Uniform Titles are assigned to music scores because a musical work can be published in multiple editions with varying versions of the title (i.e. variable order of form, medium, key, opus numbering), use a programmatic title such as Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique for his Sonata op. 13, no. 8, or have a title in a different language.
Uniform title qualifiers are added in a prescribed order that identifies the piece. Keyword Boolean searching of scores is enhanced when you know any or all of the qualifiers for the piece you need.
In the case of works with generic titles, the genre or form appears first (in plural, unless the composer ony wrote one work in that genre/form), followed by medium (i.e. instrumentation), numbering (serial, opus, or thematic catalogue) and key.
For arrangements, transcriptions, or reductions, "arr." is appended to the uniform title to indicate that the score is not the original version.
Types of Scores
Find Music Scores in Omni
All music scores are accessible through Omni searching by Author (i.e. composer), Title, Subject or Any Field (using Boolean operators). Boolean searches are most useful to allow combination of terms (see under Uniform Titles) and avoid retrieving sound recordings.
Examples: mahler AND wunderhorn NOT (disc OR sound)
Example: beethoven AND sonat* AND piano AND "op. 13" AND "compact disc"
Request a mobile music cart at the Stauffer Reserve Desk and book a Music Listening Room when using audiovisual materials.
DVDs, VHS and music CDs are found in the Multimedia Collection on the lower level of Stauffer.
Compact discs circulate for one week. The shelf numbers reflect the date of accession to the collection. e.g. SRCD04-1156 means the 1156th Sound Recording Compact Disc acquired in 2004.
DVDs circulate for 3 days.
The shelf numbers reflect the date of accession to the collection. e.g. SRCD04-1156 means the 1156th Sound Recording Compact Disc acquired in 2004. Ask for LP numbers (e.g. SR11-047 ) in Music-Storage to be retrieved at the Circulation Desk.
Floorplan: Stauffer 2nd floor Music Collection. Items are arranged according to the Library of Congress Classification.
Generally, items are shelved alphabetically in author order within each subject class number.
Classical Scores Library (15th-21st century). Includes full, study, piano and vocal scores, as well as piano reductions. All opera, vocal, and choral texts are configured to allow for deep searching and textual analysis.
Sheet Music Consortium (includes York University and University of Alberta collections)
ChoralWiki: free choral/vocal scores, texts, and translations.
Canadian Sheet Music: Digitized subset of 4,000 items featuring either a Canadian imprint or Canadian composer (University of Toronto)
Canadian Sheet Music Collection: Consult this finding aid to view the list of titles that are held in the Jordan Special Collections Library.
The Choral Library originates from the Queen's DAN School of Drama & Music. It is currently being moved to Stauffer Library. It is also referred to as the Queen's School of Music Performance Library Scores Database. A paper index to the music is located with the collection.
To make a borrowing request, please complete the Choral Collection Borrowing Request Form. The Music Librarian will respond to your request within 3 days.
See Choirs Ontario to pay to borrow copies from their library.
Search a song title in Omni Simple or Advanced Search mode using quotation marks: e.g. "il pleure dans mon coeur".
Use the Song Index to help locate songs from published collections/anthologies housed in the music collection stacks. If title access does not yield the song (since the search string is followed literally), try searching only by the composer's last name.