Includes personal and business related correspondence. The majority of correspondence pertains to music in some way with many references to Derek Bell’s performances, concerts, musical appointments, recordings, radio and television appearances, tours, awards as well as his work with The Chieftains. Some letters are personal in nature, for example those from his parents, sister, Deirdre Bell, and wife, Stefanie Bell and various nieces and nephews. The letters are organised by date, undated letter are placed at the end of each file.
Includes concert programmes, ephemera and posters relating to performances by Derek Bell on various instruments including the classical and Irish harp, piano, oboe, cor anglais and cimbalom in a number of countries including Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany, United States of America and Canada. Programmes and posters include ‘Gramophone record recitals, Belfast Public Libraries Music Library, An East-West miscellany, presented by Mr Derek F. Bell’ (12 Jan 1965); ‘Recital of music from many periods and countries by Derek Bell accompanied at the piano by Peggy Johnston and Yvonne Ruttle’ (2 Dec 1972); ‘The Mozart Society Presents Derek Fleetwood Bell’ Musgrove Plantation, Saint Simons Island, Georgia, United States of America (6 Apr 1975); ‘Brunswick Junior College presents Derek Fleetwood Bell, harp and oboe [with] Alice Applegate Smith, piano’ (13 Jan 1978); ‘60 years, BBC Northern Ireland anniversary concert, The Ulster Orchestra’ (17 Oct 1984); ‘Derek Bell in concert, Harbour Festival [Belfast] 1991’ (23 Sep 1991); ‘Music from Bulgaria: a concert of music & songs from the School of Beinsa Douno (1864-1944), St James’ Church, Piccadilly, London [England]’ (15 Nov 1994); ‘University College Dublin International Summer School, July 1998, 50th anniversary celebration concert, harp and piano recital by Derek Bell’ (13 July 1998).
Letters, typescripts, programmes, reviews and newspaper clippings relating to the following compositions by Derek Bell Variations on the IDB theme ‘Come on Northern Ireland’, Symphony No. 2 The violet flame - Comte de Saint Germain , Divertissement for a Kerryman and Three pictures from Ancient Ireland in druid times .
Commercial and non-commercial CDs. Includes recordings of The Chieftains albums and concerts; solo recordings of Derek Bell; recordings of his compositions including The violet flame symphony and ‘Come on, Northern Ireland’; recordings of radio interviews with Derek Bell; recordings of radio programmes about Derek Bell; and a small number of other musicians’ CDs including Raga Omar Khannam, Secret Garden and Béla Fleck.
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).
Framed gold disc, presented to The Chieftains by the Canadian Recording Industry, engraved as follows: ‘To commemorate the sale of over 50,000 units of the RCA Victor recording The long black veil ’.
Framed gold disc, presented to The Chieftains by the Canadian Recording Industry, engraved as follows: ‘To commemorate the sale of over 50,000 units of the RCA Victor recording Bells of Dublin ’.
Framed gold disc, presented to The Chieftains by the Canadian Recording Industry, engraved as follows: ‘To commemorate the sale of over 50,000 units of the Wicklow Entertainment/BMG Classics recording Fire in the kitchen ’. (Nov 1998)
