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American Handel Society Archives

 Collection 0096-SCPA
The American Handel Society seeks to foster study of the life, works, and times of George Frideric Handel, and to encourage and support the performance of his music. The Society was founded in 1986 by University of Maryland music professors Howard Serwer and Paul Traver, with Princeton music professor J. Merrill Knapp. The American Handel Society Archives span the years of 1981-2006, with the bulk of the material dating from 1985-1994. The collection includes member information, financial reports, Board of Directors meeting minutes, newsletters, correspondence, grant applications, and information relating to the Maryland Handel Festival. Also included are the notes and files for the Bibliographic Database and Discography projects, including printouts of both databases.

Dates

  • 1981-2006
  • Majority of material found within 1985-1994

Use and Access to Collection

There are no restricted files in this collection.

Duplication and Copyright Information

Materials from this collection must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Contact the curator for an appointment: http://www.lib.umd.edu/scpa/contact

Extent

4.50 Linear Feet

Additional Description

Scope and Content of Collection

The American Handel Society Archives contains materials relating to the founding, history, and undertakings of the American Handel Society. The collection ranges in date from 1981 to 2006 with the bulk of the materials falling between 1985 and 1994. Materials include member information, financial reports, Board of Directors meeting minutes, newsletters, correspondence, grant applications, and information relating to the Maryland Handel Festival and the Bibliographic Database and Discography projects.

Administrative History

The American Handel Society was founded in 1986 by Howard Serwer, Paul Traver, and J. Merrill Knapp. Its mission is to foster the study of the life, works, and times of George Frideric Handel, and to encourage and support the performance of his music. To this end, the Society sponsors a biennial conference featuring papers and panel discussions by international scholars and performers, presents the Howard Serwer Lecture, nominates two members to the Editorial Board of the Hallische Hand#228;ndel-Ausgabe, and offers the J. Merrill Knapp Research Fellowship for advanced graduate students and scholars in the early stages of their careers to support work in Handel studies or related fields. The Society publishes a newsletter three times a year. Major projects of the Society include compiling databases of all recorded Handel music and of all published bibliographic materials pertaining to Handel.

Arrangement

This collection is organized into four series.
  1. Series 1: Administrative
  2. Series 2: Projects
  3. Series 3: Events
  4. Series 4: American Handel Society Newsletters

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

Received in five accessions between November 1998 and July 2009 from University of Maryland professors Dr. Howard Serwer and Dr. Richard King. Future accessions are anticipated.

Related Material

Jacob Coopersmith was a noted American Handel scholar. His papers can be found in the Jacob M. Coopersmith Collection.

The following items are available at the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library:

  1. Finane, Ben. Handel's Messiah and his English oratorios: a closer look. New York: Continuum, 2009. Call number: Stacks, ML410.H13 F37 2009.
  2. King, Richard G., ed. Handel studies: a Gedenkschrift for Howard Serwer. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, c2009. Call number: Stacks, ML410.H13 H215 2009.
  3. Landgraf, Annette and David Vickers, eds. The Cambridge Handel Encyclopedia. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Call number: Reference, ML410.H13 C23 2009.
  4. Thormand#228;lius, Gustav. Georg Friedrich Hand#228;ndel, von Gustav Thormand#228;lius, mit 25 abbildungen und einem farbigen umschlagbild. Bielefeld, Leipzig, Velhagen andamp; Klasing, [n.d.]. Call number: Reference, ML410.H13 T56.
For other related archival and manuscript collections, please see the following subject guides.

Administrative Information

Title
American Handel Society Archives
Status
edited-full-draft
Author
Lisa Rodio, April 2011.
Date
2011-04-01
Language of description
Finding aid written in English

Revision Statements

  • 2011-10-31: EAD markup checked and verified using JEdit software by Jennie Levine Knies, October 2011.
  • 2015-06-01: EAD markup checked and verified using Oxygen software by John Davis, June 2015.

Library Details

Library Details

Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library Library

http://www.lib.umd.edu/mspal
Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
8270 Alumni Drive
College Park MD 20742 United States

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