RESEARCH - The Sophia Morrison and Josephine Kermode Folk Song Collection
01 Jun 2016
THE SOPHIA MORRISON
AND JOSEPHINE KERMODE
FOLK SONG COLLECTION
The Sophia Morrison–Josephine Kermode Folk Song Collection—as seen in Summer 2015—consists in large part of manuscript material found in the personal papers of Sophia Morrison, ms 5433 b and ms 09495, and Josephine Kermode, ms 08979, held by the MNHL. Their names are coupled together here not just because material in both of their hands are present in each others papers but from a conviction that the pair regularly collected together. Some of the songs are present in both fair and clear copies; others are copied from her correspondence. On a number of occasions, songs were gathered together and copies made and circulated to others.
Morrison also acquired, or was passed on, material by others, and so there are a number of other hands in the collection. Material also appeared in print and Morrison was a pioneer in the use of the phonograph. She also commissioned a copy to be made of the Dr John Clague Collection.
There is now an initial listing of the collection with the stress on initial. Work is underway on indexing and transcription with the intention to present a fully-edited edition in 2017, the centenary of her death. Research on the Sophia Morrison–Josephine Kermode Folk Song Collection in Summer 2015 was supported by a grant from Culture Vannin which I wish to acknowledge with thanks. For on-going help with the Collection I wish to personally thank Robard y Carsalagh.
Stephen Miller, Vienna 2016
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