it some place public like the way The beggar's Opra has been posted on Gutenberg.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25063/25 ... 5063-h.htm

Good God, had no idea. Must tell the pipers about that.

I see you can buy a reprint for about $24, too: The Beggar's Opera to Which Is Added ... - Google Books

I have never done anything like this before, so I might be biting off more than I can chew at 158 pages. At a page a day...

I've scanned whole books like the Da Capo reprint of Riley's Flute Melodies. Takes a whole evening or two. That was >158 pgs. A chore but you can listen to some fine music to ease the tedium.

Fellow at this mandocafe thread says he will treat us to a scanned copy of Kohlers' Violin Repository, which seems to be down to a mere handful of extant copies; even antiquities sellers don't seem to have it. That's more of a violin tome, as the title would suggest.

[Latticino]

OK, well I have a bit more information regarding getting a copy via the Eastman School Library, AKA the Sibley Music Library. The book is available to the general public as a microfilm (as noted before), but any copies will have to be made as individually viewed, then printed pages (at about 10 cents each, not to mention the time expended) then bulk scanned to a PDF. Again, if no one else comes up with an easier way to get this book out to the masses I'm willing to attempt the exercise, if this is something that would have some degree of value to our group here.

Wouldn't mind if someone offered up a trade for some of the time, effort and expense though. Currently on my wish list in the ITM world are: Cary Parks Walkabout Whistle, hard flute case suitable for 6-key GLP style flute, Beginner's Anglo 20 Button Concertina guide, and, more than anything,....better skills playing simple system flute and whistle (though I'd settle for a personal lesson or two...)

Please send a PM if getting a copy of this document is of interest, and I'll try to find a way to make it happen.

[I.D.10-t]

http://www.colonialdancing.org/Easmes/TOC/St016917.htm

For those interested, here is a partial list of the songs in the book, I was unable to find a complete list. I recognize some of them, while other tunes seem to be relatively difficult to find.

[Latticino]

Well, a partial update on the Beck book. As they say, I've got good news and bad news...

I've been to the music library and was rather overwhelmed. Any of you period music folks want to make a pilgramage, they have 4 floors of large format books with scores of almost any type of music from recorded history. Shoved back in a corner are two small filing cabinets with their microfilm collection. It took the reference librarian three trips around the building with me to find that, if that gives you any idea how often that resource is used. They have several microfilm and microfich readers there, with layers of dust covering them.

Finally had the film in hand, and with the help of another librarian located the microfilm reader that is hooked up to a scanner. Of course no one knew how to use it, but I was able to find a guide on the machine. Unfortunately in a recent reorganization they had switched around the computers attached to their machines and loaded an older, incompadible, software on the computer attached to the unit. We tried to download the update, which is free online, but no one there had administrative privilages to load software on the computer.

On the positive side I was able to look at the book. It appears to be a handwritten flute tutor with a good list of tunes in "dot" format. Kind of hard to read the script, so I can't confirm the table of contents, but the tunes appear to be there. I feel confident that I will be able to get something off the film once the library gets their system working again. I'll have to try again next week. Is going to be a bit labor intensive as each frame has to be manually set in place then scanned, but I guess there is enough interest, so I'll take a stab at it. The film had never been used, and is likely 30-40 years old, so probably a good idea to digitize this before it degrades too far. I noticed that some of the pags were showing a ghost image of the following page, so I think the film layers are starting to degenerate a bit, but I'll get what I can from it. Will make it into a PDF file once done. Hopefully not too much image processing will be required to remove the ghost images.

I may restrict my copies to the tunes themselves, unless someone has a burning need to get a primer on playing quarter notes, eight notes and the like (or quavers and semiquavers...). Will have to see how smooth things go when I can start scanning pages. WIsh me luck.

[I.D.10-t]

I may restrict my copies to the tunes themselves, unless someone has a burning need to get a primer on playing quarter notes, eight notes and the like (or quavers and semiquavers...). Will have to see how smooth things go when I can start scanning pages. Wish me luck.

My original hope was to transcribe the entire book, index and all, into a text format and then again converting the ABC sections over into sheet music. After that I hoped in finding a way of putting the book online.