Albums by everyone from alt-artists Hank and Lily to the DieMahler String Quartet are part of a new collection of Vancouver Island music at the Greater Victoria Public Library.
Beginning Monday, more than 170 recordings by local musicians will be available at three Greater Victoria Public Library branches. Visitors to the Central, Nellie McClung and Juan de Fuca branches will have access to a total of 500 compact discs (including copies of the same artists) spanning musical genres such as rock, blues, classical, jazz and folk.
The idea is to highlight talented musicians working and producing music in Victoria and surrounding communities, said Cheryl Landry, music specialist and public service librarian.
She believes such a local music collection is somewhat unusual. Landry could find similar collections only in libraries in Toronto and the United States.
“We want to support the local music community and the creative community at large,” Landry said.
Victoria music historians who viewed the GVPL’s list of local recordings applauded the initiative. However, they also expressed hope the collection will be expanded significantly.
“Honestly, it’s pretty scattershot,” said Marcus Pollard, a music collector and booker at Harpo’s Cabaret from 1985 to 1995.
“Without knowing what their plans are, well, it’s a start. I would give it an ‘A’ — and if this is all they’re going to do, I would give it an ‘F.’ ”
Music historian Glenn Parfitt, who runs the Royal City Music Project website, said the collection contains worthwhile choices but “they’re missing so much old stuff.”
He said local bands such as the Pharaohs, As Sheriff and the Brothers Forbes should be represented.
Landry said the collection, which focuses on the past five years, is small due to limited space and budget. The library is open to accepting donations.
She said she hopes it continues to expand alongside the local music scene and provide a place for musicians to learn about one another.
“As it grows, it will become a public record of music life in this area,” Landry said. “That’s not something we’ve had before [at the library].”
She said the idea has been brewing for years. Previously, recordings by Vancouver Island artists were hidden within the GVPL’s larger catalogue. “You didn’t know right off the bat that it’s somebody local,” Landry said.
The library consulted local music experts at Ditch Records, as well as sending out calls through the Victoria Conservatory of Music and the University of Victoria.
A launch party for the collection will be held Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at Centennial Square. Eight local groups and musicians will perform 15-minute sets, including Sets in the West, Renata Young, Ethan Caleb, Alan Jossul, Balkan Babes, Kaya Fraser Band, One Bright Morning and Ocean Noise.
— With files from Adrian Chamberlain
Albums available at the Greater Victoria Public Library beginning Monday:
Album title / Artist
4 / Hey Marmaduke
6 directions / Janet Rogers
#2 unplugged / Clover Point Drifters
Acoustic psychedelic chill / Michael Waters
After hours / Brad Prevedoros
All that matters / The Garry Oaksmen
Another noon / Jon and Roy
Apologies to the Queen Mary / Wolf Parade
Back in the day / Shady Characters
Balm for the soul: Music of Eastern Europe [Jill Wiwcharuk, Tony Booker]
Bare Bones: The acoustic blues / David Gogo
The basement / Chris Neal
Beautiful to see / Strawberry Vale
Bells & whistles / Steph Macpherson
Best nothing, Vol. 3 / Zlatko Zvekich
Black Mountain / Black Mountain
Blackangus X / Black Angus
The blanche album / the Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra
Blank tape / Seven Year Old Poets
Blues in the night (and stories my Mama told me) / Maureen Washington
Cavalcade of the scars
Change of pace / David Gogo
Cherry Bank Hotel / Clay George
City of dust / Chris Ho
Climbing mountains in the night / Moira
Collections / Acres of Lions
Comes love / Melody Benbow
Comfy couches / Daniel Cook
Coming up roses / Moira
Concertos, violin, orchestra; Dos conciertos / Carlos Chavez
Concertos, violin, orchestra, no. 1, op. 19, D major; Violin concerto no. 1 Violin sonata in D major / Prokofiev
Crank city / Hank and Lily
Danger road / Hawk and Steel
Day waves / Chris Millington
Death scenes I II III / The Buttless Chaps
The decline and fall of-- / Versa
The DieMahler String Quaret in concert
Dine under the stars / David Gogo
Divinity / Vital Hands
Divna / Balkan Babes
Don't be ashamed! / Howie James
Don't say you don't know what you want / Elephant Island
The double E.P. / The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra.
Double windsor / Kingsley Cricket
Dry bones / Outlaw Social
Every whisper is a shout across the void / by Fish & Bird
The experiment is out of control / Mold Colony
Fight against darkness / Chet
Fire up the blades / 3 Inches of Blood
Firedance / Prevedoros, Brad
Firewater / Janet Rogers
Flirting with the Queen / Spaceport Union
Folk n' soul / Dave Harris
Follow my lead, lead me to follow / Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra
From within / Ronda Rozon
Got your back / by Janet Rogers and Alex Jacobs
Greatest hits / Carousels
Hard times / Himalayan Bear
Hearts wide open / Three Wide Men
Heartwoven . Gettin' Higher Choir
Here we go again / Daniel Cook and Maureen Washington
Hide from the seasons / Mike Edel
Homes / Jon and Roy
How much time / Kuba Oms
Hummingbird / Renata Young
In a big machine / Oliver Swain
In motion / Brad Prevedoros & Firedance
In the future / Black Mountain
Inspirata / Ensemble Laude
Jon Middleton
Jubilee / Lonesome Pine Special
A jug of that / Kitangus
A jug of this / Kitangus
Justin Hewitt
Kauai / Chet
Keep off the grass / Johnny Galactic
Kingdom come / Skellig
The last of our mountains / by Mike Edel
Leisure Suit EP / Leisure Suit
Let go! / Carol Sokoloff
Let it go / Jon and Roy
LIghts low / Shanti Bremer
Live! / The Gettin' Higher Choir
Live! : at the Kaleidoscope Theater / Gettin' Higher Choir
Live from Dan’s Hal: Music for English country dance / the Dancehall Players
Live in concert / The O’Briens
[Live off the floor] / The Sweet Lowdown
Lonely whale / The Royal Canadians
Long & tall tales / Kelly Cavanagh
Long live heavy metal / 3 Inches of Blood
Long time ago / Current Swel
Lost horizon / Ocean Noise
The lost tapes / Brodie Dawson
Lovelessness / Bison
Mama / Nomeansno
Mandala / Gettin' Higher Choir
Mantennae / David P. Smith
Masterpieces of Russian choral music . Voces Intimae
May / The Sweet Lowdown
MeatDraw / MeatDraw
Mental blocks / Chad Thud
Most definitely live / Dinah D's Contraband Swingclub
Much more than merry men / The Archers
Masica Latina selecta / Diemecke, Pablo
A new peak in lowdowness / Run Chico Run
Nightmare tropics / Cleopatra and the Nile
Occupy this / Michael Wood Band
Ocean tapestry / Sarah M. Wood
Official bootleg series. Vol. 2 / David Gogo
The old fashioned way / James Kasper
On purpose / Beverley Ann McKeen
One for the ditch / ESP
One voice: The Gettin’ Higher Choir live at the Alix Goolden Hall
The ones we left behind / Sets in the West
Open horizon / Kaya Fraser
Orchidology / Jon Miller Quartet
The path / Dougal Bain McLean
Pirates and kings / Bosma
Place / West My Friend
Places we've been / Los Gringos Locos
Pleasure, pomp and power: Songs of medieval France and Italy / Ensemble Laude
Poetic wax / Beverley McKeen
Powell River to prairie sun / Linda McGarvey
Protect your own / Current Swell
The queen of Vancouver Island / Carolyn Mark
Radiant land / Leeroy Stagger
Raise a rukus / Rukus
Resurrection / Linda McGarvey
Riding with Mr. Blues / The KingmiXers
Shakespeare serenade / Martina Haakenstad
The Shilohs / The Shilohs
Shine all your light / Gettin' Higher Choir
Silhouette / Brad Prevedoros
Sittin' back / Jon & Roy
Skellig / Skellig
Slim's picks / Dave Harris
Small reveal / Aidan Knight
So gracious is the time / Banquo Folk Ensemble
So I say / Current Swell
Soli / Alan Jossul
Song of Flanders / Brent Straughan
Song of the week 2 / Helen Austin
Songs for a winter's night / Reid Jamieson
Soul-bender / David Gogo
The sound of the tone: Echoes from the last resort / Carolyn Mark & Tolan McNeil
Spectrum / Shauna Janz
Spin a little gold / Budokan
Star seeds / Ashley Wey
Still blue / Bill Johnson
The Sweet Lowdown / Sweet Lowdown
Tears of the valedictorian / Frog Eyes
Thought & memory / Skagway
Three worlds / Brad Prevedoros, Niel Golden, Greg Joy
To the moon / Stomp Rockits
Too much to do / Nick La Riviere
Transcribed! / Erik Abbink and Jacqueline Perriam
Tremor and slip / Kaya Fraser
Trust us now / Current Swel
Versa / Versa
Versicolour / Aidan Knight
Vince Vaccaro / Vince Vaccaro
Volio / Balkan Babes
Wake up / Cooper Sisters
Welcome to Miami / Slam Dunk
West Coast serenade / Prevedoros, Brad
Western style / Don McLennan
Where night holds light / the Buttless Chaps
Will yesterday fade away / Blake Andison
Wine in the cupboard / Skagway
Within the moment / Hazen Sage
Working / Acres of Lions
Wrong / Nomeansno
