Rare and unique recordings of Aberdeenshire’s musical heritage will be preserved for future generations as part of a multi-million pound project.
The British Library’s £18.8 million “Unlocking Our Sound Heritage” initiative has resulted in 10 “sound preservation centres” being established throughout the UK.
It seeks to digitally conserve half-a-million of the nation’s most at-risk recordings and make them available for anyone to listen to them around the world.
Among the musical mementos selected for the conservation project are reel-to-reel tape recordings from the John Junner Collection, which was recently donated to Aberdeenshire Council’s museum service.
Mr Junner, who died in 2009, was a schoolteacher and celebrated musician from Strachan who was keenly interested in traditional Scottish music and the various formats it has been recorded on over the years.
His full collection includes musical instruments, recording and playing equipment, and tunes recorded on everything from wax cylinders, to tapes and cassettes from as far back as the 1940s.
Over the years, he recorded many local musicians, making his works some of the most unique of their kind.
David Cook from Aberdeenshire Council said: “We were delighted to accept this unique collection of local and national significance into the permanent collections of Aberdeenshire Council museums.
“While the recordings are in good condition, they are threatened by physical degradation and some are stored on formats that can no longer be played.
“Being part of this national initiative will ensure some of our local recordings of Scots music will be digitally preserved and available to folk at home and abroad for future enjoyment and learning.”
Alastair Hardie, one of the trustees acting on behalf of the late music collector said: “In his will, John Junner asked for his collection to be kept at a suitable location in north-east Scotland.
“Ten years after his death, his wish has finally been fulfilled with this donation.”
The recordings have been temporarily moved from the museums’ archive into the care of experts at the National Library in Glasgow who will conserve them.
John Scally, Scotland’s National Librarian, said: “Our sound heritage is under threat as tapes, minidiscs and lacquer, vinyl and shellac discs degrade or the equipment to play them becomes obsolete.
“This is a vitally important project that will help to save the nation’s sounds and preserve them to be enjoyed for many generations to come.”
