Heritage Quay is one of the most important centres in the world for the study of contemporary classical and art music.
We are home to the British Music Collection. The collection contains over 60,000 scores and recordings of 20th and 21st century British music making the BMC a treasure trove of musical creativity and innovation.
Whether exploring the works of high-profile composers such as Britten, Tippett or Weir or investigating unpublished or lesser known works, a wealth of inspiration awaits. But don’t just take our word for it!
Heritage Quay organises special Study Days to give researchers access to the collection and meet fellow researchers. Check our Events calendar for more information.
Our collections also give a flavour of the rich and diverse musical life of the Huddersfield area. The archives of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, Huddersfield Branch and Huddersfield Musical Society are complemented by items from Slaithwaite Brass Band.
If the jazz age is more your thing, the British Dance Band archive has around 21,000 recordings from that genre, recorded and released in the UK between 1911 and 1939.
Support for Researchers
Some of the collections are yet to be fully catalogued so please get in touch if you think we can help. You can Pursue your own research using the collections here. If you would like more information about performing and/or copying music in the collections click this link.
As well as our main research room, Heritage Quay also has a dedicated space for audio visual materials, providing access to our wide range of vinyl records, cassettes and VHS