National Sound Archive

Title: National Sound Archive

Description: The National Sound Archive’s collections cover the entire range of recorded sound from music, drama and literature, to oral history and wildlife sounds. They range from cylinders made in the late 19th century to the latest CD, DVD and minidisc recordings. Copies are kept of commercial recordings issued in the UK, together with selected commercial recordings from overseas, radio broadcasts and many privately-made recordings. The catalogue at http://cadensa.bl.uk includes entries for almost 2.5 million recordings and is updated daily.

The NSA offers public access to a wide range of specialist publications, books, magazines and journals and a free information service. The Listening and Viewing Service provides public access to the NSA's collection of recorded sound and video. A range of charged services, including a transcription service which can provide copies from the collections, are also available to academic institutions, commercial users and private individuals.

There are seven main subject areas within the NSA, headed by curators who are able to offer specialist advice and assistance:

• Classical Music
• Drama and Literature
• International Music Collection
• Jazz
• Oral History
• Popular Music
• Wildlife Sound

The NSA's mission is to document recorded sound from all over the world so its collections will contain recordings of music, oral history and wildlife sound relating to the Caribbean. Equally material relating to the history of Black and Asian peoples in Britain is dispersed throughout the main collections. It is difficult to quantify the precise extent of holdings pertinent to these subject areas. Researchers are advised to consult the online catalogue for specific information, or contact the NSA staff for specialist curatorial assistance.

Strengths: The Archive collects, preserves and makes available to the researching public music from all over the world, in all styles.

Size: Over 1200 items on the Caribbean. The quantity of material on the history of Black and Asian peoples in Britain is difficult to assess. Please consult the CADENSA online catalogue for details.

Catalogue: CADENSA online catalogue

Catalogue URL: http://cadensa.bl.uk

Main URL: http://www.bl.uk/collections/sound-archive/nsaabout.html

Access: For information about access to the collections at the NSA please visit the web site http://www.bl.uk/services/reading.html.

Acquisition dates: Recordings span from the 1890s to the present.

Note:

Interest: Asian, Black, Caribbean

Complete: Complete

Subjects

Religious music

Traditional music

Jazz

Oral history

Musical styles

Popular music

Classical music

Personal/Corporate names

Places