Ronald Stevenson music manuscript: acquired in 1991
In 1991, a manuscript of music by distinguished composter Ronald Stevenson was bought by the National Library of Scotland.
Stevenson (born 1925) was commissioned by the BBC to make musical settings of Robert Louis Stevenson's 'A Child's Garden of Verses'. First published in 1885, this is one of the Scottish author's most appealing works, and it has been set to music many times.
Shown here is the first page of Stevenson's manuscript for the second song in the cycle, 'Bed in Summer'. The manuscript, a model of clarity, is just one item in a considerable and growing collection of Stevenson musical manuscripts. These manuscripts join those of other 20th-century composers in the national collections, such as Cecil Coles, William Wallace, Ronald Center, and F G Scott.
Stevenson, although English by birth, has lived in Scotland since the 1950s. As well as being a composer in various genres, he is a distinguished pianist and teacher.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.