ISSN 1443-0568 | no. 68 | April 2004
Oral History and
Folklore Collection
Song Treasures in the National Library of Australia
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John
Meredith (19202001) |
John
Meredith (19202001) |
John
Meredith (19202001) |
Jane Brownlee describes the experiences she and David De Santi have had to date as the inaugural National Library of Australia / National Folk Festival Fellowship winners. The project’s aims were to search for musical treasures in the Library’s archives and to perform and record a selection of them at the 2004 National Folk Festival
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| Loui
Seselja (b.1948) [Portrait of Jane Brownlee] Pictures Collection, NL39313 |
What a surprise! You suspect there must be all kinds of gems there, but it is not until you’re in the refrigerated tape rooms of the Oral History section of the National Library that you believe it’s possible to find that undiscovered treasure. Of the 33 000 hours of tape, only a fraction has ever been examined. And even though a percentage of the collection has not been digitally preserved, there is enough tape to keep you busy for several lifetimes over.
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Norm
O'Connor Collecting 1956 |
Our expedition through the lost treasures saw every day filled with joy at finding so many tunes and songs unknown to our generation. The Library’s own brochure, Building a Nation’s Memory, gives you some idea of the importance of this type of work. After a busy initial fortnight in the Library, David and I came home with 18 CDs filled with tunes, songs and poems. We created the CDs by selecting individual tracks from hundreds of tapes—possibly thousands. How wonderful it was to find not only undiscovered tunes and songs, but also undiscovered collections.
The collections date from around 1951 to the present and are the work of a few amazing individuals who, through their foresight, recognised the importance of our own culture for future generations.
Each of the collectors worked in significantly different ways, with varying degrees of cataloguing and background information. The collections of John Meredith and Rob Willis are staggering—in their breadth and the thoughtful way in which they are catalogued. It is genuinely bewildering to realise there is still a mountain of untouched tape in the John Meredith Collection. There must be several more Folk Songs of Australia, including the long-awaited third book, ready for someone to complete. It was quite moving to hear John’s voice on his tapes, perhaps laughing at some silly ditty, or someone’s bootleg name for a common tune. What a mighty man he was, with a legacy that will stand the test of time.
I spent long hours looking at the collections of Chris Sullivan and Norm O’Connor and at the Wattle Collection. These three have enormous cultural potential, as they are relatively untouched. How wonderful it was to look at the catalogue of Chris’ collection of over 600 tapes, all with wonderfully personalised recordings. Chris’ decision to record people several times gives a comprehensive insight into the memory of sometimes aging minds. It was on return visits, where another tune would be remembered—or another verse—that you realised the importance of Chris’ approach.
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| Loui
Seselja (b.1948) [Portrait of David De Santi] Pictures Collection, NL39313 |
The Wattle Collection, which will be familiar to many via the Wattle record company (which previously released traditional material in the 1960s), is also wonderful. Founded by Peter Hamilton, there are over 70 tapes in the collection, which has been edited so that each tape contains just the very best. David and I knew much of it, but every so often you would find a song that had just been lying in wait. Having Edgar Waters on hand in the Library was quite inspirational. Here was a man who is most humble and generous, who has been at the forefront of musical traditions in Australia for over 50 years. His knowledge of all of the collections, but in particular the Wattle, was constructive and stirring. The questions he raised in my mind about different parts of this fine collection will have an effect on me for many years to come.
Of all the collections in the Library, I found the Norman and Pat O’Connor Collection to be the most astonishing. For me, it seems to be almost a lost collection, as few people I have spoken to know much about it, or what it contains. After days trolling through the many tapes, I found numerous tunes and songs that were recorded when my parents were young. The O’Connors were at the forefront of the Victorian folk scene and I do believe that, out of the work they and their contemporaries started, came many of the festivals in Victoria, including Port Phillip Bay Folk Festival. Since returning home I have had an opportunity to speak with Pat O’Connor on the phone. To hear her delight that someone should be so interested in their collection, inspired a second dose of admiration for these people. Stay tuned for a future article about the O’Connors after I meet with them next month.
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| Loui
Seselja (b.1948) [Jane Brownlee and David De Santi on the Front Steps of the National Library] Pictures Collection, NL39313 |
David De Santi spent a great deal of time looking at the collection of Alan Scott—a marvellous cache of tapes that drove home to both of us the altruistic nature of these collectors. Dave found loads of great stuff including some that had been recorded in our local area. How lovely it was to hear Alan’s gentle nature with the people he was recording and the respectful way he put their memory to tape.
After a week or so, I really got stuck into Rob Willis’ collection. Rob, who was an apprentice to the legendary John Meredith, has had some extraordinary people work with him along the way—and none better than his wife Olly. The Ollycat—Olly’s cataloging system—not only lists what is on the tapes, but also includes an enormous amount of background information on the interviewees. The Willis Collection shows Rob’s understanding of the next part of the dissemination process, revealing the way he collects and records history.
So, I have given you a glimpse of what you might find. I sometimes feel as though I’ve only just begun. It takes some time to comprehend the extent of what is there, before you feel you can use it in a meaningful manner. The thorough and dedicated staff members of the Oral History section, in some ways, have an unenviable job. Imagine arriving to work each day and knowing that you alone are responsible for managing a country’s folk music memory! One can only admire the work they do. I must apologise for my daily bouts of laughter that interrupted their work. To hear bar room brawls in the middle of a song, or two hours of bleating sheep in the background of a recording, or indeed some of the more risqué lyrics, does a comical thing to the mind.
Our thanks to the many collectors for the often-unacknowledged work they have done and continue to do. You have inspired me with your generosity of spirit and time. I hope David and I do each of you proud with our concerts at the National Festival this year, and with our future publications and recordings.
To future collectors, some advice: make sure the pet dog is not on hand when the fiddle comes out; try to turn chiming clocks off; if possible try to record away from the milking yard; take some fly spray and keep it handy to the microphone (there is nothing worse than trying to squat a fly for an hour all the while knowing it is registering on the tape); if possible don’t record next to a train line; try to record drinkers when they are sober; be careful when recording in pubs and, if brawls break out, avoid leaving the microphone where glasses are going to be shattered. Above all, spend some time getting to know what is there before you plan your research project.
Of course, the most important advice by far is to keep doing it. You might find a whole new perspective when you see our culture through someone else’s eyes.
Contact jane@janebrownlee.com
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