SAM: The Collection

The British Music Collection

The University of Huddersfield and Sound and Music are delighted to announce a new, permanent home for the 20th and 21st century scores, recordings and administrative records of the former British Music Information Centre (BMIC) Collection.

Now called the British Music Collection, this unique resource is publicly accessible and located in a bespoke search room within the Music Library of the University of Huddersfield. 

The British Music Collection is a remarkable resource consisting of over 30,000 scores and recordings from contemporary British composers. The majority of the collection dates from 1960 onwards, but it also encompasses material stretching back to 1900.

It contains both published and unpublished works, including many pieces that are out of print or hard to obtain. High-profile composers, such as Britten, Tippett, Birtwistle, Maxwell Davies, Cardew, Harvey, Weir, MacMillan, Turnage and Adès, are featured alongside currently emerging or less well-known composers whose work deserves rediscovery. The collection will be of value to performers, conductors, promoters, scholars and researchers.

The University of Huddersfield and Sound and Music will work in partnership to develop the British Music Collection. We are currently reviewing the services required to ensure that it continues to be a relevant resource in the future as well as developing a new acquisitions policy. Further developments will be communicated on this website in the coming months.

Access

The collection is available for consultation within the Music Library at the University of Huddersfield and can be accessed by making a weekday appointment. The collection is made available for reference only and cannot be loaned or removed from the library. Access is open to the general public, as well as university staff and students.

If you would like to arrange a visit, please contact Huddersfield Music Library by emailing: info@britishmusiccollection.org.uk. Or by filling in the contact form on the British Music Collection website. Please indicate the nature of your request so that we can best help you.

We do not offer a score reproduction service. If you would like to obtain scores or parts of recordings, you will need to contact the publisher directly. Publisher details can be found by consulting the catalogue. Where works are unpublished, you will need to contact the composer.

Deposits

We are currently finalising our new acquisitions policy and look forward to accepting new deposits later this year.

Contact us

To enquire about the contents of the collection and/or to make an appointment, please email info@britishmusiccollection.org.uk