The Mick Tems Archive

Songs were collected by Mick (a professional Journalist) using shorthand, but he had no recording equipment, so no music written down; he remembers the tunes and sings them. Mick has recorded some of the songs. 

"Dear Sam, 

     Thanks very much for highlighting my archive – please could you publicise it? My archive is something like a never-ending work in progress; it’s left unfinished and uncorrected, and I’ve still got to write the explanations. Apart from that, I have gone back to editing The FolkWales Listings, and I’m busy writing the reviews – there’s a queue of 10 new CDs just waiting for exposure. I started listing and numbering the Welsh songs, but it’s a task which has proved impossible – and I really ought to show the full body of my archive, but I don’t know how to publish it. I suffered a severe stroke many moons ago, and the stroke has left me with a number of dark holes in my brain – I simply cannot remember how to operate computers - especially the music publishing programs. I passed the eighth grade in Musical Theory, but reading musical scores has completely defeated me – and I used to be a musician, but I cannot play any musical instrument. What is more, the stroke has left me typing with one hand!

    I really would like to get my full archive published – apart from the traditional plays and the Gower archive, there is a considerable number of items which remains hidden. (There are a few Welsh songs and tunes, lost in the computer files, which could be brought back into the archive.)"

I (Sam) have prepared some detailed notes as a Word document which you can download: SAVING THE MICK TEMS ARCHIVE.doc 

1. Contents: published online, on Mick's website, www.folk.wales/archives.html, with links: 

As to the future of the collection: suggestions welcome!

We will include material in our magazines, but this is just a fraction of the material.

Given that our magazines & this website is a full-time voluntary 'job' (plus folk club, plus caring responsibilities), I don't have the time to learn how to archive, database, etc. Ideally I'd like Folklife to be an admin team effort, but no volunteers as yet...

Plus I'd like to: find out how to index/database our Journal articles: put online print-only magazine articles from before Folklife became separate from Somers Traditional Folk Club of Worcester; more on Welsh traditions; etc ....

So others would need to be involved. Please contact sam@folklife.uk