Annual Study Weekend 2026

Held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cardiff

Programme of events

Timings and other updates will be made as information becomes available.

Friday 24th April

13:00 Early arrival tours

14:00-15:45 – Registration

15:00 – Hotel check-in

16:00-16:45 – Archival resonances: enriching the performance of Welsh piano music through national partnerships | Zoe Smith

Over the past ten years, the RWCMD’s interest in Welsh music research has grown.  My research has emerged from performance, with two major projects driving my engagement with Welsh music archives.  The first project, Welsh Impressions, created with Tŷ Cerdd (Music Centre Wales), built on repertoire research undertaken for Welsh and international performances, particularly for the National Eisteddfod’s Encore series.  The second project focused on the composer David Harries, involving his family, Tŷ Cerdd and the National Library of Wales: curating anniversary concerts, with a commitment to record, edit and publish his solo piano music (in association with TC). Through setting this research in the context of Welsh classical music in the mid-late 20th century, key questions emerge about style, heritage and history, signposting areas for future research. Working in partnership with RWCMD, Tŷ Cerdd and the National Library of Wales, we have the possibility to continue to mine rich musical resources for many years to come.

16:45-17:30 – Speed date our artefact | Charity Dove

Several enthusiastic music specialists come together to convince the IAML delegates their artefact is the best.  There will be a prize!

17:30-18:30 – Dinner

18:45-19:15 – Exploring the Leeds Conservatoire Archive: an ongoing adventure into uncharted territory | Laura Johnson

In 2025, Leeds Conservatoire celebrated its 60th anniversary.  This milestone, and the need to represent it in some sort of tangible way, kickstarted a process of archival exploration and investigation.  In early 2024, we began digging through boxes with the anxiety and trepidation of two librarians with no archival experience.  We found concert programmes, newspaper cuttings, and random objects of dubious origin; most excitingly, we came across a series of giant scrapbooks compiled and annotated by a ‘tutor-librarian’ from the early 1970s onwards.  Combining these items and ephemera, we began to identify a narrative, found evidence of things we suspected, and discovered discrepancies in our original timeline that threatened to derail the anniversary celebrations from the outset…  In this paper, I will explore the history of the conservatoire as told through its institutional archive, showcase some of its most interesting items, and explore what goes wrong (and sometimes right!) when librarians moonlight as archivists.

19:15-20:00 – From library to concert hall, home and school: Paul Rissmann’s Alice concert suites for young audiences | Prof. Kiera Vaclavik

Sound has been of considerable significance in the afterlife of both of Lewis Carroll’s Alice books: some of the very earliest adaptations and tie-ins took the form of lavishly illustrated music sheets. A steady stream of musical responses and interpretations of the books has been produced ever since across a range of media from opera to pop, and most recently in concert suites which were a collaboration between composer Paul Rissmann and myself. Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass performed by the London Symphony Orchestra premiered at the Barbican, London, in November 2015 and 2022 respectively.  In this paper I will briefly outline the research process which draws on Carroll’s texts and Alice-based Victorian parlour music and will explore the ways in which Rissmann gives sonic form to key aspects of Carroll’s work.

20:00 – Drinks at the bar

Saturday 25th April

07:30-08:50 – Breakfast at Radisson

09:00-09:30 – News and updates

09:30-10:15 – Expression of emotion through music: Schubert songs, Japanese and UK performers, and a Bayesian model | Prof. Renee Timmers

What makes music a strong vehicle to express and communicate emotions? And what are differences in the way emotions are communicated through music depending on cultural context? In this presentation, I will address these questions drawing on three empirical investigations – one published, and two are in progress or under review. The first compares expression of a song’s emotion in historical and contemporary recordings of performances of Schubert songs. The second explores self-reported approaches to emotion in western classical music by Japanese and UK performers. And, the third models communication of emotion using a Bayesian model of perception. Research findings are illustrated with sound examples, allowing the audience to reflect on their experiences and impressions.

10:15-10:45 – When music doesn’t cure all ILLs | Catherine Preston (Cardiff University), Lee Noon (Leeds Public Library), TBD

From Encore, to JISC-mail, to budget cuts, to library closures – there’s a lot to our ILL set-lending system that’s decidedly unwell. Join our expert panel as they present insight, practical examples and possible solutions for bringing rosy cheeks back to the nation’s score sets. The session will include significant time for group discussion and debate, as the Branch collectively decides what happens next.

10:45-11:00 – Coffee/Tea Break

11:05-11:35 – Cataloguing for inclusion: the British Library’s Abolition Song Project | Gail Tasker and Meg Fisher

11:35-12:05 – Music Library Trust funding: how and why you should apply! | Katy Hamilton

The Music Libraries Trust was founded by IAML (UK & Irl) in the 1980s to provide bursaries and research grants for music librarians around the country. In this session, current MLT trustees introduce the scheme, and explain the benefits of applying. We’re also very keen to hear from ASW attendees about their experiences of seeking funding, and of the shifting professional landscape, to ensure that MLT can continue to provide effective support for music librarians into the future.

12:05-12:35 – Copyright Literacy, Perception and Practices of Amateur Brass Band Music Librarians: friend or foe of brass band composers? | Emily Peart

Brass bands have been an active feature in UK amateur music scene since the early nineteenth century; they are considered a working-class movement. Since their advent, a deep and nuanced culture has grown up around brass bands, and whilst they are fewer in numbers than at their peak, there are still brass bands active throughout the UK. Under studied and often considered lesser by the classical western art tradition, brass bands have not received the same attention by licensing agencies when compared to other amateur music ensembles, which poses remuneration vulnerabilities for brass band composers. The aim of this research was to understand the copyright perception and practices of amateur brass band music librarians and the counter views of composers in this specific context, considering as an outcome if recommendations to Brass Band governing bodies are merited so they can better serve the needs of Brass Bands, brass band music librarians and composers.

An anonymised online questionnaire was advertised to brass band librarians to investigate their music access and storage practices, photocopying, scanning and sharing practices, copyright literacy levels, and openness to copyright education initiatives. Three semi-structured interviews were undertaken with brass band composer to gain their perspectives on if and how they were affected by brass band copyright compliance. The research found that copyright infringement is widespread, copyright literacy and brass band composers do object to a loss of earnings due to copyright infringement, naming established and up and coming composers who have stepped away from the brass band community due to the financial losses caused by infringement.

12:35-13:00 – Music, copyright and AI | Chris Scobie and Simon Wright

Simon Wright (OUP) and Chris Scobie (British Library) from the Trade & Copyright Committee give an introduction to some of the copyright-related issues and debates around music and AI. Starting with a general survey of this fast moving landscape, we will highlight some of the different perspectives, guidance and proposals put forward by government, musicians and the music industry.

13:00-14:00 – Buffet lunch

14:15-16:30 – Tours

  • Cardiff Central Library, or Cardiff Museum and their collections

14:15-16:30 – Self-guided tours

17:00-17:30 – AGM updates | Peter Linnitt

17:30-18:15 – The Field Recording Project: capturing the sound of the UK | Ella Roberts

This talk introduces The Field Recording Project, my interactive, open-access sound archive documenting environments across the UK. I will explore how the archive functions as both a creative resource and an educational tool, with applications across music, science, and supporting wellbeing.

The session will introduce the principles of field recording and acoustic ecology, examine the wellbeing benefits of active listening to natural soundscapes, and demonstrate how libraries and institutions can engage with the project. Attendees will gain practical insight into how environmental sound can support interdisciplinary learning and foster deeper connections to place.

18:15-18:30 – Break

18:30-19.00 – Drinks reception

19:00-21:00 – Dinner

Sunday 26th April

07:30-08:50 – Breakfast

09:00-09:30 – News and updates

09:30-10:00 – Sound and music: how does it all work? A gentle amble through the physics of sound and music | Antony Gordon

What is sound and how do we perceive it? The harmonic series and the circle spiral of fifths leading to temperaments. The classification of instruments. How sound is recorded and reproduced. Into the digital domain – is it really forever?

10:00-10:45 – Handel with Care: Perspectives on Gen AI – Handyman or Highwayman? | Charity Dove (Cardiff University), Judith Dray (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama) and Antony Gordon (IAML (UK & Irl) Webmaster)

Increasingly, information and heritage professionals are forced to grapple with Generative Artificial Intelligence and the work-life revolutions happening within every sphere right now. But what does the Age of Gen AI really mean when you’re working on the ground with musicians, members of the public, educators and students? And what does Gen AI hold for the future of arts, education, museums and libraries? Join Charity Dove (EDI advocate and librarian educator), Judith Dray (library leader and archivist), and Antony Gordon (sceptic and retired sound librarian), in an open discussion on the more existential side of AI. “For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong,”…but we can at least talk it through together.

10:45-11:15 – Coffee Break

11:15-12:00 – Special collections in vocational performing arts education | Mandie Garrigan and Judith Dray

Special collections have been underused in conservatoire education, especially at the undergraduate level. The perception that these collections are disconnected from the practical aspects of performing arts has contributed to their underuse. However, at RWCMD, a fresh approach has been taken to integrate special collections into learning and teaching activity. Since the Foyle Opera Rara Collection arrived at RWCMD, it has been used widely in teaching and learning. Research supports the idea that object-based learning is particularly beneficial for undergraduate students, including those who are neurodivergent, but existing research has not examined its relevance to performing arts education. The relevance of this approach is further underscored by the growing population of neurodivergent students in conservatoires, underscoring the need for inclusive teaching practices. In this presentation, we share our experiences in developing and embedding object-based learning in performing arts education. We provide insights into the potential benefits of this approach for a diverse student body, acknowledging its potential as a transformative force in performing arts education.

12:00-12:45 – Professional pilgrimage from the Land of Song | Alumni panel: Peter Linnitt (Royal College of Music), Sarah D’Ardenne (Royal Northern College of Music), and Simon Wright (Oxford University Press)

A small panel of Cardiff University School of Music alumni reflect on their times as music students & library users in the capital of Wales. The panellists will discuss the impact this rich foundation made on their eventual careers as music information professionals. Please Join us for this grateful farewell to the ‘School of Music’ before it transforms into the newly merged ‘School for Global Humanities’, Ponder the different paths we tread towards connecting musicians and scholars to the tools they need, and Celebrate the potential for today’s library patrons becoming tomorrow’s coworkers and colleagues.

13:00-14:00 – Fork Buffet