In this episode, we’re tuning in to the music making of early colonial New Zealand.

We meet music librarian and curator Marilyn Portman to look at a collection of early music albums which were brought amongst personal possessions to Aotearoa, to become the soundtrack of life in the colony.

To bring the soundtrack to life, we meet up with musician Polly Sussex who demonstrates music making on a square piano by playing from the Auckland Libraries musical manuscript collection.

See a list of references for this episode below or get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] and we’ll make sure you can find the collection items of your interest.

This podcast is part of a wider series of short films Ngako: The Collections Talk, available to view via aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/Ngako

This episode was written and produced by Sue Berman, was recorded and produced by Benjamin Brooking and edited and engineered by Juliana Machado.

This has been Ngako: The Collections Podcast - Musical Manuscripts

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REFERENCES

MANUSCRIPTS:

Arthur Guyon Purchas. Williams Family albums of music. Book 1. 1852. MusMS-058-1.

https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/manuscripts/id/13983#.YZQg-QJ0H64.link

Williams family. Williams Family albums of music. Book 4. 1850s. MusMS-058-4.

https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/manuscripts/id/14189#.YZQhBzXo3cU.link

Arthur Guyon Purchas. Williams Family albums of music. Book 2. 1871. MusMS-058-2.

https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/manuscripts/id/14054#.YZQhBH3bZDE.link

Williams family. Williams Family albums of music. Book 3. 1850s. MusMS-058-3.

https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/manuscripts/id/14079#.YZQi0u2J-fw.link

PRINTED MUSIC:

Henry R Bishop. I love thee Duetto, sung by Mrs. Bishop and Mr Braham, at the late Theatre Royal Drury Lane, in the opera of the Circassian bride. London: Goulding, D’Almaine, Potter & Co., 1810.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=44105b58-4f27-4915-905b-584f27c91597&entityType=FormatGroup

BOOKS:

Kirstine Moffat. Piano forte: stories and soundscapes from colonial New Zealand. Dunedin: Otago University Press, 2011.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=a2071fc3-60ff-5d93-81f5-502a7a46752c&entityType=FormatGroup

Tessa Dudder. Sarah Mathew: explorer, journalist, and Auckland’s ‘First Lady.’ Auckland: David Ling Publishing Limited, 2015.

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=5c7a3794-eab3-5941-803f-cf1800ecb72e&entityType=FormatGroup

RECORDING

Polly Sussex. My devoted piano. 7 Nov 2019.

https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/my-devoted-piano-november-7-2019?si=067ea631a6b94afc812032ca9dbe3a1d&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

BLOG:

Polly Sussex. Recreational music in 1840s Auckland. 17 Nov 2021.

https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2021/11/recreational-music-in-1840s-auckland.html

Image credit: Williams Family albums of music. Book 1. 1852. MusMS-058-1. Pg 68

https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/manuscripts/id/13970