Unlocking Our Sound Heritage hubs digitise 10,000 recordings

BBC Radio Leicester broadcasts fronted by archaeologist Alan McWhirr, a ground-breaking oral history archive of the lives of ordinary Mancunians, historical recordings relating to the countries of the British Empire and Commonwealth; these are just a few of the rich audio collections being digitally preserved through Unlocking Our Sound Heritage’s…




Recording of the week: sheep gathering in Wales

This week’s selection comes from Cheryl Tipp, Curator of Wildlife & Environmental Sounds. Most of the library’s wildlife recordings focus on the sounds of wild animals, whether that be singing birds in the Australian outback, echolocating dolphins in the Caribbean Sea or stridulating insects in the English countryside. It’s not…




Recording of the week: sheep gathering in Wales

This week’s selection comes from Cheryl Tipp, Curator of Wildlife & Environmental Sounds. Most of the library’s wildlife recordings focus on the sounds of wild animals, whether that be singing birds in the Australian outback, echolocating dolphins in the Caribbean Sea or stridulating insects in the English countryside. It’s not…




Recording of the week: Kagura – dancing for the Gods

This week’s selection comes from Giulia Baldorilli, Reference Specialist. The origin of dance in Japan can be traced back to the age of the gods and the Japanese kagura can be considered a prototype of all Japanese rituals. Kagura combines dance with music and theatrical elements; it is both a…




A tribute to Stephen Cleobury by Jessica Duchen

Jessica Duchen pays tribute to Sir Stephen Cleobury who she interviewed for National Life Stories at the British Library.