From the BBC wire, 12 August 2011. Richard Westcott reports:
Staff at Birmingham’s Central Library have discovered a priceless collection of more than 500 silent movie music scores. They made the find during a clearout before a move to a new building and unearthed more than just a bit of old junk.
Here’s the video:
More informative is this longer article from the Birmingham Post. It notes that…
• The treasure trove included Marche Groteque (1916),”a unique theme from a Charlie Chaplin film.”
• “There’s a lot of European material here that didn’t make it to the States, because they had so much material they didn’t need to buy from European stuff.”
• “Experts say the discovery disproves the myth that film-goers were routinely subjected to a single pianist to accompany the likes of Chaplin and Buster Keaton and shows musical directors used a wide range of themes to cover action, comedy and tragedy.”
