Librarian: Hilary Ashton    Assistant Librarian: Judith Topper

Wednesdays  9.30 am - 3.30 pm

Fridays  9.30am - 3.30 pm

The Library is a non-profit making organisation for use by members of the Light Music Society only.   Membership costs £18 a year (UK)

 The library houses more than 35, 000 bags of orchestral sets, each containing 20 to 30 parts for individual instruments. We believe the library is unique in its range and quantity with many pieces unobtainable elsewhere. All the music is listed and accessible.  Cataloguing is on-going and it is hoped to be able to produce a selective catalogue in the near future.  The importance of the library is demonstrated over and over again as we constantly receive requests for music that publishers no longer have. The requests also reflect the resurgence of interest in this type of music from recording companies, from orchestras for concert hall performances or from both amateur and professional ensembles in order to accompany a social function.

The Library of Light-Orchestral Music is increasingly well known. We are in the British Music Yearbook and other reference books.  We also gain publicity from various articles and the occasional mention in BBC radio programmes.  Enquirers are referred to us by the British Music Information Centre, by music colleges, public libraries, the Musicians'  Union, the BBC and many publishers.

The library is only for the use of Members of the Light Music Society. (See membership details using the Main Menu). The service is funded by members' subscriptions and from the hire fees we charge. We receive no external funding.

Hire fees are £25 per set (plus p&p), £35 for suites or longer pieces (plus p&p) for ordinary concert use. For broadcasts or recordings, suitable fees can be negotiated.

For more details please use the Main Menu.

Initial administration costs (enabling the purchase of a computer and printer, no long obsolete) were met from the Light Music Society's own funds.

These had accumulated from royalties from the HMV LP Britain's Choice, sponsored by the Society in 1968, which featured music played by the Light Music Society Orchestra conducted by Sir Vivian Dunn. 

Modest income has continued from tracks of the same recording issued on CD and cassette. It has been reissued in full on Vocalion CDLK4182.

The Library is wholly funded by the subscriptions of LMS members and the hire fees charged for the music we hire out.

Library hours are Wednesdays 9.30 am - 3.30 pm and Fridays 9.30 am - 3.30 pm.

The development path of the Library of Light-Orchestral Music is similar to that of the British Music Information Centre.  Begun in 1966 and administered by the Composers' Guild of Great Britain, it eventually became a separate body, self-supporting with charity status.

Any such advances will depend on the continuing rise in membership of the Light Music Society and the outside support we are able to generate, both financial and practical.