Framed gold disc, presented to The Chieftains by RCA Victor, engraved as follows: ‘To commemorate the sale of more than 500,000 copies of the RCA Victor records, compact disc and cassette the Bells of Dublin ’.
Framed gold disc, presented to The Chieftains by BMG, engraved as follows: ‘in recognition of achieving Gold Status for the album The long black veil ’.
Framed silver disc, presented to The Chieftains by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), engraved as follows: ‘to recognise sales in the United Kingdom of more than 60,000 copies of the RCA album The long black veil ’.
Original typed and photocopied letters, faxes and contracts from various solicitors and copyright agencies to Derek Bell. All material relates to The Chieftains. Includes two letters which relate to the registering of musical works with the Performing Right Society (PRS), London, England and the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), Dublin. Includes letter from Greg Meagher, PRS, London, England to Derek Bell about registering Derek Bell and Paddy Moloney’s arrangement of ‘The Coolin and Sean Coolin’ with PRS (25 July 1988); also includes letter from Andy Godfrey, Chrysalis Music, Bramley Road, London, England writing on behalf of IMRO to Derek Bell, Bangor and Seán Potts, Dublin ‘regarding some confusion over the song ‘Lonesome’. Two entries exist in the IMRO database for the song ‘one shows Seán Potts as sole arranger and the other shows Seán Potts and Derek Bell as joint arrangers’. Godfrey wants to know ‘which of the two is correct’. (15 July ?)
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)
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).
