Like the BnF, the BSB does not possess a dedicated ‘Moore Collection’, however the following musical sources are contained in the library’s music collection: a copy of Duffy’s 1859 edition of the Irish Melodies edited by Glover, one copy each of Numbers 1-8 of the Irish Melodies, one copy each of Numbers 1-3 of the National Airs and one copy of each of the following individually published songs from the Irish Melodies and National Airs series; The harp that once thro’ Tara’s halls (First Number Irish Melodies), Has sorrow thy young days shaded (Sixth Number Irish Melodies) and Should those fond hopes (First Number National Airs). The Irish Melodies Numbers 1-7 and all three copies of the National Airs are available to view online via the BSB’s online catalogue; https://www.bsb-muenchen.de/en/.

Just over one third of the sources I examined and catalogued at the BSB were for works from, or inspired by, Moore’s Lalla Rookh. These include songs by Attwood, Clarke, Hawes and Stevenson, a fantasy-overture by William Sterndale Bennett (1816-75) based on Paradise and the Peri and a cantata by John Francis Barnett (1837-1916) also based on Paradise and the Peri. Music for Anton Rubinstein’s opera Feramors is also contained in the library’s music collection.

Image courtesy of Special Collections, McClay Library, Queen’s University Belfast