In this guide you will find in-depth information about the Library collections which will support you in your studies or research of Music as well as links to freely available web-sites which are recommended by your Subject Librarian.
Use the links on the left of the page to find information by category and on the right for related information.
If you would like more information, either on the collections or information within this guide please contact the Subject Librarian for Music
SOAS students and staff may attend Library training sessions or arrange an individual training session with the Subject Librarian. For more details, contact your Subject Librarian or see Training & Events page.
Image from SOAS Digital Collections, Four Male Dancers, https://digital.soas.ac.uk/LOAA005547/00001?search=four+=male+=dancers (accessed March 2023)
Books and journals on Asian, African and Middle Eastern music in Western and Asian vernacular languages.
Sound recordings: Asian, African and Middle Eastern music on CDs, vinyl discs, cassettes tapes and electronic databases.
Video recordings: Asian, African and Middle Eastern performing arts and documentary on video cassettes and DVDs.
Location
Books on study of music in general, books covering more than one region of Asia, Africa or Middle East, and books on countries outside Asia, Africa and Middle East can be found on Level E between stacks 41 and 42. (classmark: A780-789). Large books are located separately on Level E Stack 58 (classmark: L A780-L A789)
Music in Asia, Africa and the Middle East can be found throughout the Library in each country or regional collection.
For a full listing of classmarks and their location, please consult:
Notable collections
Gramophone records, cassette tapes and slides (available for consultation upon request)
Gramophone records of Japanese songs and theatrical music produced between the late 1940s and the early 1950s
Slides: a set of transparencies of Chinese and Indian musical instruments
Special Collections
Special collections are held in the Archives & Special Collections.
Relevant collections include:
Bake collection: comprises field-notes and other documentation of South Asian music and folklore produced by Dr. Arnold Adrian Bake (1899-1963).
Rosencweig collection: comprises 175 items of books, scores, vinyl discs and cassettes covering all aspect of Jewish music, collected by Harry Rosencweig.
Tucker Collection: comprises of documents on Tribal Music and Dancing in the Southern Sudan, collected by Professor A.N. Tucker (1904-1980) from Ethnomusicology Committee of the Royal Anthropological Institute.
To consult above, please contact: Tel: 020-7898-4180
