Woody Herman big band charts collection, 1946-1988

Collection

Identifier: BCA-042

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Woody Herman big band charts collection contains charts and scores used by Woody Herman's Thundering Herd. While the majority of the collection came to Berklee from the University of Houston, documentation within the collection also shows that some individual pieces were acquired at different points in time by members of the Berklee College of Music Ensemble Department.

Composers and arrangers represented in the collection include Alan Broadbent, Tony Klatka, Gary Anderson, Nat Pierce, Bill Stapleton, Ralph Burns, Joe Roccisano, and Richard Evans, among others.

Dates

1946-1998

Creator

Stapleton, Bill (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research by appointment. Advance notice is required for access because materials are stored offsite.

Conditions Governing Use

Materials from Berklee Archives are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Permission to examine materials, or to obtain copies, does not imply the right to publish, exhibit, or broadcast them, in whole or in part. Visitors and researchers are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials they may wish to use, making fair use determinations, investigating the owner(s) of the copyright and, where necessary, obtaining permission for the intended use. For additional information regarding copyright, fair use, and reproduction services, please consult our Access and Use Policies.

Biographical / Historical

In 1981, a large collection of charts and scores from Woody Herman's Thundering Herd was transferred, with Herman's permission, from the University of Houston Archives to Berklee College of Music. Under the custody of the Ensemble Department at Berklee, copies of charts were regularly lent out to bands across the country. Over time, individual members of the Ensemble Department acquired new charts that had been used by Herman's orchestra, such as a group of music composed and arranged by Alan Broadbent. In 2017, the collection of charts and scores was moved from the Ensemble Department to the Berklee Archives.

Extent

10 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The music in this collection is arranged alphabetically by song title. For most pieces, music for multiple instruments is included. For music with only one instrumental part, a note has been added.