[MusicTlk] Watch this: Joining the dots - 200 years of Braille Music

[Ella Yu]

Hey everyone,
This was just broadcast on BBC today. Have a listen
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002jst7>. The full description of the
documentary is below, copied and pasted.

2025 marks 200 years since Louis Braille invented his revolutionary 6-dot
tactile writing system for blind people. Braille was also an organist, and
he went on to adapt his system into Braille Music, allowing blind musicians
to access and study scores like never before.
Award-winning lutenist Matthew Wadsworth travels to France to learn about
the origins of Braille Music and explores the impact it's had on blind
musicians over the last 200 years.
Matthew visits the Musée Louis Braille (Braille's childhood home) in
Coupvray, France to learn about Louis Braille’s early life. He also travels
to the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles (The National Institute for
Blind Youth) in Paris - the institute for blind students where Louis
Braille was a student and teacher. The school still teaches blind students
today and organ teacher Alexandra Bartfeld tells Matthew how the institute
trained famed blind organists like Jean Langlais, Louis Vierne and Gaston
Litaize.
Philippa Campsie, independent researcher into the history of blindness,
explains how Charles Barbier’s Night Writing code using raised dots
inspired Louis Braille. And Mireille Duhen, from the Valentin Haüy museum,
shows Matthew period tactile music scores from the turn of the 19th century.
Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Ignasi Cambra explains at the
piano how he uses Braille Music to memorise a score.
Viola player Takashi Kikuchi is a member of Paraorchestra. He recently
learned the music for the Virtuous Circle – an orchestral performance of
Mozart’s 40th Symphony with additional music by Oliver Vibrans. He
discusses the challenges of memorising contemporary music and how he worked
with fellow viola player and Assistant Music Director of Paraorchestra,
Siobhan Clough, to access the score.
James Risdon, recorder player and Access Lead at ABRSM (Associated Board of
the Royal Schools of Music), talks to Matthew about the ways digital
Braille Music scores have benefited his career. And Dr Sarah Morley Wilkins
from the Daisy Consortium Braille Music project and Jay Pocknell (Project
Manager at Sound Without Sight and Music officer at the Royal National
Institute for Blind People) discuss their work with music publishers to
improve access to Braille Music scores in the digital age.

Hope you enjoy.