Letters, typescripts, newspaper clippings, draft programme notes and ephemera relating to various solo recordings, compositions, commissions and publications produced by Derek Bell over his lifetime. The majority of the material dates from the late 1980s and the 1990s. Material relating to The Chieftains’ recordings can be found in the subseries The Chieftains (DBE-239678/4/2).
Original letters, fax and draft programme. Includes letters from Margaret McKee, Producer, World Service, BBC, London, England to Derek Bell. Bell has been asked to ‘compose the harp accompaniment’ to a series of stories and legends which she has sent to him on cassettes. The series is called ‘ The Celts ’, one of the stories is that of ‘Donn Bo - the head that even when it is severed from the body continues to live, to smile and even to make music!’ (1 Nov 1984); a faxed commissioning contract from Anne Dhu Shapiro, Boston College Music Department (the commissioner) to Derek Bell (the composer). The contract outlines the financial arrangements, the deadline for completion of commission and the ownership of the composition. ‘Apart from the commissioner’s right to give the first performance of the commissioned work, all other rights in the composition remain the property of the composer’ (22 Nov 1991); also includes a draft programme for the performance by Derek Bell and the Boston College Chamber Orchestra of the commissioned work Three pictures from Ancient Ireland in druid times (1991).
This series contains photographs taken throughout Bell’s career in music. The images are of Bell performing solo, with orchestras, with other performers as well as with The Chieftains. There are a small number of photographs of other musicians and singers. Also included in this series are a number of drawings given to Bell by children and fans.
Black & white and colour photographs of Derek Bell. Includes professional photographs taken for publicity purposes. Many photographs feature Bell with musical instruments including the pedal and Irish harp, oboe and dulcimer; also includes photographs of Bell receiving his MBE from Queen Elizabeth II (19 June 2000).
This collection was created by Derek Bell during his lifetime. The majority of the papers and audio visual collection date from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. There are some papers relating to Bell's early music education in London's Royal College of Music and Trinity College Dublin but the vast majority of materials date from his professional music career. The papers cover Bell's time with the City of Belfast Orchestra and the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra. His international career as a solo musician, recording artist, composer and his long career with the Irish music group The Chieftains are very well documented in this collection. Derek Bell's interest in Irish music, ethnic music from Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and South America and classical harp music are also evident in the collection. His interest in the relationship between music, mysticism and meditation is reflected both in his papers and his audio visual collection. The first series contains personal papers which include: music papers relating to education, teaching and musical instruments; financial documents; religious papers relating to the guru Gideon Fontalba and the spiritual organisation the Self Realization Fellowship; papers relating to family history; and papers gathered by his widow Stefanie Bell after his death in 2002. Correspondence with family, friends, music publishers, music librarians, musicians and business related correspondence can be found in the second series of this collection. The third series contains papers collected by Bell during his time as a working musician both as a solo and orchestral artist and with The Chieftains. Included in this series are invitations from individuals and organisations to Bell to perform as well as rehearsal schedules, performance related ephemera, reviews, articles, promotional material, tour schedules and awards and certificates. The final two series in this collection contain photographs of Bell and The Chieftains and audio visual material. This material includes Bell's solo recordings as well as The Chieftains many albums. Also included in the audio collection are ethnic music recordings from around the world.
Includes non-commercial reel-to-reel recordings of Derek Bell and folk music. Including ‘Seán Ó Riada and Carolan music’ (n.d.); ‘A programme of Romanian folk music’ Romanian RadioTelevision (n.d.); ‘Music for a while Derek Bell listening copy’ (n.d.); ‘The fairies’ lament and dance by Derek Bell’ (24 April 1975); and commercial harp recordings made by Ken Freeman of Harpcraft for Derek Bell (n.d.).
