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Dr Karen McAulay

@karenmca.bsky.social

Musicologist historian, RCS Fellow, @iashedinburgh.bsky.social alumna. Athenaeum award for research into Dundee's Leng Scots Song competition. 2x Routledge 'Music in C19th Britain' titles. https://karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/ Wary of folk w/o profiles!

1,654 Followers  |  898 Following  |  3,361 Posts  |  Joined: 10.11.2024
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Posts by Dr Karen McAulay (@karenmca.bsky.social)

IKEA green and blue wool rug.

IKEA green and blue wool rug.

Nice, eh? Room decorated to improve my mood whilst working!

09.03.2026 22:22 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Dining room - new green IKEA rug to tone with fern-patterned blinds.

Dining room - new green IKEA rug to tone with fern-patterned blinds.

Contentment (however brief, before my peace is shattered) is a new rug to finish off redecorated dining room (also my study!)

09.03.2026 21:59 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Eh? This is most odd!

09.03.2026 18:43 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Weird!

09.03.2026 16:35 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Birdsong. Taps running. A whole lot of new sounds for you!

09.03.2026 16:34 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I've ordered a copy!

09.03.2026 16:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Well done!

09.03.2026 16:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Having done the 2 things I set out to do, I should head home.
But it's quite nice being out, having been a housebound carer last week. Grumpy invalid is on the mend, thankfully. Hasn't messaged me yet to find out where I am and when returning...

09.03.2026 15:38 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Such a good idea. I should travel. In the name of writing ...

09.03.2026 15:34 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Call for Papers: Early history of teacher training - History of Education Society

🚨 CALL FOR PAPERS!

See below for the details of a conference in Liverpool on the early history of teacher training colleges in Britain, specifically between 1836 and 1914

πŸ“ Liverpool, 2 June 2026

historyofeducation.org.uk/call-for-pap...

09.03.2026 11:07 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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International Women’s Day: Rose Smith (and Marjory Kennedy-Fraser) Is this a two-post day? Surely not! But … well, it’s International Women’s Day. How can I not mention it? I decided I would play music by women this morning. Rose Smith (one of th…

And I got applause yesterday!
(Thank you 😊 - it wasn't me, it was the tune I played...)
#ChurchOrganist

karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/i...

09.03.2026 07:37 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Yes, it did go through my mind they must be pretty combustible.
Wonder if any journos will track down the business owners?

09.03.2026 06:54 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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International Women’s Day: Rose Smith (and MKF) Is this a two-post day? Surely not! But … well, it’s International Women’s Day. How can I not mention it? I decided I would play music by women this morning. Rose Smith (one of th…

Web of Science apparently found a bunch of scientific papers credited to me. Flattering! But McAuley is not me. Now corrected. I write about women's musical history karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/i..., social history & old national song books. karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/t...

08.03.2026 20:50 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I play no games. Never have.
By inference, I'm nothing/nobody.
(shuffling off to play piano ...)

08.03.2026 20:20 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
International Women’s Day: Rose Smith (and MKF) Is this a two-post day? Surely not! But … well, it’s International Women’s Day. How can I not mention it? I decided I would play music by women this morning. Rose Smith (one of th…

#InternationalWomensDay: Rose Smith (and MKF) songs played in Neilston Parish Church today! karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/i...
#WomanOrganist #WomenComposers @royalmusical.bsky.social

08.03.2026 17:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Me wearing my mother's apron. 
She was a force to reckon with.

Me wearing my mother's apron. She was a force to reckon with.

Don't Mess With Me. I'm wearing my late mother's apron!
Because I said so.

08.03.2026 15:31 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

On #InternationalWomensDay, please remember many women who aren't celebrating today. Negative 'comments' do constitute criticism. #Gaslighting is #abuse. And a woman can hardly be considered hypersensitive, if other *men* witness and identify the unacceptable behaviour.
@shadowsofcontrol.bsky.social

08.03.2026 14:27 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The People’s Song Book No.2 (published by John Leng) It stands to reason. If I’m researching the John Leng Scots Song competitions, then I might also be interested in this firm’s publications. Not, of course, that there’s any direct…

I know it's #InternationalWomensDay - I'll come to that later today. But first, just a wee celebration of a successful bit of research treasure-hunting on eBay!
karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/t...
#NationalSongs #JohnLeng #Dundee

08.03.2026 14:09 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Lovely!

08.03.2026 10:38 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Sharp intake of breath. I don't recall any of that!!

07.03.2026 23:18 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Gasp!!! I had No Idea!

07.03.2026 23:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

To my astonishment this evening, I realised I had almost shelved my music in Dewey order. Organ anthologies, Organ single composers, Piano. Old habits die hard.

07.03.2026 23:13 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image 07.03.2026 23:06 β€” πŸ‘ 390    πŸ” 94    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 4

You're teasing me πŸ˜‰!!

07.03.2026 23:06 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

To ...?

07.03.2026 23:04 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
The People's Song Book no.2, published by Dundee firm John Leng.

The People's Song Book no.2, published by Dundee firm John Leng.

Happiness is having just ordered book 1, repatriating it from Virginia to Scotland to join my book 2. A lot closer to Dundee, whence it presumably originated.
I once had an interview in Virginia ... but I wouldn't have my PhD here if I'd got the job there.

07.03.2026 22:57 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Might be ok unless you have boisterous kids or dogs!! πŸ˜‰

07.03.2026 18:47 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Not pretending everything's all right. It's not.

07.03.2026 13:34 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

When someone #stonewalls you, at least it's quiet.
Happy (quiet) Saturday!
@shadowsofcontrol.bsky.social

07.03.2026 13:34 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0