IMSLP Forums

I'm an admin at the Choral Public Domain Library and a score of Vaughan Williams' Sancta Civitas was recently contributed. I suggested to the contributor that the score might be better hosted at the Petrucci Music Library on the basis that 1) it's scanned rather than retypeset and 2) I'm not entirely sure about the copyright situation since CPDL is hosted in the USA, whereas I'm fairly sure it would be fine for the Canadia-hosted IMSLP.

However, since the contributor may not come here to contribute the score, I thought I would let you know the URL in the hope that some kind soul would go through the necessary process to add it to IMSLP. I'd do it myself but I think the score would benefit from being in black and white rather than colour and I don't know how to do that. The score is here though it took a long time to load for me so if people have difficulties, feel free to reply here and I could upload it to Mega Upload or whatever.

I keep an eye on the forums and the main wiki site and take great pleasure in seeing the library grow at such a fantastic rate, despite not contributing myself. I admire the work you guys do here - keep it up!

Rob

Hi Rob,

If it's a full score it's probably okay to be hosted here, whereas for a vocal score, from memory the piano reduction of RVW's Sancta Civitas was attempted by one Havergal Brian (1876–1972), which would make that part of the score just as unfriendly in respect of copying in Canada as well as other jurisdictions! (And yikes! it's 104 MB in size, so probably quite unoptimised as well.)

Thanks, Philip

P.S. It's a vocal score, so on account of the piano reduction it would be interdicted on IMSLP until 2023; the US copyright, based on original publication in 1925, will (probably*) expire first, so you'll be able to host it on CPDL sooner! Regards, PML
* probably, with the caveat that those pesky Disney people love having the copyright law changed to lengthen the term whenever a certain copyright is about to expire.

from memory the piano reduction of RVW's Sancta Civitas was attempted by one Havergal Brian (1876–1972)

Good memory! OK - thanks for that. I'll advise the contributor.

Rob

If memory serves it's documented in volume 3 of Malcolm Macdonald's book, The Symphonies of Havergal Brian. One of the manuscripts of the symphonies was written on the remainder of a consignment of paper gifted to him by RVW when he was employed to do the piano reduction for this specific work! PML

This is an interesting case. As far as I can tell, the arranger is not credited anywhere on the published vocal score, and the copyright claimant is Ralph Vaughan Williams - not the publisher (Curwen). The notice passes muster under the 1909 law, so the work would be protected until 1/1/2021 in the USA assuming it was duly renewed in 1953 (28 years after publication). VW was fairly good about renewing his copyrights in the USA, as was his widow Ursula.

As for Canada, it's possible it is public domain if the piano reduction was done as a 'work made for hire' - which is basically means that Brian created the piano reduction in return for payment and agreed to forsake all claims to copyright in his arrangement - making VW the sole claimant. This is pure supposition on my part, though, based solely on the lack of credit in the published score.

Very interesting observations - you might be interested to know that my (rather shabby) vocal score does say on the title page 'Pianoforte arrangement by Havergal Brian'. It also has 'Copyright, 1925, by Ralph Vaughan Williams' both on the title page and page 1 of the score.

If you have a copy that credits the arranger, the case is closed. Not free in Canada until 2023.