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Music Collection Database
This collection is a compilation of 25 collections of sheet music, band books and original manuscript musical compositions. The collection represents a wide variety of musical styles including but not limited to marches, waltzes, polkas, gallops, Foxtrot, Blues, and Fanfares. A number of traditional circus music scores including hand written manuscripts can be found throughout the collection.

Each collection was cataloged with the following data points: Collection title, box and folder number, song title, composer, arranger, date of publication, number of copies, and publisher. On occasion special notes are provided regarding a specific piece of music. Every attempt was made to identify the above mentioned data points however researchers will note that there are gaps to the database. The database uses Excel as a base and is searchable only within the database itself using the “Control F” search function and cannot be reviewed using the keyword search function of either the Circus World Online Catalog or the Robert L. Parkinson Library and Research Center Finding Aids website. 

The database contains personal music collections of several noted circus bandleaders including Charles E. Post, O.A. Gilson and Merle Evans. The music library of Merle Evans (CWM Mss 18) includes original compositions written by Evans and documents his 50 years of leading the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus band from 1919 to 1969. The Evans collection includes original fanfare scores, arrangements for spectacles and production numbers as well as original handwritten scores for the Barnum and Bailey Circus Mahdi Spec from
1898.

Of particular note the Fred Pfening Collection (CWM Mss 58) contains original musical scores dating between 1894-1906 for several Ringling Bros. Circus Spec productions including the Field of the Cloth of Gold, King Solomon and Queen of Sheba, The Crusades, and Cinderella. The manuscript compositions are believed to be written in the hand of Al. Ringling.

 Copyright
Circus World Museum does not hold the copyright to many of the items in this collection. Section 107 of the Copyright Law allows for the "fair use" of a copyrighted work for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. The materials in this collection are furnished without representation or warranty as to any rights therein and use will be entirely at your own risk. 

Music Collection Database-Click Here
Collections Listed in the Database
CWM Mss 18 Evans, Merle Collection. 

CWM Mss 19 Smith, Ron Collection 

CWM Mss 22 Gilson, O.A. Collection

CWM Mss 24 Guilford, E.R. “Doc” Collection

CWM Mss 41 Marshall, Archie Collection

CWM Mss 42 Halvorsen, C.C. Collection

CWM Mss 43 Pruyn, William G. Collection

CWM Mss 44 Parfrey, Fred Collection

CWM Mss 45  Lucky, Paul Collection

CWM Mss 46 Dillon, Marion Collection

CWM Mss 47 Mills, Bob Collection

CWM Mss 48 Marshall, W.C. Collection

CWM Mss 49 Hoe, Robert, Collection

CWM Mss 50 MacLeod, Douglass Collection

CWM Mss 51 Lehman Music Collection

CWM Mss 52 Ille, James Collection

CMW Mss 53 Geiger, Loren Collection

CWM Mss 54 King, Karl L. Collection

CWM Mss 55 Chandler Band Collection

CWM Mss 56 Allentown Band Collection

CWM Mss 57 Nash, Dane Collection

CWM Mss 58 Pfening, Fred Collection. 

CWM Mss 60 Clauder, Joseph Collection

CWM Mss 66 Post, Charles E. Collection

CWM Mss 69 Johnson, Glen Collection