Musical Roots of the Elm City

Introduction

The Gilmore Music Library’s special collections naturally contain an abundance of materials from Yale faculty, students, and alumni, and such items have appeared in many of our other exhibits. But the residents of New Haven have long and impressive musical traditions of their own. In Musical Roots of the Elm City, we focus on local music and musicians with little or no connection to Yale. We don’t have enough space to attempt a comprehensive history of music in New Haven. Instead, we offer an eclectic selection of items from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries that have found their way into our collections, including sheet music, programs, advertisements, and pedagogical materials. It encompasses classical, military, sacred, jazz, popular, and film music.