The musical archival collections at the Cathedral Archives of Malta : its upkeep and publicity

Abstract

This study deals with the upkeep of the musical collection and its publicity. The collection contains five thousand musical manuscripts and close to two hundred printed works which are all housed at the Cathedral Archive. 'While dealing with the matter of upkeep, I have concentrated my attention on the preservation of the collection along the years, the finding aids and their current condition, the compact shelving, the control of temperature and the relative humidity, the effect of natural light and ultraviolet rays on the exhibited manuscripts, cleanliness, prevention against fire, and consultation facilities for researchers. In this latter context, I have made reference to microfilming utilised in the past years on musical manuscripts and the condition prevailing today. To a considerable extent, my essay deals with publicity and with the works interpreted since 1980 when the Cathedral's music began to see the light of day. For the first time, concerts were organised in Malta and overseas, and recordings of those concerts were effectively marketed. Studies carried out by university students and foreign directors helped to a great degree to extend the musical archive's lifetime. A large number of exhibitions, lectures and other types of projects, and the naming of streets after composers, also contributed towards public awareness of the archive. In time, the collection assumed larger proportions through the addition of private musical scores which included those pertaining to the Nani and Vella families, as well as the repertoire by Carmelo Pace. My research was based on the several studies carried out during the past thirty years, and also on the primary material mentioned in the minutes of the Chapter in so far as the upkeep and the preservation of the musical archive are concerned. Other assistance has been forthcoming from musical directors, musicians, and researchers who have interpreted music archived at the Cathedral.