Music Library

Wings of Song Music Library Goes Public

In July 2025, Wings of Song Librarian Nym Cooke completed a nine-month project to completely reorganize the chorus’s extensive sheet music collection, now housed securely at The Overlook in Charlton, Mass.  Creating new heavy-duty file folders for all our music, Nym found that we currently have scores for 731 pieces; numbers of copies of each piece vary widely.  Our collection fills 2,025 folders in 63 file cabinet drawers (expansion room has been left at the back of every drawer).  A list of our current holdings may be found here.

The Wings of Song Board would now like to make this music available free of charge to area choruses: other community choruses like ours, church choirs, high school and college ensembles, smaller independent groups.  Borrowing and returning copies of music is simple:  

• Chorus directors, choirmasters, teachers, and others who lead singing ensembles should first consult our list of pieces to ascertain that a particular piece and edition is part of our collection, and to estimate the number of copies that we have.  Quantity varies from one copy (unborrowable; kept for use as a photocopy master) to 15 or more folders’ worth.  The number of copies is usually unspecified, but the number of folders is given.

• If you find what you’re looking for, contact Nym (nymcooke@gmail.com, 978 724 3438) to arrange a pick-up time.

• At the time agreed upon, meet Nym outside the Davenport-Williams building on The Overlook’s campus; Nym will take you up to the library room.

• Nym will pull the music you need, and the two of you will note its present condition, which is almost always excellent: no ink or highlighting; no excessive pencil markings; no folds or tears; no paperclips; and almost always, no staples.

• You’ll be asked to fill out two copies of a “lending tag,” providing the title of the piece you’re borrowing, the exact number of copies you’re taking with you, the lending date, your name, your phone number, and an agreed-upon due date.  One copy of the tag stays with the Librarian; one copy goes with you.

• Each lending tag specifies the condition which the music should be in when it’s returned: “These materials are lent with the understanding that they will be returned in at least as good condition as they were received.  Markings should be made only with light pencil, and must be thoroughly erased.  No ink or highlighter markings should be made.  Punched holes should not be torn open.  If copies are lost, damaged, or soiled, a replacement fee of 10¢ per copy will be charged.”

• When your due date arrives (extensions are granted only if necessary), contact Nym (see contact info. above) to arrange a time to meet at The Overlook and return the music.  Nym will check the music for damage, soiling, or missing copies, and assess a replacement fee as necessary; this fee should be paid on the spot.  

It’s that easy!  We really want to share the riches of our choral music library, and not have it just sit in the file cabinets, 98% unused.  So if you’re planning a choral music program or just want to perform a particular piece, check out our list and get in touch!