PALMER, Roy PARTRIDGE, Angela [BOURKE] PATHIER, Marcelle (Corrèze singer) PHILIPPE, [Gérard?] PHILPOTTS, James Surtees (Jim) PHONOTÈQUE NATIONALE ( Roger Decollogne, Director) PIERCE, Peggy L. POLLARD, Paul (Mary) see also ANTIQUARIES POOLE, Adrian (re ‘Shule Aroon’) PORTER, Elizabeth PORTER, Gerald PORTER, James (also Tim Rice) POSTIC, Franch PROSSER, Fionnuala (née Scullion)
Selections of Nellie Walsh's 'Ireland's own' column, either clipped from or photocopies of the magazine, pasted onto thick card that look like they could have been part of a scrapbook. Several are full pages of songs with Walsh's comments, but some are clipped individual songs.
Request from various organisation to Derek Bell to perform or rehearse. Includes a request from the general secretary of CEMA, Tyrone House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast to Bell to play piano at a concert by the Lydian Singers in Neillsbrook Hall, Randalstown, [Co Antrim] ‘the work to be performed is Elijah and the conductor will be Douglas Armstrong’ (30 Apr 1958); information and script for the pre-recording of a radio programme for the Northern Ireland Home Service called ‘Music from Ulster’ with ‘Derek Bell (oboe and cor anglais), Norman Henry (baritone), Henrietta Byrne (soprano) and May Turtle and Havelock Nelson (pianos)’ (19 Jun 1958); rehearsal times and duty sheets for various orchestras including ‘City of Belfast Orchestra’ (9 Apr 1964) and ‘BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra’ (17 Oct 1967); letter from Marcella De Cray, Treasurer & 1979 Conference Director, American Harp Society, San Francisco, California, United States of America, inviting Bell to be a guest artist at the 16th Annual Conference of the American Harp Society’ (15 Jan 1979); copy of a letter from Liam Ó Conchubhair to Maureen Gallagher, Producer, BBC, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast referring to a ‘recital at Garron Tower’ (13 Jun 1992) includes a setlist of tunes and songs to be performed; an invitation from Christine Burns, Cork to Derek Bell to attend the ‘First Annual Cork Dulcimer Festival’ (Apr 2002).
Original and photocopied newspaper clippings with reviews of Derek Bell’s performances, the majority dating from 1970 to 1986 from various publications including the Belfast telegraph, Ballymena observer, The Times [London, England], News letter [Belfast], Brunswick news [Georgia, United States of America], Irish times [Dublin] and the Orcadian, [Orkney, Scotland]. The majority of the reviews are from the Belfast telegraph and are written by ‘Rathcol’.
Original handwritten and photocopied set lists containing tune and song titles, the key of the piece, the approximate time the piece will take to play, the number of ‘verses’ to be performed and some contain song words. In most cases it is not clear which performance the set list relates to. Includes the set list for the film score Tristan and Isolde [1980].
Handwritten and typed letters and cards from various relatives and friends to Derek Bell and a series of letters from Derek Bell to Mary ?, Evansville, Indiana, United States of America. Letters from Bell’s mother, father and sister are personal in nature and mostly date from when he was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America. One of these letters is addressed to him ‘c/o American Wind Symphony Orchestra’ (3 July 1963). There are three letters from his parents written while visiting his sister in Cuzco, Peru. His father, William Bell, describes hearing Peruvian harps ‘the harps out here are a dead loss. Big ones about 8 ft. high, carried in hand occasionally, or crude little ones tinkled by blind Indians’ (13 Oct 1968); letters from Derek Bell to Mary ? are conversational in tone with many references to Bell’s work with The Chieftains including the release of a number of CDs including Tears of stone , Mystic harp II and Christmas in Rome . There are also references to his solo work and masterclasses. Includes descriptions of a recording session with soprano Monserrat Caballé in Barcelona (30 May 1998); The Chieftains recording ‘two pieces for the new Babe II film’ (20 Sep 1998); an amusing description of his ‘lunch with President Clinton in the House of Representatives’ (31 Mar 2000) and Bell’s attendance at the 100th birthday party of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s harpist, Sidonie Goossens (12 Oct 1999); letters dating from June 2000 congratulate Bell on being awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. Another letter references the death of Bell’s harp teacher Artiss [de Volt] (16 Sept 2000). Undated letters from Bell’s nephew William ? have many musical references especially to Bell’s career with The Chieftains; includes an undated letter from snooker player Alex Higgins. Undated correspondence has been placed at the back of the file.
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).
Black & white and colour photographs of Derek Bell with other musicians and singers. Professional as well as amateur photographs. Includes photographs of Bell performing in orchestras and with other soloist; includes photograph of Derek Bell with Art Garfunkel [April 1976]; and photograph of Derek Bell and James Donald Walters [c.1996].
