University of Glasgow

UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

 
Part of the Library and University Services

Roberton Collection

 

Photograph of Roberton by W. Nichol Smith, Glasgow: Ca16-y.1

The Glasgow Orpheus Choir was founded in 1906 by Hugh Roberton (1874-1952) and became well known not just in its native city but throughout the choral world during the first half of this century. Sir Hugh Roberton composed and arranged many songs and part-songs for it.

The collection, which was presented to the Library through the good offices of Henry Farmer, comprises over 30 original songs, about 50 song arrangements, 100 original part-songs, some 200 part-song arrangements (a number of these being different versions of the same work) and most of the faux bourdon psalm settings in the series arranged by Roberton. In addition there are 20-odd letters between Sir Hugh’s son Kenneth and Henry Farmer, and several photographs of Sir Hugh. There is also a small quantity of archival material in the Farmer Collection.

Finding aids and descriptions

  • Entries for printed material are on the main Library catalogue; browse through a list of titles
  • Entries for manuscript material are on the manuscripts catalogue (eg type Roberton in the descriptions box to access a list of item descriptions of relevance); photographs of Roberton are shelved at Ca16-y.1 and letters to Farmer at Ca16-y.12.
  • A card catalogue of the collection is held in the Special Collections Department.
  • Sheila Craik and David Weston, Tunic, tinsel, toga: an exhibition to mark the centenary of Henry George Farmer, 1882-1965 (Glasgow, 1982).