Audiovisual recordings of singing sessions, and recordings of individual singers made in public and private venues, organised predominantly by Inishowen Traditional Singers' Circle, in Inishowen, Co. Donegal, 1980-2003. Occasionally includes music and dance.
This subseries contains exam papers, lecture notes, articles, newspaper clippings, concert programmes, music catalogues, photographs, drawings, serials, musical instrument catalogues and letters relating to music education, teaching, music research and musical instruments, most notably the piano, harp, oboe, cimbalom and heckelphone. Bell’s study of musical composition as well as his lifelong interest in ethnic music and musical instruments of other countries including Romania, Bulgaria and Peru is reflected in this subseries. His research into the hammered dulcimer which led to the recreation of the ancient Irish instrument known as the tiompán can also be seen in his papers in this subseries (DBE-239678/2/1/4).
This subseries contains seminar notes, letters, articles and religious texts relating to Bell’s interest in Buddhism, Eastern mysticism, Kriya Yoga and the power of music and meditation to counteract evil. Seminar notes and articles are from the teaching of guru, Gideon Fontalba. The second file in this subseries relates to letters and articles which refer to a legal case involving a minister of the Self Realization Fellowship, Swami Kriyanan (born James Donald Walters). Kriyanan was a friend of Derek Bell for many years and collaborated with him on two CDs - Mystical harp and Mystical harp II . Other religious texts are from a distance learning course provided by the Arcane School, London, England. The school provides students with training in meditation and offers a service to develop their spiritual potential.
This subseries contains correspondence, accounts book, membership lists, receipts, meeting minutes, rules and objective documents, insurance policies, rent notices, bills and equipment manuals relating to the early years of Na Píobairí Uilleann, particularly to the period when their premises was located at 32 East Essex Street, Dublin 2.
