The Oxford Companion to Music

I know what you're all thinking. Wow. Hear The Harmony has been updated. 

Anyway, a little while ago, I purchased a book called The Oxford Companion to Music.Tenth Edition. :)

Is it used? Rarely. Is it modern? Hardly. But is it loved? Duh.

This Tenth Edition was published in the early 1960's (yeah, because it's that cool) and has an ecosystem of love in its pages. No, literally. There's, like, mould on the edges of the pages and spine. *Shiver*. It's by a dear fellow called Percy A. Scholes and its cover consists of some very groovy musicians holding their violins with their left hand, seating their cellos on the floor with no spike, and I don't think their guitar/eukalale/thing can be tuned. I got it second hand for about $2 but apparently it's a very valuable book. :P

On the very first page, its previous owner Theresa McCarthy has written this in a purple calligraphy pen. Her handwriting is quite old school. Old school is cool by the way. 

     "This trusty companion I hope will stand by me all my musical years- especially when I have a rather large essay due in the next morning of which I have not begun... 1st term 1992".

Is that cool or is that cool? It's an absolutely brilliant book, its first edition published in 1938. This is a very special book. All 1189 pages of it. 

It's basically got over a million terms on all aspects of music, including instruments and composers. Best of all? It's got pictures!

For example, who knew that Greensleeves was the tune mentioned twice by Shakespeare in The Merry Wives of Windsor? Apparently during the Civil War of the 17th Century, it was a party tune, and is also sometimes known as 'The Blacksmith'. 

It's also got pictures of some of the earliest pianos, and wow. If only you could see the photos. Just Google Cabinet or 'Giraffe' piano (by Van der Hoef of Amsterdam). The book's also got a diagram of a dissected violin. Also, at the end of the book, Mr Scholes has taken the liberty of adding a section devoted to the pronunciation of words, ranging from 'Be' (which is actually pronounced 'Bay) to 'Pfiffig' (pronounced 'Pfif-ish'). 

And that is why you're all jealous of me now.

I hope that in the case of anything unfortunate occuring, I will remember to escape with this book. After all, it IS a companion.