Read and weep...
Ed Margerum
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: G Chew
To: musicology-...@jiscmail.ac.uk
Sent: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:04:09 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: [MUSICOLOGY-ALL] Fw: Closure of Victoria and Albert musical
instrument collection
Forwarded from the Seventeenth-Century Music list: from Dr Benjamin A.
Narvey
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Dear Colleagues,
I recently received the sad and very extraordinary news that one of the
world's major collections of historic musical instruments, that of the
Victoria & Albert Museum (London) is to permanently close on 22
February 2010. It seems inconceivable that the V&A, one of the world's
most celebrated and foremost museums, has taken this decision, one that
will consign the collection to various other museums and effectively
split it up, perhaps forever.
I had a meeting with a contact at the museum last week, and it seems
the directorate does not wish to invest in the collection which is
sorely in need, and has decided instead to turn the space into a pop
fashion display. While it is thought that this may bring in greater
numbers to the V&A, the decision is a real loss to the international
music community.
In my discussions, it seemed the best way forward was to get in touch
with my colleague Guy Dammann who, amongst many other things, is
involved in media and could thereby give very public voice to the
discontent felt about the V&A directorate's decision. His article has
been published in tonight's Evening Standard, and can be accessed
below:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23795043-music-is-the-lo
ser-in-this-v-and-a-gallery-shake-up.do
It seems that the decision to close the collection is sadly
irreversible, but perhaps this article (and others like it) may plant
the seed in the mind of the new museum directorate (expected by 2012).
Fingers crossed.
Best wishes,
Benjamin
--
Dr Benjamin A. Narvey
Institute of Musical Research
School of Advanced Study
University of London
t +33 (0) 1 44 27 03 44
p/m +33 (0) 6 71 79 98 98 --
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