‘Music for All’: the Rise and Fall of Scottish Music Publishing, 1880-1964

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The Glasgow branch of Paterson’s was established in 1855; James Kerr and Mozart Allan established their Glasgow music publishing firms in the mid-1870s; and stationers Bayley & Ferguson set up as music publishers in the mid-1880s. Paterson’s ultimately specialised in educational music, the others serving amateur musicians, with Bayley & Ferguson particularly favouring choral material. London offices were opened by Bayley & Ferguson and Paterson’s; this did not prevent either from becoming moribund in the 1950s.
Until the 1920s-30s, they all appeared to flourish. In 1896, a Glasgow newspaper commissioned an ‘enterprising young firm of Scottish Music Publishers’ (Bayley & Ferguson, unnamed) to publish a song book for the centenary of Robert Burns’s death. In 1921, Paterson’s boldly advertised themselves on the front page of The Scotsman, as ‘the Scottish Music Publishers’, whilst in 1922, The Montrose Standard spoke of Mozart Allan as ‘this well-known Scottish Music Publishers’.
Kerr’s got a boost when Scottish singer Robert Wilson acquired the firm ca.1950. In April 1952, they proudly advertised a concert in the Arbroath Herald, 'James S. Kerr presents Robert Wilson, the HMV Recording Star'. However, Wilson died aged 57, in 1964, and William Paterson Bayley, son of the founder of Bayley & Ferguson died the same year aged 76.
I shall demonstrate that the decline of Scotland’s music publishing trade was due as much to cultural changes and popular tastes, as to the demise of any particular individuals, and I shall also draw parallels with certain contemporary Scottish book publishers.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages18
JournalPublishing History
Publication statusSubmitted - 3 Feb 2025

Keywords

  • Publishing history
  • Music publishing
  • Music publishers
  • Audiovisual media
  • Broadcasting

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