An IASH Work-in-Progress seminar, delivered by Dr Gillian Dooley (Nominated Fellow, 2026)
Editing the Jane Austen Music Books and investigating and cataloguing the ‘Rice’ Austen family music manuscript volumes
My two main Austen music-related projects are being conducted in conjunction with the Blackie House Library and Museum and with Laura Klein, pianist and musicologist from UCB, Colorado.
With the support of Bill Zachs from BHLM, Laura and I are compiling and editing a series of Jane Austen Music Books. These books are designed for performers with an interest in the historical background of the music. They will each include a selection of about 25 pieces of music, with associated notes, facsimiles and illustrations. We are currently working on the initial two volumes: a song book and a piano book.
Alongside this project is another long-term undertaking: an itemized catalogue of all the separate items copied into the Rice family manuscript music volumes, numbering some 250 pieces of music. The Rice volumes, which belonged to the family of Austen’s brother Edward and his wife Elizabeth, and which include MSS in Austen’s own handwriting, are held at BHLM.
I am arriving in Edinburgh on 20 July and will give an up to date report on my latest findings as well as an overview of the background to and context for these projects, and ongoing plans to work on other historic music collections. Laura Klein and I are presenting a related recital of music from the collections at the Scottish Arts Club on 28 July - https://scottishartsclub.com/club-calendar/?event=4502
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/375932249754123?p=8M2GMHVEwxN26N0gJ9
Meeting ID: 375 932 249 754 123
Passcode: hT74rb6v