2025 Poster Session

The Straits Settlement (S. S) Police Band music scores collection was donated to the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) by the Republic of Singapore Police Force Band in 2016. It was a historically significant collection whose roots go back to the first local regimental band in Singapore (1925-1940s) during the British colonial office period, before it was renamed the Singapore Police Force Band, and continues to be known today. These 215 scores of western compositions were arranged for band music as the scores excluded string instruments. They were published across the 18th to 20th century, with the majority in the 1900s. The single and multiple-folio scores were printed primarily with carbon black ink on wove paper and ink-stamped with ‘S. S Police Band’, alongside with other handwritten media such as graphite pencil, coloured pencil, ballpoint pen, technical pen, and iron gall ink. Some of these markings revealed the multiple users over time.  

The project started with a condition survey in 2018 involving four conservators from NAS’ Archives Conservation Lab (ACL). They set out to propose the conservation treatments, housing storage solutions and time required to conserve the entire collection. The overall survey report revealed that the collection was mainly in poor condition with Condition Rating (CR) range between two to five based on ACL CR’s scale of one (very good) to five (unacceptable conditions). Apart from tears and losses, the degradation of pressure-sensitive tape and adhesive labels applied by the user in the past rendered some items vulnerable to potential chemical deterioration. The comprehensive survey report and database enabled ACL to begin the challenging project by first selecting three scores assessed as CR4 and CR5 for conservation treatments, ‘Paraphrase– ‘Loroley’ by Nesvadba, ‘Plymouth Hoe–A Nautical Overture by John Ansell and, ‘Kissing Time’ by Ivan Caryll, in 2022. With treatment and technical complexities, the team worked together to discuss the treatment options to balance viability and preservation needs.

The Singapore Police Force Band project catalysed an opportunity for the conservators to deep dive into adhesive tape resulting from treatment experience, by embarking on an in-house tape removal training programme for the team to learn and conserve the rest of the scores. It further developed into a collaborative effort with NAS’ Sound and Moving Image Laboratory (SMIL), which handles audiovisual archives, in creating tape samples. The methodology used a climatic chamber to carry out accelerated aging of the different tape varieties to simulate their conditions found on the scores with complex tape issues. This approach helped to create realistic sample case studies for the team to practise and learn from. The project explores different considerations when embarking on challenging conservation treatments, from decision-making to formulating practical, sound and applicable conservation treatment proposals. It will also highlight the importance of building capacity for the conservators through immersive training, widening our knowledge by researching into the rich heritage of Singapore, and the invaluable process of collaboration with colleagues.