Drama and theatre

For drama groups there is a choice of 4000 play sets including all the standards and a lot of modern plays besides. You'll find one-acters, plays for children, plays in foreign languages and sets of libretti. For the festive season, there is a selection of pantomimes too. There are single copies of older, obscure and fringe plays, with a good selection of foreign plays in both the original language and translations.As well as drama criticism and study notes, bookstock includes acting and its techniques, make-up, costume, set design, world theatre and theatrical history.

We have a strong collection of recorded plays on tape, cd and video, plus a popular range of sound effects.

Music

For singers and choirs there are 6000 music sets for loan, including vocal scores of anything from 'South Pacific' to 'Aida', and a large selection of music to suit smaller groups, such as songs and madrigals.

For orchestras there is a wide range of classical and modern music for all levels of ability, covering full, string, wind and classroom orchestras. A large repertoire of performing sets is in stock for chamber groups from trios upwards. If you are an instrumentalist or singer, no matter what standard, there is a wide choice of music for most instruments, both solo and accompanied, as well as songs, vocal scores and libretti. If you are a bit rusty, help is on hand from our collection of tutors, instructional videos and studies. We also keep extensive collections of full, miniature and study scores. Our bookstock covers music history, biography and theory with specialist areas such as popular and world music, opera, musicals, instruments, recording and jazz.

Information and Reference

The extensive cd collection covers jazz, western classical, world, popular and theatre music, while the video section is strong on opera, shows and tutors.

Extensive reference facilities are available, with dictionaries, encyclopaedias, catalogues (printed, computer and cd-rom) backed up with advice from our specialist staff. We also provide personal listening facilities for cassettes and cd, and an electronic keyboard for trying out music.

A selection of magazines and journals covering our subject and interest areas are available in the study area.

Access to an internet computer is available.

Dance

This collection includes classical, folk and all types of social dance and covers history, technique and personalities. Although primarily book-based, the collection is increasingly incorporating video and multi-media as a more appropriate way of providing instruction and information, covering much material on folk-dance, ballroom and other social dance, ballet and modern dance.

Ballet and dance is also available on cd and cassette, while many ballet productions are provided on video.

Cinema

As well as books on film personalities, our stock includes film theory and study, genre, national cinema, directors and film history. There is a growing collection of scripts and videos of cinema classics including foreign films and musicals. Soundtracks and shows are also available on cd and cassette.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

We have a permanent display covering the life and works of Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), commemorating his strong links with the area where he lived and where he composed some of his most important pieces.

His formative years were spent at Leith Hill Place, just to the south of Dorking, some school years were at Charterhouse School, near Godalming, while he conducted the local Leith Hill musical festival for a staggering 48 years - 1905-1953! Ralph Vaughan Williams’s close connections with Surrey worked in two directions: not only did Surrey landscapes and people influence his work but he had a considerable influence on music making and music education in the County which continues to this day in local festivals and summer schools.

Did you know that Ralph Vaughan Williams was a pupil of both Bruch and Ravel? Did you realise that as an atheist turned agnostic, he wrote a vast canon of church music and edited four major hymnals? Did you know that he wrote a piece for the famous harmonica player, Larry Adler?

Did you realise that between 1903 - 1913, Vaughan Williams collected over 800 folk songs from many parts of England?

Find out more about this remarkable englishman and Surrey resident or pay a visit to the Performing Arts Library and be astonished!